If you’re new to showing fruit and veg, you may already feel like you need a translator before you even pick up a prize onion 🧅
Calyces… drupelets… “dress an onion”… “prepare carrots”… it can all sound a bit like instructions from a Victorian gardening society with very strict rules about shallots. 🌿
The good news is it’s far less complicated than it sounds. Most of the strange terms simply mean presenting your fruit, vegetables and flowers cleanly, neatly and naturally — showing them at their very best without damaging them.
A calyx is simply the little green leafy top on a tomato or strawberry 🍅🍓
Drupelets are the tiny individual sections that make up raspberries and blackberries.
To dress an onion just means tidying and preparing it for the show bench.
And prepare carrots usually means cleaning, trimming and matching them neatly 🥕
Below you’ll find a handy visual guide to some of the most common show terms, along with a few simple dos and don’ts to help you prepare your exhibits with confidence 🏆
Flower Classes at a Glance 🌸🏆
Many exhibitors spend months growing beautiful blooms, only to lose valuable points because of presentation. The good news is that preparing flowers for exhibition is often simpler than people think.
In this guide we cover the basics, including:
🌺 Selecting the best blooms
🌺 When to cut flowers before the show
🌺 Conditioning stems for maximum freshness
🌺 Cleaning and grooming blooms
🌺 Staging your exhibit for the best presentation
Judges are looking for quality, freshness, uniformity and good presentation, so taking a few extra minutes to prepare your exhibit can really help it stand out from the competition.
Whether you’re exhibiting dahlias, chrysanthemums, roses, sweet peas or any other flower class, our guide aims to take some of the mystery out of the process and help exhibitors of all experience levels feel confident entering the show.
This guide illustrates the flower and general classes featured in this year’s Annual Show schedule. From elegant roses, gladioli and sweet peas to stunning chrysanthemums and dahlias, there are classes to suit both experienced exhibitors and first-time entrants.
The image also highlights opportunities to enter pot plants, buttonhole displays, and the popular “One Flower & One Vegetable” class. Whether you have a single standout bloom or a collection of prize-winning flowers, there is a class waiting for your entry.
Remember, the flowers shown are representative examples only—your exhibits do not need to match the varieties or colours pictured. Check the show schedule for full class requirements and staging details.
🌼 A little preparation can go a long way, so why not have a go this year? You might be surprised what catches the judge’s eye! 🌼
Every exhibitor started somewhere — usually by wondering what on earth the schedule was talking about. With a little practice, it all starts to make sense surprisingly quickly 🌱🥕
Now you know the secrets and terminology, there’s no reason not to give it a go. You might be surprised how quickly a few carefully prepared onions, beans or tomatoes can turn into your first prize card 🏵️🍅
Click here for this year’s schedule