“Late one night, a thunderstorm pounded on the tin roof of the Piggly Wiggly. I saw Miss Salley standing at the door. I knew she walked everywhere, so I gave her a ride and helped get groceries into her small house. She had so many potted flowers! She knew the names of them all. She loved her huge Crown of Thorns and knew it was a Euphorbia, ‘Pink Jewel.’ I was blown away!”
I love the way this story moves forward ... sort of self-propelling, from the stormy night to the utter happiness of winning a blue ribbon, to Cheryl's inheritance of her mom's many, many plants ... you just draw the reader in and makes her want to check out the fair! Thanks -
I had never entered anything in a state fair exhibit until coming to Alaska to grow dahlias with Rob. This year, over two entry periods and under both of our names, we entered just under a hundred dahlia stems and brought home around sixty ribbons. As the years have gone by, I have tried to refine the chaos of choosing and cutting (Rob used to cut the prettiest ones and figure out what class they fit into at the exhibit hall) in order to have the classes covered, the forms filled out, and still be able to greet people we often only see at fair time.
The lighting in the exhibit hall is not the best and tends to make reddish-orange flowers appear brown. There are always new exhibitors who need help with the entry procedures and veterans of bonafide dahlia shows would probably laugh at the local standards. It is great fun though to come the next day and see if we won enough ribbons ($7 for 1st, $5 for 2nd, and $3 for third) to pay for the giant fresh oysters and other fair food we indulge in once a year. Rob sponsors special awards in the youth division and meeting the winners is wonderful. I have also discovered that there is a special class that allows one to choose five different dahlias and assign one's own theme to them. I will never win for arranging flowers but I have been successful in presenting five beauties with a catchy title!
I love the personal theme idea. I'd go with all the Dahlias that have the name of my favorite dogs. Yes, the theme idea is fun. Also love that he sponsors a youth award.
Yes I agree that over the years, the horticultural exhibition has dwindled from a fantastic long afternoon of looking in wonder at the plants grown by average plant people into a space dominated by professional landscape companies that one just walks through to get to another place. I hope this new book will move those “average plant people” back into submitting plants to the fair that will make the rest of us envious of their skill, love, and luck with their plant babies!
Love the SC State Fair. It’s awesome. Also love my ribbons from the art show there that I have won over the years. Best prize was the lady who told me my watercolors were the best ones in the show. A treasured remark at the fair can be a prize. Have to start entering again. And drag dh to the show. He never wants to leave the river. Lol.
I love the way this story moves forward ... sort of self-propelling, from the stormy night to the utter happiness of winning a blue ribbon, to Cheryl's inheritance of her mom's many, many plants ... you just draw the reader in and makes her want to check out the fair! Thanks -
I had never entered anything in a state fair exhibit until coming to Alaska to grow dahlias with Rob. This year, over two entry periods and under both of our names, we entered just under a hundred dahlia stems and brought home around sixty ribbons. As the years have gone by, I have tried to refine the chaos of choosing and cutting (Rob used to cut the prettiest ones and figure out what class they fit into at the exhibit hall) in order to have the classes covered, the forms filled out, and still be able to greet people we often only see at fair time.
The lighting in the exhibit hall is not the best and tends to make reddish-orange flowers appear brown. There are always new exhibitors who need help with the entry procedures and veterans of bonafide dahlia shows would probably laugh at the local standards. It is great fun though to come the next day and see if we won enough ribbons ($7 for 1st, $5 for 2nd, and $3 for third) to pay for the giant fresh oysters and other fair food we indulge in once a year. Rob sponsors special awards in the youth division and meeting the winners is wonderful. I have also discovered that there is a special class that allows one to choose five different dahlias and assign one's own theme to them. I will never win for arranging flowers but I have been successful in presenting five beauties with a catchy title!
I love the personal theme idea. I'd go with all the Dahlias that have the name of my favorite dogs. Yes, the theme idea is fun. Also love that he sponsors a youth award.
"Let me get in with this air plant...." :)
Should I change the name of this blog to tips from a criminal mastermind? I know how to get in the fair for the dairy shows too.
You bring a big cheese for the competition?
Ps my crown of thorns is getting bigger. Did not know they had a plant show too. Love the pig races and the shepherding dogs demos.
Yes I agree that over the years, the horticultural exhibition has dwindled from a fantastic long afternoon of looking in wonder at the plants grown by average plant people into a space dominated by professional landscape companies that one just walks through to get to another place. I hope this new book will move those “average plant people” back into submitting plants to the fair that will make the rest of us envious of their skill, love, and luck with their plant babies!
For the second entry I did one of the screamingest pinks we had and called it "Barbie Pink."
Love the SC State Fair. It’s awesome. Also love my ribbons from the art show there that I have won over the years. Best prize was the lady who told me my watercolors were the best ones in the show. A treasured remark at the fair can be a prize. Have to start entering again. And drag dh to the show. He never wants to leave the river. Lol.