14
Let's Show Our Miniatures
A rose is every lovely dream that ever came your way.
VERONA WEEKSBeauty may well be "its own excuse for being," but to be enjoyed beauty must be shared. Or to put it another way, "Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house." Matthew 5:15.
We grow our miniature roses to share and this can be done in so many ways. Some like to share their miniatures by entering them in rose and other flower shows. Of course, it is also nice to be able to take home some ribbons.
A separate class for miniatures has been set up in the schedules of many shows. Some of the larger shows even offer perpetual cups in the miniature class. Many now provide for entering miniatures not just in the "Best Miniature of the Show competition," but for "Best Single Stem Miniature Rose," "Best Spray," and more recently some have even offered ribbons in separate color and/or variety competition. At a recent San Diego rose show (I was one of the judges) , they also had a class for miniatures grown in pots. 'Little Buckaroo' won first here, and was also Best in Division.
To take or send cut miniatures to a show is really quite simple. Cut the buds in the evening, or another cool time of day. Each bunch of a variety should be immediately plunged into cool water, then labeled and rolled rather tightly (but gently) in a half sheet, double thickness, of dry newspaper. This forms a cone extending above the flowers and below the stem ends. Hold under running water to thoroughly wet newspaper inside and out. Drain, squeeze gently and fold up both ends. Two or three of these wet packages should then be rolled inside one or two sheets of dry newspaper to absorb surplus moisture. Fold the ends and place the whole thing inside a plastic bag. Close the bag tightly with a rubber band or other tie. This bag or several bags may then be packed inside a corrugated wrapping or box and can be sent Air Mail, Special Delivery or taken with you to the show. These can be sent anywhere in the United States and will arrive garden fresh. Open and arrange them just before the show, the buds will be as tight as when you picked them! I also prepare cut flowers this way for my lectures. If kept in a cool place, refrigeration is not necessary.
Containers may be tiny vases, small glass test tubes set into wood blocks, or my favorite, baby food jars. For showing: an arrangement should be not more than six inches in total height (including container). Specimens should consist of three to five buds and flowers (or more if this is a varietal characteristic) on a single main stern. Provision may be made for showing three to five stems of a single variety or a collection of varieties. Single specimen, one bud only, also may be shown.
In addition to cut flowers some shows also provide for showing potted miniature roses. For exhibition a plant should be growing in a simple container of suitable size. Usually a 4 inch to 6 inch pot is desirable for a good bush specimen. Display climbers or miniature tree roses in pots 7 inches or larger or small tubs of similar size and proportion. The plant should be well shaped with clean foliage and, if possible, just approaching its peak of bloom. Some suggested varieties for exhibition:
RED-
'Beauty Secret'
'Little Buckaroo'
'Scarlet Gem'
'Lori Nan'
'Tiny Jack'
'Red Imp'
PINK-
'Eleanor'
'June Time'
'Mona Ruth'
'Pixie Rose'
'Pink Cameo'
'Baby Ophelia
YELLOW-
'Bit 0' Sunshine'
'Yellow Doll'
'Yellow Necklace'
'Baby Gold Star'
ORANGE-SALMON-BLENDS
'Baby Darling'
'Cri Cri' (CriCri)
'Jeanie Williams'
'Baby Masquerade'
WHITE-
'Cinderella'
'Easter Morning'
'Jet Trail'
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