Planning & Planting for Petite Standard Flower Show

Luray Garden Club Petite Standard Flower Show

Theme: Celebrate Luray’s BicentennialCan anyone come up with a catchy title?

Friday May 11, 2012Saturday May 12, 2012Times to be determinedLocation: Train Depot

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 ScheduleClass 1. “Warm Sunshine” 4 entriesMiniature 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 entriesSmall 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 entriesSmall design not to exceed 8” in all dimensions. To be staged in a 10” X 10” square area. Fresh plant material dominant.

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• Container Single Green

Plant• Hedera – Ivy• Helxine - Baby’s Tears• Pilea - Aluminum Plant• Tolmeiai - Piggyback Plant• Other

• Cacti / Succlents• Lithops-Living Stones• Crassula• Sedum• Mammellaria• Haworthia• 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

MinnowDaffodil Jonquilla New Baby

Jet Fire Dwarf Rip Van Winkle

February GoldNarcissus Baby Boomer

Narcissus Blushing Lady Narcissus Tete a Tete

Narcissus Kokopelli

Miniature Daffodils

Miniature 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 ' Lemon Drop ' Rosa ' Santa Claus ' Rosa ' Starla ' 1

Dwarf Perennials

Dwarf Hairy Penstemon Astilbe simplicifolia 'Sprite' Dwarf Bleeding Hearts

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