2024 Hosta Show Schedule Coming Soon!

American Hosta Society Accredited Hosta Show

June 7-10, 2023

2023 Hosta Show Schedule:

Wednesday      9 a.m.-5 p.m.  Entries received

Thursday          8-11 a.m.         Entries received

Thursday          1-4 p.m.           Show judging

Thursday          4-6 p.m.          Show (open to the public)

Friday                1-5 p.m.           Show (open to the public)

Saturday           9-1 p.m.           Show (open to the public)

Saturday          1-3 p.m.            Entries retrieved

 

General Show Rules

  1. Anyone who wishes to exhibit may do so. However, Section and higher awards are limited to AHS members.  Any exhibitor who is not an AHS member and wins a section or higher award will be asked to become an AHS member. If the winner refuses membership, the Show Chair may either present the award to the next qualified entry or leave the award vacant.
  2. Entries will be received from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday and from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Thursday. Entries received after 11 a.m. will be placed in a non-competitive exhibit area, without exception.  All entries must remain in place until 1 p.m. on Saturday. Entries must be removed by 3 p.m. on Saturday. Entries remaining after 3 p.m. will be disposed of by the Staging Committee. Entry tags, ribbons, and awards must also be claimed from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday.
  3. Entry tags must be properly completed by the exhibitor.   Incorrect entry tag information will be corrected by the Classification Committee, and entries may be disqualified at the discretion of the Classification Committee.
  4. During judging, only the Show Chair, Show Co-Chair, AHS Judges Chair, Judges, and Clerks are permitted in the immediate judging areas.
  5. Divisions I–Horticulture, II–Container Grown Hosta, III–Trough/Container Gardens Arranged for Effect, and IV–Educational Displays will be judged by panels of three to four American Hosta Society show judges, including one master judge per panel. The American Hosta Society Point Scoring System will be used to break a tie in judging major awards. Each panel of judges will be the final authority for each class it judges.
  6. All decisions of the judges are final.
  7. All entries designated as registered cultivars and species shall either be listed in the current year’s AHS Hosta Show Classification List or shall have had registration data recorded in an official publication of The American Hosta Society by the date of the show in order to be considered registered for show purposes.
  8. For all show divisions, provided entries score the minimum points, each sub-class (or class if there are no sub-classes or section if there are no classes) is allowed the awarding of only one blue, one red, one yellow, and one white ribbon.  In Division I, Sections I-V and Section XI, each registered cultivar or species constitutes a separate name sub-class. Each seedling or sport entry in Sections VI-X is a separate sub-class and is eligible for any ribbon. For Section XII, each unregistered named cultivar constitutes a separate name sub-class within each alphabetical letter class.
  9. Care will be taken, but no responsibility shall be incurred by any person, group, or organization for any accidents, damages, injuries, thefts, or omissions or commissions of any kind or nature from this show.
  10. Entry into Divisions II, III, IV, and VI requires preregistration by May 26, 2023, to reserve your space.
    Contact:  Show Chair Peggy Moody, by phone: 515-576-602 or Email: pmmoody@mchsi.com

    Hosta Show Divisions

Division I–Horticulture (Cut leaf)

Section I          Giant-Leaved Registered Cultivars and Species

Section II         Large-Leaved Registered Cultivars and Species

Section III        Medium-Leaved Registered Cultivars and Species

Section IV        Small-Leaved Registered Cultivars and Species

Section V         Miniature-Leaved Registered Cultivars and Species

Section VI        Giant-Leaved Unregistered Sports and Seedlings

Section VII       Large-Leaved Unregistered Sports and Seedlings

Section VIII     Medium-Leaved Unregistered Sports and Seedlings

Section IX        Small-Leaved Unregistered Sports and Seedlings

Section X         Miniature-Leaved Unregistered Sports and Seedlings

Section XI        Youth Exhibits of Registered Cultivars and Species

Entries in Sections I-X are to be displayed using the following Color Classes.

