One thing that has always intrigued me about flower shows is judging. Some say you will never understand it and it can be very subjective so if you don’t want to be judged, don’t put yourself forward. I think that element is probably true.
The part that really does intrigue me, and I don’t think I have ever had an answer is how, with all the talk abut being environmentally aware, and being more sustainable, judging really (currently) doesn’t seem to care about that.
What do I mean? Well I guess I would explain it as follows. Currently I could take plants, grown in peat, pumped up with feed like an athlete on steroids, grown out of season with all the energy that requires, using gallons of tap water, or even bought in from hundreds of miles away, then spray them all with fungicides or bee killing pesticides, but as long as they then look amazing walk away with a gold medal……. Versus maybe growing them more sustainably, using peat free, not using pesticides, having a more natural plant but perhaps and not having it acknowledged that growing that way can produce a different looking but also beautiful plant.
We know peat will be going from show (but it hasn’t yet). But at the same time I don’t see any reward for growing sustainably in terms of how plants are judged, and wondered whether this now needs to change?
I’d love to know your views.
British Hollyhocks and Cosmos Bipinnatus 