ADS Southern Regional Show

This past weekend the Texas Daffodil Society hosted the ADS Southern Regional Show at the Dallas Arboretum in Dallas, Texas. This was the opening weekend for their 25th annual Dallas Blooms Classic – the most stunning spring floral display in the country with more than 450,000 daffodil, tulip and hyacinths and 3,000 azalea plants. The foot traffic through the show was excellent.
The last several years we have been experiencing a decline in the number of exhibitors and blooms, but this year was different and hopefully an indication of larger shows in the future.
This year we had 16 exhibitors(all won blue ribbons) with nine of them winning an ADS award, 221 entries and 473 blooms. It’s been years since we’ve had more than 400 blooms.
The ADS awards were as follows:
Gold Ribbon for best standard bloom was Geometrics(came from the White ribbon winner which came from the Tuggle ribbon winner) exhibited by Rod Armstrong.
White Ribbon for the best vase of three standard blooms was Geometrics exhibited by Rod Armstrong.
Mini Gold Ribbon for the best miniature bloom was N. bulbocodium exhibited by Glenda Brogoitti.
Mini White Ribbon for the best vase of three miniature blooms was Minnow exhibited by Keith Kridler.
Youth Best Bloom was Thalia shown by Katie Hibbs.
Youth Best Three Stems Avalanche exhibited by Molly Hibbs.
The Small Grower Award was Erlicheer exhibited by Mary Ganter.
The Best Historic Award was another bloom of Erlicheer(1934) exhibited by Diane Ganter.
The Historic best three stems went to Saint Keverne(1934) exhibited by Glenda Brogoitti.
The Youth Best Collection was a collection of Motmot, Thalia, Avalanche of Gold, Pipit and Avalanche exhibited by Katie Hibbs.
The Red, White and Blue Ribbon for the best five stem collection of American bred daffodils was won by Rod Armstrong with Castanets(Pannill), Pops Legacy(Bender), Matador(Oregon Bulb Farm), Lara(Pannill) and Lemon Drops(Mitsch).
The Purple Ribbon award for the best five stem collection not eligible for any other ADS award was won by Keith Kridler with his all white collection of Thalia, Tresamble, Beersheba, Bald Eagle and Gull.
The Historic best five stems introduced before 1940 was won by Shawn Kridler with Lauren Koster(1906), Dick Wellband(19210, Beersheba(1923), Franciscus Drake(1921) and Grand Monarque(1798).
The Tuggle Ribbon award to the best collection of three stems each of twelve different varieties from at least three divisions was won by Rod Armstrong with Golden Vale, Burdekin, Taxation, Geometrics, Falstaff, Tahiti, Bushtit, Intrigue, Wendover, Kokopelli, Avalanche and Matador.
The Lavender Ribbon for the best collection of five miniatures was won by Rod Armstrong with Quince, Cyclataz, Jonquilla, Jumblie and Tete – a- Tete.
The Silver Ribbon for the most blue ribbons in the show went to Dottie Sable and Keith Kridler who tied with 14 blue ribbons each.
We had three family units exhibiting this year so I thought it would be interesting to tabulate how the families did.
As expected, the Kridlers – Keith and Sandy and their son Shawn had the top total of 33 blue ribbons! The Hibbs, mother Ann, a new student judge, and her young daughters Katie and Molly had 14. The Ganter’s, first time exhibitors, mother Mary and daughter Diane won 6 blue ribbons – hopefully the hooks are set for those two.
As the results reveal, this show for the most part was dominated by older varieties. I think we’re getting wiser and are more selective as to what we can grow here in Texas and most often it is the older varieties. Ten days before the show we had several night’s of temperatures in the mid twenties and within the several days before the show we had temperatures in the low eighties – not exactly good climate conditions for daffodil horticulture.
Karla McKenzie, the Texas Daffodil Society’s president for the last several years and the person primarily responsible for the renewed enthusiasm in our Society, took many photos at the show. Hopefully, I can get them from her soon and post them on Daffnet.
Rod