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Exhibiting Tips & Tricks

Everything you need to know to get the best from your exhibits at our monthly shows.

When to Pick

If the forecast is for stormy weather, hail or heavy rain, cut your flowers just before the bad weather hits and bring them inside. Most flowers are fine to pick a little early.
Cut flowers early in the morning or late in the afternoon. Avoid cutting them in the heat of the day as they'll wilt and not be looking their best.
As soon as they are gathered, place the stems in a deep container of cool water and set it in a cool, shady place for at least three hours, or overnight. Daffodils are best kept in their own container as their sap can affect other flowers.
When you've cut all your daffodils, put them in a bucket of water and re-cut their stems. They will take a big drink of water immediately when the stem is cut, helping prevent wilting prematurely.

Choose your best flowers in the freshest condition with even petals, and try to find ones without insect holes.
Cut a long stem if possible — it's easy to trim the stem to a better length for the vase, but you can't add length back if you cut too short.
When displaying daffodils, cutting a single leaf to display in the vase can help with the presentation of your flower.

Review the schedule ahead of time, checking the requirements for each class. It's very easy to accidentally have four flower stems for an entry when the class states no more than three.
Check your exhibits for dirt, water spots and unwanted guests. Clean leaves with a damp soft cloth and clean flowers gently with a damp cotton bud or soft paintbrush to remove mud spots and pollen.
Organise which flowers you will be putting into each class the night before. This can include arranging jars, vases or buckets to transport your flowers to the show.
Double-check what time staging of exhibits starts and finishes.

Get to the hall in good time to give yourself enough time to stage your exhibits.
Carefully transport your flowers to the show. Secure any filled vases and ensure flowers are not rubbing against each other or the car. This reduces the risk of bruising or damage.
Exhibits must be placed in club vases that are provided at the show.
There is a staging table in the foyer where you can put your entries into the vases. Grab a bunch of vases to set yourself up. There are also little watering cans on the table to fill them with water.