General Rules 

  1. This is a Standard Flower Show according to the requirements of the National Garden Clubs, Inc.  The Standard System of Awards will be used.  The decisions of the judges are final.  Awards may be withheld if not merited. 

  2. Competition is open to members of the Garden Club of Old Greenwich and Federated Judges and Student Judges.

  3. Entry cards in both Design and Horticulture are available from the Horticulture and Design chairs. Entry forms will also be available on-site September 24-25, 2024

  4. Design entries may be placed 11AM-5PM Tuesday, September 24, 2024 and 9:30-10:30 AM Wednesday, September 25, 2024. 

  5. Horticulture entries accepted 11AM-4PM Tuesday, September 24, 2024 and 9:30-10:00 AM, Wednesday, September 25, 2024. 

  6. Education entries accepted 11AM-5PM Tuesday, September 24, 2024.

  7. Photography entries accepted 11AM-5PM Tuesday, September 24, 2024.

  8. Judging will begin promptly on Wednesday, September 25 at 11:30 AM. Only Classification Chairs and other authorized personnel (Horticulture, Design, Education & Photography chairs and designated clerks) may be present during judging in the judging area. 

  9. There must be an emphasis on FRESH plant material.  No artificial plant material is permitted in any exhibit in any Division. 

  10. Plant material listed on the following websites is prohibited in any division:                a. Connecticut invasive plant list: https://cipwg.uconn.edu/invasive_plant_list      b. Endangered, threatened, and special concern plants in CT listed on “Connecticut’s Endangered, Threatened and Special Concern Species.”   Endangered Threatened and Special Concern Plants (ct.gov)  

  11. The Committee will endeavor to protect all exhibits but cannot be responsible for the loss of or damage to the exhibitor's property.  Exhibits are to be removed at the end of the show. 

  12. All page references are in the 2017 edition of the Handbook for Flower Shows. 

Horticulture Division Award 

  • Award of Horticultural Excellence – is offered and may be given to a named horticulture exhibit scoring 95 or above and judged to be the finest in the Horticulture Division (HB Chapter 5 pgs. 40-41).

  • Horticulture Sweepstakes Award - Rosette of green and white ribbons. One award is offered to the individual accumulating the most (blue ribbons or horticulture points) Calculation determined by the Awards Committee Chair.

Horticulture Section Awards 

  • Award of Merit – Six are offered and may be given to a named blue-ribbon winner scoring 95 or above in sections A, B, C, D, E, and F (HB Chapter 5). 

  • Arboreal Award – One is offered and may be given to a named blue-ribbon winner in Class G scoring 95 or above (HB Chapter 5). 

  • Grower’s Choice Award – Two are offered in Section H and I (HB Chapter 5). 

Show Awards

  • Overall Flower Show Sweepstakes Award - Rosette of green and white ribbons. One award is offered to the individual accumulating the most (overall points in the show). Calculation determined by the Awards Committee Chair.

  • Award of Appreciation - Rosette of orchid ribbons. Award is offered for non-judged exhibits only. Determined by the Show Committee.



NGC Standard System of Awarding (HB Chapter 5) 

Only one first place (blue) ribbon per class - Exhibitor must score 90 or above. 

Only one second place (red) ribbon per class - Exhibitor must score 85 or above. 

Only one third place (yellow) ribbon per class - Exhibitor must score 80 or above. 

One or more Honorable Mention ribbons as merited - Exhibitor must score 75 or above. 

Division II Horticulture Rules for Horticulture 

  1. The NGC Exhibit Policies are printed in the Handbook for Flower Shows, Chapter 6, “Exhibiting in the Horticulture Division”. 

  2. The rules for a single species cut or container-grown specimen are listed in the Handbook for Flower Shows or its supplement, Horticulture Exhibiting and Judging. 

  3. (See HB, page 55, chart) All entries must be passed by the classification committee. All horticulture specimens must be fresh plant material grown by the exhibitor and be in the exhibitor’s possession for at least 90 days. Arboreal specimens need to have been owned for 6 months. 

  4. Exhibitors may make more than one entry per class if each is a different genus, species, variety/cultivar, type, size, or color. 

  5. In order to receive an NGC Top Exhibitor Award, the exhibitor must identify her/his entry by its binomial name or currently acceptable scientific designation. (Consult “Handbook for Flower Shows”: Exhibiting in the Horticulture Division, Chapter 6)

  6. Entry cards are to be filled out in advance if possible in ink.

  7. Specimens with a class designation in the schedule may not be entered in the   ‘Any Other Worthy’ class. 

  8. If a plant is considered a flowering plant, it should be exhibited as a flowering    specimen. Foliage plants may flower but should be exhibited as a foliage plant if grown for their leaves. 

  9. The Horticulture Classification Committee Chairman and/or General Show Chairman are free to subdivide classes by color, form, size, cultivar, variety or other distinguishing characteristics.

  10. Double potting is permitted. Inner pot should not be visible. 

  11. Cut specimens should not have any foliage below the water line except for gladiolus. 

  12. Plant material must be in its natural state and may not be altered by application of oil or commercial “shine” products. 

  13. The Committee will provide wedging material. Exhibitors will provide their own clear glass bottles. 

  14. The Scales of Points for Horticulture are located in Chapter 14 of the “Handbook for Flower Shows”  (HB p. 129).