During the past few years I've had a number of people ask me this question: "Why does our club need to put on a flower show?" I was surprised to learn that many clubs don't have a flower show, because ever since I became a daylily club member in 1990, our club has always held a show!

 I belong to the Albuquerque Daylily Club in New Mexico, and I think our show is one of the highlights of the year. We automatically put our show on our calendar of the year's activities. We enjoy showing the daylilies to our community, and we have many visitors who come see our show each year. We even give them a voting slip for them to vote on their favorite daylily and arrangement. We also hold a plant sale at the same time, and it is always very successful.

I asked Nikki Schmith, Chair of Photographic Media, from Region 2; Joann Stewart, Chair of Exhibition Judges Records, from Region 5; and Gwen Pennington, a member of the Ombudsman Committee, from Region 6 for their thoughts on why a club should hold a daylily show.

QUESTION:  WHY ARE FLOWER SHOWS IMPORTANT TO OUR CLUB?

Joann says, "Like an Easter parade, an accredited daylily show gives you the chance to show off your plants, garner admiring looks and comments about your entries, and earn accolades on your grooming and plant culture. Perhaps more importantly, this is also the best way to spotlight your club, to show not only that you grow plants which are worthy of garden space, and you're a group of diverse members with a common interest, but that you're a group which is congenial, willing to share 'self,' information and plants, and don't look down on beginners or strangers."

Nikki feels that those in the club who resist having a show are a "loud minority." The theme is generally the same around the country - "We don't have the money," "We don't have the energy/manpower," or "We don't like what the competition brings out in the members." But Nikki encourages those who have the desire to host such an event to move forward with your grand plans despite the resistance. Nikki promises, "If you bring scapes to the show and participate with an open mind, you will realize it is worth the effort." You will have connected with the club, you will have connected to the national organization, and you will have connected with other daylily fans like yourself. You will have a great time!

Nikki hears many negative comments from the members who aren't personally enthused about a show. Here are a few comments and Nikki's answer to them.

1.    "I don't want to waste a whole scape to bring it to the show."  If it's a new cultivar, or one you are using for hybridizing, then don't cut it. Just bring in one flower for the off-scape section. But, on a clump that is surely going to produce multiple scapes, you won't miss one! Nikki feels that once you cut one, clean it up and bring it in to exhibit, you will wonder why you never did it more in the past.

2.    Another comment one hears is "I don't need a 'judge' telling me my flowers are pretty. I can see that for myself." Nikki points out that "exhibiting daylilies isn't about the 'prettiest' flower, it is about standards. Judges look for traits such as scape height, growing conditions, flower texture, flower color, grooming, etc. Judges are judging on a defined set of criteria for each individual flower. The standard the judges use is the hybridizer's registration information. Remember, the judges aren't judging YOU, they are judging flowers by the registered standard."

3.    "I don't like competition" is another comment one hears. You need to remember that "the mission of an accredited AHS Exhibition Show is public education - not competition."

4.    "I don't grow any new or expensive daylilies." This is no excuse!! The year, cost or hybridizer does not matter in exhibition shows. Nikki points out that the average year of introduction for section winners in the last decade was 1988. Any daylily can win. And does.

Joann says, "unless club members are extraordinarily diligent about bringing friends and/or acquaintances to meetings, clubs who don't have shows have few other ways in which to attract new members."

Gwen agrees. She says, "This is one of the best ways to attract new members. I joined a daylily club after I accidentally stumbled into their annual show that was being held at the city's botanic gardens. I was totally amazed at the incredible blooms. So many colors and forms ... they were unbelievable. The club members were friendly and knowledgeable. They were obviously having fun sharing their hobby."

A show does not have to be accredited in order to be successful in reaching the goals which have been discussed. But Joann feels that accredited shows give a better chance to educate the public about what criteria are used in judging flowers and why some entries might not win. It is true, as more than one AHS member has pointed out, that an unsanctioned show is faster and much easier to set up. So your club might start with an unaccredited show for the first time, to see if the members enjoy the experience.

After a few years in the club, Gwen has found that the annual show provides great learning opportunities to hone her daylily growing skills. "Exhibiting in a daylily show is all about the bloom and scape. However, no amount of grooming can produce a winning bloom. This begins with good gardening habits. Exhibiting will encourage each gardener to increase his or her knowledge."

Nikki gets emails from club members who are struggling to get other members "enthused about such an old-fashioned thing to do."  She created a new colorful, informative PowerPoint presentation. She filled it with photos that are meant to stimulate discussion, enthusiasm and encouragement about accredited AHS Daylily Shows. She also peppered it with some educational information to get members excited about doing a show. Nikki is offering this presentation to your club if you need more ammunition to get your club to do a daylily show. You can download it here: https://www.box.com/s/9pmgfetjmfufvij11kdm. This is for your private use and not for mass distribution in any other form like Facebook.

The next column will continue this discussion and concentrate on "How to Make Shows More Fun for the Club Members." If you have any comments on this article, or something to add about what your club does to make their show more interesting for your members, please email Donna Peck at ombudsman@daylilies.org. I'm hoping these comments will help make more clubs host a daylily show. I'm sure your members will enjoy the experience.