News : Flower Show! County residents invited to bring their favorites to fair

It is that time again the Benton County Fair open class Flower Show! Everyone received a fair book containing the open class departments in the mail the first week in July.. Hope you saved it for reference! The show is open to all growers residing in BENTON COUNTY ONLY. The flower show is sponsored by the Vinton Garden Club and Van Horne Floralia Club which are members; National Garden Clubs, Inc., Central Region, FGCI and District II. The show is a standard flower show and accredited NGC judges will judge the show according to the schedule. Please read the rules of the flower show on pages 51 and 54 of the Benton County Fair Directory.

The horticulture specimens will be entered Thursday, July 24 between 7:30 a.m.-9:30a.m. and judged at 10:00 a.m. Exhibits will be released at 8:00 p.m. on Friday July 25 and must be removed by 8:30 p.m. All exhibits must be grown by exhibitor. There will be special awards given by; Fair boardddd, Nature’s Corner, Fareway Stores, Theisen’s, Alco Discount Store, Plant & Flower Emporium in Blairstown and Crooked Antler, Van Horne.

Division III, Special Exhibits Youth, children are divided into three categories (A) Junior- preschool through age 7, (B) Intermediate-ages 8 through 12 and (C) Advanced ages 13 through 17. The Vinton Garden Club will give a prize for the outstanding horticulture exhibit in each category and the Van Horne Floralia Club will give a prize in Design for the outstanding design in each category.

You must note age of child on entry tag. The garden clubs would like to encourage children to enter both in horticulture and design.

The design division entries Saturday July 26 between 7:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. Judging at 10:00 a.m. Exhibits will be released at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, July 27 and must be removed no later than 4:00 p.m. The designs must be the work of the exhibitor! There will be special awards given by; Fair board, Barb’s Creations, Nature’s Corner and Roy’s Home town Grocery- Shellsburg.

The best time to pick your flowers so they will condition are early in the morning or evening the day before entering. Put them in clear glass bottles in tepid water. If you know the cultivar name it adds to the value of the exhibit and is required to receive Best of Show in horticulture. Take a walk through your flower garden, I’m sure there are flowers you can enter in horticulture. Also enter some designs it is fun and very rewarding!

If you would like to get your entry tags ahead of time to make it faster at check in or have any questions please contact Fran Stueck at 319-472-3032.

See you at the Fair Flower Show in the Open Class Building this week!!