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Post by Lou78W on Feb 2, 2013 8:43:32 GMT
My biggest problem as a novice at shows, is that the guy who walks away with the prizes year after year....is an NDS judge!!...he's alovely chap and very helpful with tips, but he complains there's no "competition" for him; he says he competes to "help fill the tables"  .....its no wonder the number of entries for dahlias is getting less each year......and if I drop out like I had to do last year...well....they may as well drop dahlias altogether..  |
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Post by scrumpy on Feb 2, 2013 9:18:36 GMT
To be quite honest, I am in the same situation at Shrewsbury. I enter to fill up the benches, sometimes three entries in a class. At the end of the day, the public want to see blooms, not an empty bench. And that's why the wife and daughter sometimes get more firsts than me  I too wish more would enter, but I don't think it's because they know they can't win. If they do have that attitude then i think it's a bit defeatist. Showing is the important bit.When I first started I was thrilled to just get some blooms on the bench, and my first 3rd prize I was over the moon. Now, 1st prize means nothing. The competition for me really is to fill the entries i've made so that people can enjoy the display. |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 2, 2013 10:34:42 GMT
To be quite honest, I am in the same situation at Shrewsbury. I enter to fill up the benches, sometimes three entries in a class. At the end of the day, the public want to see blooms, not an empty bench. And that's why the wife and daughter sometimes get more firsts than me I too wish more would enter, but I don't think it's because they know they can't win. If they do have that attitude then i think it's a bit defeatist. Showing is the important bit.When I first started I was thrilled to just get some blooms on the bench, and my first 3rd prize I was over the moon. Now, 1st prize means nothing. The competition for me really is to fill the entries i've made so that people can enjoy the display. Totally agree with scrumpy, the emphasis on showing is not just winning but promoting the flower we all love. For years the council organiser of Banbury show had bugged me to enter to boost the entries in the dahlia classes, so last year I gave in and put 10 entries up in the flower section. There were 5 dahlia classes which I covered plus a cactus/succulent, potted zonal pelegonium, sweet peas, marigolds and a rather nice trumpet carniverous plant. The judge was a sweet pea man which I had a good chat with after judging. Yes, I cleaned up, I think 9 1sts, most points, BIS and R'BIS. Only to be greeted after judging by one husband and wife team saying my entries did not belong at this show. As you might guess I rightly told them where to go. This year I am undecided whether to enter. I could revert to my normal stance and avoid or I could go back and rub salt in the wound to Mr & Mrs Sour Grapes. I think what narked me, they even after our structured tiff had the nerve to ask me to support the entry at their show a week after Banbury. Obviously I didn't. I think the expression buggered if you do, buggered if you dont comes to mind. |
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Feb 2, 2013 10:43:53 GMT
This spell of nice weather over the last week has really pushed the early wakers of my tubers into making cuttings.
Took 60 cuttings yesterday, all of which will be either mother plants for later cuttings and or pot tubers for next year.
Might be just me, there does seem to be more thicker cuttings this year than normal, which we all know are no good for rooting.
Time to turn the heat down a touch methinks !!
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marynz
Full Member
Tweeting as @POSKidsNZ
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Post by marynz on Feb 2, 2013 11:01:40 GMT
Scrumpy, I am glad you are showing these other colours for people to like, in addition to the ones that win. People's enjoyment of flowers is just so rewarding, isn't it?
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bists
Full Member
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Post by bists on Feb 2, 2013 13:48:51 GMT
Hope someone can help. I took a photo of this gorgeous dahlia at the Harrogate Show, but was unable to find out the variety. It was part of a flower arrangement at the National Dahlia Society desk (they were really busy at the desk - and I couldn't find a label for it) Just wondering if anyone knows what it might be?  Could it be Art Deco..? I thought that, so ordered some anyway ;D |
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Post by Lou78W on Feb 2, 2013 15:53:34 GMT
Hey Bists.... ;D...good for you.....might get some myself  |
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Post by dcdahlia on Feb 2, 2013 15:58:41 GMT
Dikara superb and GeorgeMarston showing signs of life now.Only waiting for Ryecroft Jan,Hillcrest Divine,Gurtla Twilight and Oakwood Goldcrest.