Class 1 – Green (all shades)

Class 2 – Blue (all shades)

Class 3 – Yellow (all shades)

Class 4 – White Margined
.                     a.  Yellow, White, or Chartreuse Center
.                     b.  Green to Blue Center

Class 5 – Yellow Margined
.                    a.  Yellow, White, or Chartreuse Center
.                    b.  Green to Blue Center

Class 6 – Green or Blue Margined
.                    a.  Yellow, White, or Chartreuse
.                    b.  Green to Blue Center (distinct from margin color)

Class 7 – Streaked or Mottled

Class 8 – Others (including early season variants)

Horticulture (Cut leaf) Rules:

      1. Containers will be provided by the convention organization.
      2. Bloom Scapes are not permitted in this division.
      3. Sections I-V (Registered Cultivars and Species), XI (Youth Exhibits), and XII (Unregistered Named Cultivars) require ONE leaf per entry.
      4. Sections VI -X require TWO leaves per entry.
      5. Sports shall be indicated on the entry tag as “Sport of (Name of Cultivar)”
      6. Seedlings shall be indicated on the entry tag as “Seedling (Hybridizer’s Identification Number)”
      7. An exhibitor may enter more than one horticultural specimen in a single class provided the entries are different varieties. Multiple entries of the same cultivar are not permitted.
      8. All entries must be grown by the person placing the entry in show.
      9. Section XI-Youth Exhibitors must be 18 years of age or younger; age must be stated on the show entry tag.
      10. All leaves entered should be representative of the plant as a whole and should be taken from plants approaching maturity.
      11. Division 1: Sections 1 thru 12 – Each exhibitor is limited to a total of 20 Cut Leaf specimens in this group of sections.

Division II–Container-Grown Hosta

(Preregistration required by 5/26/2023)

Section I          Container Displays Not Exceeding a Total Height or Width of 18 Inches

Section II        Container Displays with Height or Width of Greater than 18 Inches

.         Container-Grown Hosta Rules:

      1.  Container-grown Hosta must have been grown by the exhibitor and must be established in the containers in which they are grown.
      2. Only registered cultivars or Hosta species may be exhibited in this division, and only one Hosta may be grown in each container. The container and plant must be clean.
      3. The plant should be centered in the container.
      4. Inner containers or container liners are allowed but must not be visible.
      5. Only one type of ground cover material is allowed per exhibit. Ground covers may be any natural non-living material such as bark chips, stones, an indigenous moss of one variety only, etc.

Division III–Trough/Container Gardens Arranged For Effect

(Preregistration required by 5/26/2023)

Section I           Concrete Composite

Section II         Ceramic, Terra Cotta, Bronze and Other Metals

Section III        Metals Baskets

Section IV        Natural Materials, Stone, Wood, etc.

Trough/Container Gardens Arranged for Effects Rules  

      1. Self-contained trough or container gardens of any size may be entered as arrangements for judging.
      1. Multiple varieties of Hosta and other plant material may be used. Hosta must be a strong focal point of the entry. No artificial plant material is allowed. Plants and containers must be clean. Accessories may be used.
      1. Individual plants need not be identified. However, if the exhibitor would like to identify the material, an identification ledger card to the side of the exhibit is acceptable.

Division IV–Educational Displays

Educational Displays Rules

      1. Educational displays must pertain to Hosta.
      2. The display area should be 18 square feet or less.

Division V–Non-Competitive Exhibits

Non-Competitive Exhibits Rules

      1. Entries in this division are not judged.
      2. The exhibit may be a single cut leaf, a Hosta bloom scape, a container grown plant, or any other display deemed to be of interest to the show observers.
      3. The plant material must be predominantly Hosta.
      4. The exhibit must be tastefully presented, and the material must be in good condition.
      5. The Show Chair may refuse placement of any exhibit that does not meet these requirements.

Division VI–Artistic Design

(Preregistration required by 5/26/2023)

“Fields of Hosta Large or Small”, Gee, we love them all.

Class titles reflect an Iowan’s dream of building a baseball diamond in a cornfield. They did come to play professional baseball.

 

Class 1.  “Hosta Will Come in Springtime“, after you plant them.

Create a design featuring the many different leaf characteristics of Hosta.  Staged on pedestal with top width 15” x depth 15”.  Viewed on all sides.

Class 2.   “Hosta Over the Fence, HOME RUN”, Hosta is a winner.

Creative Design organized as a single unit suspended in a frame with no actual movement but motion implied. The frame has height 36” x width 24” x depth 20” but the design may exceed depth of frame.

 Class 3.   “Moon Light in Hosta Fields“, yellow Hosta shine brightly.

Create a design: height 40” x width 28” x depth 28”, featuring larger yellow Hosta leaves.

Class 4.   “Visions of Hosta with Red”, red petioles are a start.

