"When is a weed not a weed" ask Raetihi gardeners

Ruapehu Bulletin, 11 July 1995, Page 10

"When is a weed not a weed" ask Raetihi gardeners

Garden club members put their best weeds forward for a demonstration on how competitions are judged recently. Fifteen members of the Raetihi Garden Club were present for the meeting held at Dorothy Scarrow's home on 22 June when Adrienne Maru spoke on competitions, . using the members' own exhibits to make her points in a practical way. She drew a distinction between formal competitions which are judged by experts and the more informal monthly club ones where the categories usually consist of a shrub, a spike and a single bloom. The singles or spikeclusters can be either an annual or a perennial and a rose is classified as a shrub as it grows on hard wood. In both the informal and formal competitions the judge makes sure that the exhibit complies with the given classification. Freshness, colour and shape, especially at the beginning and end of the season, are all important. The face of all flowers should be positioned towards the judge as he or she is not allowed to touch the exhibits, so a little judicious pruning of battered, chewed or spent petals from the back of the bloom is acceptable as is the removal of superfluous leaves or stems, as long as it is not obvious. Adrienne recommended a careful search for marauding bugs from the back and inside of the bloom in case they get to work during the judging. Presentation of exhibits is also important. The flower should complement its vase, sitting comfortably in it for size and weight, and often a little green helps. Usually the leaf should be attached to the flower stem, although a separate green daffodil leaf is allowable. Although buds are acceptable in informal competitions, the blooms

should not be too closed for shows. The importance of Adrienne' s opening remark that "the exhibit should conform to its classification" was put to the test in the judging of a collection of weeds. There was such a lively discussion on what constituted a weed that the speaker diplomatically decided that, for this occasion, it should be apurely subjective definition and so such "weeds" as manuka, gone-to-seed brassica, euphorbia, dandelion, lemon balm, mint and grasses found themselves being judged as weeds. As to when a weed is not a weed, the past president decided that it was when it was chickweed! A question remained: does that make the edible and nutritious chickweed a vegetable or a herb? Gleny s Fowlie won first prize for having the best collection of weeds in her garden, with Lynley Graham coming second and Maureen Bell third. The single bloom was won by Maureen Bell, Lynley Graham second and Glenys Fowlie third. The cluster or spike was won by Glenys Fowlie, with Lynley Graham second and Keitha Journeaux third. The shrub was won by Lynley Graham, Maureen Bell second and Bev Hiscox third. The polyanthus was won by Bev Hiscox, second Glenys Fowlie and third Dawn Harper. The year' s programme was given out and it was mentioned that men are invited to attend any meeting that would be of interest to them. New members are always welcome - phone Dawn Harper on 385-414 1 for details. T wo committee members had been inadvertently missed from the list of Committee members: they are Dorothy Scarrow and Beth Hiscox. The next meeting is to be held at Jean Fredericksen' s home, 48 Ward Street, Raetihi, on 27 July at 1 1.45, when Phillip Scarrow will be talking about vegetable gardens.