I have never really shied away from controversy as those that know me will attest. However, two years in a row now, I have seen “mechanically altered” daffodils (another word for taking surgical scissors and cutting off the offending tear or mitten) on the show bench with parts of there petals and some with parts of the cups removed. This year, I overheard the judges bragging about how they know how to trim petals and heal them so that they will not show at the show. Unfortunately, if you are looking for balanced and uniformity of the petals /or cups they do show and are very distracting.
Are we to the point that we are allowing mechanically altered daffodils on the show bench with PRIDE? I know about the rule of removing a floret that is dead and technically that is mechanically altering also. However, mechanically altering either has to be flat stopped, or a category for mechanically altered flowers needs to be put in the show. If one starts carving petals, do you have to carve all petals, or just the three to make them standard. Or can we carve them to look like animals, frogs, flowers, etc., as long as we carve all of them the same. I’m sorry, but a good balanced daffodil with all the petals looking the same and giving the flower a graceful pose is not one that has been the subject of the operating table and the surgical scissors.
I personally will not give an obviously mechanically altered daffodil a blue ribbon, and will be the lone holdout if my team decides otherwise. I’m not even sure if a third place would suffice.
Clay
Clay E. Higgins
(240) 632-0002
cell (301) 814-4206
(240) 632-0002
cell (301) 814-4206