The Arkansas Daffodil Society annual show will be held in White Hall Friday through Sunday, March 18-20, and area residents may enter blooms for recognition and ribbons.
Sponsored by White Hall Herb and Flower Garden Club, the show will open to the public for viewing from 1-5 p.m. March 19-20, at the James “Jitters” Morgan White Hall Community Center on Dollarway Road.
People may bring blooms to enter from 6-8 p.m. March 18 and 7-9:30 a.m. March 19. Judging will take place from about 10 a.m. to noon March 19.
The state daffodil group will have members and judges from as far away as Memphis, Dallas or Louisiana. Gary and Bonnie McClure of Pine Bluff are active in the Arkansas Daffodil Society. They will be there when hundreds of test tubes are filled with water and set about dozens of tables to display the thousands of blooms which will be on display.
Bonnie McClure gave tips for winning when she spoke to the garden club recently. She said the “perfect daffodil” is a combination of many things when more than 30,000 types of daffodils are recorded worldwide.
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“There are 13 divisions of daffodils, but all are judged by 6 things: 1) form 2) condition 3) color 4) substance and texture of the petals 5) pose and 6) stem,” she said.
Blooms should be fresh and clean and symmetrical without nicks. Torn edges may cause a bloom to be disqualified. The color should be true, not faded or streaked. The petals should be thick, firm and silky. Some are ridged. All single blooms entered should have blooms at right angles to the stem (not drooped too far up or down).
When selecting blooms, a person can display a single bloom or a trio of the same variety for a total of four. Then more blooms of different varieties can also be entered. A person should try to know the names of the daffodils. If not, the society members will try to help those who come to the show as contestants to identify each variety. There is even a Fun Division for novices. Another area of interest is the Photo Division featuring this flower.
Blooms can be gathered up to seven days before a show, especially if bad weather threatens. Pick the bloom by snapping it by the fingers to the base of the stem and snap off with the thumb. If the name is known, write it with ballpoint pen at the bottom end of the stem to remember the name. This will be hidden in the water later.
Rinse off any dirt. Heavy pollen drops should be brushed out with a paintbrush. Place the freshly cut blooms in warm water for two-three hours to hydrate. Place in a cool, unheated area (garage or old-fashioned not frost free, refrigerator or a box them dry in a plastic container. Blooms may also be cut the day before the show: cut the stems a little and rehydrate them over night, McClure said.
“By the way,” she added, “The World Daffodil Show will be held April 6-10 in St. Louis, Mo. The world show only happens every four years and is not always in the U.S.”