What you need to know before entering the Coronado Flower Show
By Leslie Crawford
The Coronado Flower Show is the longest-running tradition in Coronado and the largest tented flower show in the United States, attended by thousands each year. This year’s event at Spreckels Park is scheduled on April 20 and 21. Many people who attend the show are simply there to enjoy the beautiful plants and displays. For Coronado residents it is also a social event.
For participants who enter plants in the show, there are strict entry and judging criteria, which is one of the things that makes the show special. The Coronado Flower Show is a month away but it’s not too early to be thinking about what you want to enter.
The Coronado Flower Show conforms to the standards and objectives of National Garden Clubs Inc. (NGC), following the strict guidelines of a Standard Flower Show. The official Handbook for Flower Shows lists the purposes of a Standard Flower Show:
1. To educate club members and the viewing public.
2. To stimulate interest in horticulture and floral design.
3. To provide an outlet for creative expression
4. To convey to the community objectives of NGC.
The handbook also states that a Standard Flower Show must follow six requirements:
1. Must be planned and staged by NGC member clubs.
2. Fresh plant material must be used.
3. The flower show schedule must be written and mechanically produced with specific wording and inclusion of all essential details. Once the schedule has been completed and approved by the club it becomes the “Law of the Show.” You can find printed versions of the 2024 schedule around town and at coronadoflowershow.com website.
4. Horticulture and design divisions must be included in the show. The design division requires a minimum of five classes, each of which must contain a minimum of four exhibits, totaling 20 exhibits.
5. The show must be judged by a panel of NGC qualified judges. Each panel must contain three people with two being NGC Accredited judges.
6. The show must be judged by the NGC Standard of Awarding. In contrast to Home Front judging, where judges are community volunteers, Flower Show judges are trained and accredited by National Garden Clubs, following a rigid set of rules. It’s an interesting, thorough, and objective process.
The Coronado Flower Show has five divisions: horticulture, design, educational, youth and botanical arts. Each division has its own rules which are all listed in the Flower Show Schedule.
In Division I-Horticulture, you might hear judges using terms like “cultural perfection,” and “condition and grooming.” They also pay attention to the labeling of the plant on the entry form, looking for the proper genus and cultivar to be listed. There are volunteers at the show who will help you figure out what you’ve brought in to enter if you aren’t sure.
In Division II-Design, a Design Scale of Points is used to grade exhibits. Following the Principles and Elements of Design, judges will look at everything from the condition of the material in the arrangement, to balance, rhythm, proportion and scale, and whether the rules of entering in the Schedule were followed.
Any amateur gardener or designer can enter the Coronado Flower Show. You do not have to be a resident of Coronado. Unlike many shows, there is no fee to enter plants or floral designs.
Fill out your entry cards in advance to help speed up the entry process. Entry cards are available at Coronado Public Library, Crown Garden Club and Bridge & Bay Garden Club meetings or contact the Coronado Floral Association.
The Flower Show Schedule will provide you with the information you need to enter, depending on the division, section or class. Once you have entered your plant or floral design, your entry card is folded over to hide personal information to keep judging as fair and unbiased as possible.
My typical entries are in the Division I-Horticulture in the Succulents Section. Using one of my plants as an example, here is how to fill out your entry card. Based on this year’s Flower Show Schedule, this is a container-grown succulent (Section L), an aeonium to be exact (Class 102). It can be any variety of aeonium in the Class.
In the Division II-Design, there are different sections for different kinds of floral design, including petite (miniature) designs, floral designs, picture boxes and table designs. Between these different sections there is a lot of room for creativity, but each section has specific design and materials specifications. It’s important to note that entries in most design sections are by reservation only. Call the contact person in the Schedule for more information.
Entries close at 9 a.m. April 20. All exhibitors are cleared from the grounds and judges will fan out around the show to do their job, working up to three hours to get all entries judged before the show opens to the public at 1 p.m.
All this information can seem overwhelming to those new to the Flower Show, but there are lots of volunteers to help. Entry hours are 4 to 6 p.m. April 19 and 7 to 9 a.m., April 20.
The Coronado Flower Show is celebrating its 102nd anniversary this year. It’s a rare event for all ages to come together to participate and celebrate the community. I can’t wait!
Leslie Crawford is editor and co-founder of Coronado 365 and a San Diego Master Gardener. She’s been entering the Coronado Flower Show since 1968.