Planning & Planting for Petite Standard Flower Show

Luray Garden Club Petite Standard Flower Show Friday May 11, 2012 Saturday May 12, 2012 Times to be determined Location: Train Depot Theme: Celebrate Luray’s Bicentennial Can anyone come up with a catchy title?

General Flower Show Guidelines All exhibits must be fresh and grown by the exhibitor. Cut annuals and biennials must have been in exhibitor’s possession for at least 90 days. Exception: plants grown from seed, seedling or immature (young) transplants. Container-grown plants must have been in exhibitor’s possession at least 90 days. Exceptions: Multiple and combination plantings must have been growing together and in exhibitor’s possession at least six weeks. Bulbous plants must have been grown from planting of bulb, tuber, corm, etc., or a minimum of 90 days.

Design Rules Fresh or dried plant material, foliage, fruits, vegetables, flowers and branches need not be grown by exhibitor. No artificial flowers, fruits, vegetables or foliage allowed in show. Fresh plant material may not be painted, dyed or tinted. Plant material treated to alter its exterior appearance may be used only in its dried state

Horticulture Rules Exhibitor must have been grown, groomed and labeled Horticulture entries correctly. Botanical name, genus and species and variety/cultivar should be listed, when available. The common name may be added. Cut specimens should not have foliage below water line. Plant material may not be altered by the application of oil, commercial “shine” products, etc. that may artificially change the natural color and texture. All exhibits will be judged by the Scale of Points provided in this schedule and found in the 2007 Edition of Handbook for Flower Shows pgs. 298- 301.

SAMPLE Petite Design Schedule Class 1. “Warm Sunshine” 4 entries Miniature design not to exceed 5” in all dimensions. To be staged in a black niche 6” H X 6” W X 6” D. Designer’s choice of materials. Class 2. “Gentle Breezes” 4 entries Small design not to exceed 8” in all dimensions. To be staged in a 10” X10” square area. All dried material to be used. Container (a shoe) provided by the committee. Class 3. “Spring Peepers” 4 entries Small design not to exceed 8” in all dimensions. To be staged in a 10” X 10” square area. Fresh plant material dominant.

Container Plants must be in SAMPLE Horticulture Perennials Crocus Iris Narcissus Tulips Viola Any other Flowering Container Grown Plants Begonia – Wax Oxalis Rosa Miniature Roses Saintpaulia Miniature African Violet Any other Container Plants must be in 6 inch pots

SAMPLE Horticulture Cacti / Succlents Container Single Green Plant Lithops-Living Stones Crassula Sedum Mammellaria Haworthia Other Container Single Green Plant Hedera – Ivy Helxine - Baby’s Tears Pilea - Aluminum Plant Tolmeiai - Piggyback Plant Other Arboreal-Dwarf/ Miniature Trees /Shrubs Buxus - Boxwood Cotonaster Juniperous - Juniper Picea - Spruce Other

Miniature or Dwarf? Who Decides? Grower / Hybridizer Look at the tag-if it says dwarf-go with it Don’t just look at the plant growth Look at Species Name “nanus” “nana”= dwarf “minima”=smaller “minor” or “minus”= smaller “minutus”= very small Cultivar Name – May give you a clue For example: Tiny Tim, Lilliput, Baby Doll

Choose from a Vast Array of Miniatures Begonias Bromeliads Ivy Hostas Roses Daffodils African Violets Daylilies Cacti Dwarf Hollies

Miniature Bulbs

Daffodil Jonquilla New Baby Minnow

Jet Fire Dwarf Rip Van Winkle

Narcissus Baby Boomer February Gold

Narcissus Blushing Lady Narcissus Tete a Tete

Miniature Daffodils Narcissus Kokopelli

Miniature Hostas www.hostasdirect.com/hosta-info/mini-hostas/ Dew Drop Eleanor Lachman www.hostasdirect.com/hosta-info/mini-hostas/

H. 'Kinbotan' H. 'Teeny-weeny Bikini' H. 'Blue Mouse Ears' H. 'Cherish'

Gardening with Mini Hostas The AHS does not allow a hosta to be considered a mini hosta unless the leaf size is smaller than 6 square inches.  This means that hostas that are commonly regarded as minis by clump size are disqualified by leaf size. Mini hostas do well in pots or containers. (They still need to be overwintered like any hosta.)

Miniature Roses Rosa ' Winsome ' Rosa ' Cupcake ' Rosa ' Heartbreaker ' Rosa ' Santa Claus ' Rosa ' Starla ' 1 Rosa ' Lemon Drop '

Dwarf Perennials Dwarf Hairy Penstemon Dwarf Bleeding Hearts Astilbe simplicifolia 'Sprite'

Achillea lewisii King Edward Ameria Bloodstone Aster Snow Cushion Dianthus Barbatus Indian Carpet Coreposis Moonbeam Heuchara Canyon Melody

Some Petite Design Ideas Note from Gretchen: Looking at a petite design . . You should not be able to tell it is petite. It should be in such proportion that it looks like a normal design.

Does this fit the criteria? It appears the red flower is not petite by just looking at it. This probably would depend on the show schedule as to the type of design.

Background for a petite design will vary according to schedule 6 x 6 inch 8 x 8 inch 10 x 10 inch Design must stay within those boundaries and look like a “regular design.

According to Gretchen: If this design is using a normal size teacup, this would NOT be considered a petite design.

If this is a very small demitasse cup and the flowers are petite varieties, this would work. This one flowers look petite but are they? It is hard to tell if the cup is a normal one or not.

What do you think about this one? Petite or Not???

2005 Flower Show

Designs From Past Flower Show

Designs From Past Flower Show

Designs From Past Flower Show Miniature Designs, but not necessarily Petite Varieties

Lots to Think About Consider your plant material choices Make sure you purchase petite / dwarf varieties Start looking around now for vessels you might want to try with a petite design All designs are either Small or Miniature and the Horticulture is miniature, dwarf or naturally small in growth.

Some Web Sites to Visit Do a GOOGLE Search for: Dwarf Plants or Terrarium Plants www.botany.com www.bridgewoodgardens.com www.hollandbulbs.com www.bluestoneperennials.com www.davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/2419 www.greenart.com/plants-miniatures1.html www.edelweissperennials.com www.mulberrycreek.com www.stargazerperennialscatalog.com www.gardeningknowhow.com www.ehow.com/info_8605061_dwarf-perennials.html www.ehow.com/about_6456386_dwarf-perennial-plants.html