LAST week’s warm winds are being blamed for a drop in the number of entries at this year’s Rose Show, held on Saturday at St Barnabas Hall.
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Orange and District Horticultural Society president Bob Smith said the number of entries was down by 20 to 30 per cent this year to about 130 entries, including a range of different flowers, not just roses.
“I think the flowers were blown around by the hot and windy weather,” he said.
“But these things happen.”
Mr Smith was pleased with the quality of the roses on offer, with Yvonne Tracey’s rose taking out the top prize on the day.
The judges looked for the closeness of the petals, the size of the bloom, the degree to which the flower was in bloom and the absence of disease on its leaves.
“Colour is really not important,” Mr Smith said.
He said while roses were slow to come out and quick to finish this year, the city was filled with an abundance of flowers of all description.
“All that’s blossoming around town at the moment is absolutely splendid,” he said.
“I love all flowers and grows hundreds of them including dahlias, chrysanthemums and other miscellaneous ones.”
The winner of the pot plant category was Ian Mackay for his miniature orchid.
He says he owes his success to manure.
“Manure is good as long as the plants are outside,” he said.
Mr Mackay thinks his plant appealed to judges because each stem had around 22 flowers.