Division 1 - Horticultural Rules

1. All classes are open to any amateur rose grower whether or not a member of a Rose Society with the following exception:
Challenge Classes Section A, Classes 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 restricted to current members of the Richmond Rose Society.

2. The preparation area will open at 6:00 a.m. Saturday. Horticulture entries will be accepted from 6:15 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.

3. Judging will start at 10:00 a.m. The show will be open to the public from 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday and 11:00 – 3:30 p.m. on Sunday

4. Horticulture exhibitors must register and receive an exhibitor’s number that should be entered on the entry tag in the appropriate space.

5. All roses entered in the Horticulture Division must have been grown by the exhibitor in his/her private outdoor garden and must be correctly named on entry tags. Bud vases and miniature vials will be furnished by the society and remain the property of the society.

6. Only one person from a family may exhibit in the Horticulture Division; however, if desired, a couple may exhibit as a team.

7. One entry only of a named variety is permitted in the same class. A duplicate entry of varieties in the same class by the same exhibitor automatically disqualifies both entries.

8. All roses for Sections B, C, and D must be brought to the placement table for entry. Entry tags shall not be folded. They will be placed by the placement committee. All roses for Section A must be placed by the exhibitor. If appropriate space is not available, please notify the Placement Chairman.

9. At the time of judging, an exhibition rose should be in the most perfect phase of its beauty. Usually this is when the bloom is one-half to three-fourths open. Buds are not considered blooms.

10. Wedging material may be used in the top of the vase to keep blooms upright, but must not protrude above the lip of the vase of container or it will be subject to penalty. The use of extra leaves in the top of the vase to hold blooms upright is not allowed and will be penalized heavily.

11. Grooming or dressing blooms and foliage is permitted if it improves the appearance and is skillfully done.

12. Blue, Red, Yellow, and Honorable Mention (Green) stickers may be awarded; however, judges may make or withhold awards, if, in their judgment, the exhibit merits no award. Rules of the American Rose Society will be adhered to and the judges’ decisions are final. In the case of a tie for Sweepstakes, Red stickers will be counted.

13. Trophies will be awarded to Blue sticker winners only.

14. Roses must be exhibited under the American Rose Society approved exhibition name. Names may be verified by the following sources: Modern Roses 12, International Rose Registration Supplement, Handbook for Selecting Roses and Exhibition Names, The American Rose Annual, ARS Magazines – New Rose Introductions and the 2010 Combined Rose List.

15. To avoid confusion on the show floor, only persons on the Show Committee will be allowed in the show room before and during the placement of entries. This rule will be strictly enforced.

16. During judging, only the Chairman and Co-Chairman of the show, Chairman of the Judges, Clerks and Judges’ Aides will be allowed in the vicinity of the judging. This rule will be strictly enforced.

17. The Show Committee has the privilege of removing wilted or inferior blooms at any time.

18. All exhibits and entry tags must remain undisturbed until the close of the show, 3:30 p.m. on Sunday. Presentation of awards will be at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday.

19. Entries will be subject to disqualification for the following reasons:
      • Misnamed, misplaced, misclassified.
      • Mislabeled or unlabeled.
      • Failure to fill out both the top and bottom of the entry tag.
      • While Judges may not see the names of the exhibitor, the Show Chairman may disallow any awards if the exhibitor’s name and other information have been omitted.
      • Stem-on-stem where stem-on-stem is prohibited.
      • Having side buds where side buds are prohibited.
      • Evidence of foreign substances such as clay wedges, oil, other polish, paint on leaves and stems, etc.
      • More than one entry in single-entry classes: Exhibitor will be disqualified in the particular class where more than one entry appears.
      • Violations of show rules or ARS rules.
      • The appearance of the exhibitor’s name in any location other than the designated place on the entry tag.