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Post by Lou78W on Feb 2, 2013 16:07:18 GMT
To be quite honest, I am in the same situation at Shrewsbury. I enter to fill up the benches, sometimes three entries in a class. At the end of the day, the public want to see blooms, not an empty bench. And that's why the wife and daughter sometimes get more firsts than me I too wish more would enter, but I don't think it's because they know they can't win. If they do have that attitude then i think it's a bit defeatist. Showing is the important bit.When I first started I was thrilled to just get some blooms on the bench, and my first 3rd prize I was over the moon. Now, 1st prize means nothing. The competition for me really is to fill the entries i've made so that people can enjoy the display. I agree to some extent.......I get a real buzz from seeing my blooms on the show bench and sometimes holding their own against the expert....but there's nothing wrong with being competitive and wanting to win. Like you winning all the firsts and cups means nothing to our ND judge....the first, second and thirds mean a hell of a lot to me. Perhaps in these instances, and there seems to be a lot, why don't the shows have a "Display Bench" where the experts can display their vases...without entering the competition... Some people say "its the entering thats important, not winning".....rubbish...I wanna win ;D ;D |
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Post by Lou78W on Feb 2, 2013 16:10:07 GMT
To be quite honest, I am in the same situation at Shrewsbury. I enter to fill up the benches, sometimes three entries in a class. At the end of the day, the public want to see blooms, not an empty bench. And that's why the wife and daughter sometimes get more firsts than me I too wish more would enter, but I don't think it's because they know they can't win. If they do have that attitude then i think it's a bit defeatist. Showing is the important bit.When I first started I was thrilled to just get some blooms on the bench, and my first 3rd prize I was over the moon. Now, 1st prize means nothing. The competition for me really is to fill the entries i've made so that people can enjoy the display. Totally agree with scrumpy, the emphasis on showing is not just winning but promoting the flower we all love. For years the council organiser of Banbury show had bugged me to enter to boost the entries in the dahlia classes, so last year I gave in and put 10 entries up in the flower section. There were 5 dahlia classes which I covered plus a cactus/succulent, potted zonal pelegonium, sweet peas, marigolds and a rather nice trumpet carniverous plant. The judge was a sweet pea man which I had a good chat with after judging. Yes, I cleaned up, I think 9 1sts, most points, BIS and R'BIS. Only to be greeted after judging by one husband and wife team saying my entries did not belong at this show. As you might guess I rightly told them where to go. This year I am undecided whether to enter. I could revert to my normal stance and avoid or I could go back and rub salt in the wound to Mr & Mrs Sour Grapes. I think what narked me, they even after our structured tiff had the nerve to ask me to support the entry at their show a week after Banbury. Obviously I didn't. I think the expression buggered if you do, buggered if you dont comes to mind. That is bad showmanship.......I hope I am a good loser |
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Post by scrumpy on Feb 2, 2013 17:49:45 GMT
and on the subject of slugs......squashed the first 2 babies today, after they'd had a nibble of sir alf And that's after I remembered to put slug pellets around the tubers. |
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Sean
New Member
www.scottishncds.org
Posts: 25
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Post by Sean on Feb 2, 2013 17:55:39 GMT
has anyone ordered of Robin marks from exhibition-dahlias.co.uk ?
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Post by Lou78W on Feb 3, 2013 16:07:45 GMT
Just been putting in my order to Halls.....<gulp>
Jomanda
Blyton Softer Gleam
Marston George
Rycroft Brenda T
Westons: Pirate, Buccaneer, Stardust
Leopold Chloe
Kilburn Rose
Teesbrook Audrey
;D
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Sean
New Member
www.scottishncds.org
Posts: 25
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Post by Sean on Feb 3, 2013 16:16:42 GMT
Lou i prefer teesbrooke redeye
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Post by markb on Feb 3, 2013 18:11:04 GMT
Just tried to log on to Station House dahlia site to order a few dahlias from them, The site is not available.  I have had no luck in logging on to Station House Dahlia's today at all. Their loss, Halls gain. Ordered a few pom plants,, 3 Gurtla Twilight, 2 Noreen, 2 Rhonda and 2 Willo's Violet, I have not got a clue how to grow them though. ;D I was going to order Leopold Sophie, but Halls do not have that one, So i ordered 4 Leopold Chloe and 2 Barbarry Melody. Hi Tel, Willo's Violet was the variety I had when I entered my first dahlia show - it won best vase in novice section so I have a soft spot for it. I managed to get hold of some pot tubers so intend to grow it again this year. Checking back to how I grew it in 2004 my records show it as follows: Cuttings taken between mid February and mid March. Two stops given prior to planting out. Another stop given around end of June. Any premature blooms were knocked back. Plants were put in 3ft apart and filled that space. Hope this may help you and any other new pom growers. I just hope that method still works!!! |
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.....its no wonder the number of entries for dahlias is getting less each year......and if I drop out like I had to do last year...well....they may as well drop dahlias altogether.. 