Create a PETITE design: height 10” x width 10” x depth 10”, featuring small Hosta leaves and red flowers.

 

Artistic design rules 

For questions or clarification of information, please contact the show chair, Peggy Moody

      1. Designs must be in place by 10:30 a.m. on Thursday.
      2. Tables will have white coverings.
      3. An exhibitor may only have one (1) entry in a class.
      4. Hosta leaves must be the predominant foliage in the design.  Designer’s Choice of other plant material (fresh or dried) may be used.
      5. Accessories may be used. Staging Panel and/or underlay may be used.
      6. Judging will be by the Standard System.  Decisions by the Judges are final.
      7. The National Garden Clubs, Inc.’s Handbook for Flower Shows (2017 Revision with updates) will be the reference for judging the designs, by National Garden Club Flower Show Judges.
      8. The property of the exhibitor should be inconspicuously marked with the owner’s name and address. All reasonable care will be taken, but the show committee will not be responsible for any loss or damage.
      9. No artificial flowers or foliage may be used in designs.
      10. Plants designated as noxious weeds by the USDA and Iowa are not allowed in the Artistic Design Division.  See the USDA weedlist and the Iowa list.

 

Standard Awards For Show

 

The following awards are to be offered at all local and National Convention Shows.

 

Best of Show – Horticulture – Awarded to the best species or registered cultivar entry in

Division I–Horticulture and is selected from the section winners in Sections I-V and XI. 

Best Seedling or Sport Award – Awarded to the best seedling or sport entry in Division I–Horticulture and is selected from the section winners in Sections VI-X.

 Best Artistic Design Award – Awarded to the best entry in Division VI–Artistic Design. This award is chosen from the Best of Class winners in the division.

Sweepstakes Award – Awarded to the exhibitor who wins the largest number of blue ribbons in Division I–Horticulture. (In case of a tie, count red ribbons, then yellow ribbons if necessary to break the tie.)

Grand Awards – Awarded to the best entries in Division II–Container Grown Hosta, Division III–Trough/Container Gardens Arranged for Effect, and Division IV–Educational Displays.  Entries must have scored at least 95 points. For Divisions II and III, Grand Awards will be chosen from the Section Award winners.

Section Awards – Awarded to the Best of Section winners in divisions containing sections. All section award winners must have scored at least 95 points.

Class Awards – Awarded to Best of Class winners in divisions containing classes. All class award winners must have scored at least 95 points.

 

AHS uses the Standard System for awarding ribbons as follows:

First Place Blue Ribbons –         Entries must score 90 or more points to receive this award.

Second Place Red Ribbons –     Entries must score 85 or more points to receive this award.

Third Place Yellow Ribbons –  Entries must score 80 or more points to receive this award.

Fourth Place White Ribbons – Entries must score 75 or more points to receive this award.

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AHS Point Scales For Judging Hosta

Division I, Sections I-V, Registered Cultivars and Species, and Section XI, Youth
Form                          15
Size                             15
Color and Pattern    25
Texture                      15
Substance                 15
Condition and
.    Grooming            15
TOTAL POINTS   100

Division I, Sections VI-X, Unregistered Sports and Seedlings
Distinction               50
Form and Size         10
Color and Pattern   10
Texture                     10
Substance                 10
Condition and
.    Grooming            10
TOTAL POINTS    100

Division I, Section XII, Unregistered Named Hosta Cultivars
Form                         15
Size                           15
Color and Pattern  25
Texture                     15
Substance                15
Condition and
.    Grooming           15
TOTAL POINTS   100

Division II  Container Grown Hosta
Form                        15
Size                           15
Color and Pattern 25
Texture                   10
Substance               10
Condition and
.    Grooming          15
Container               10
TOTAL POINTS  100

Division III  Trough/Container Gardens Arranged For Effect
Variety                      20
Condition                 30
Arrangement           30
Container Relative
to Arrangement       20
TOTAL POINTS    100

Division IV  Educational Displays
Educational Value                                                50
Theme, Originality, Materials Used, Staging
Arrangement, Attractiveness, Neatness          50
TOTAL POINTS                                                  100

Division V  Non-competitive Exhibits
(not judged)

Division VI  Artistic Design
Conformance             20
Design                         42
Artistic Concept        12
Expression                 10
Distinction                 16
TOTAL POINTS      100

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Hosta Show Committee

Show Chair:                       Peggy Moody

Show Co-Chair:                Greg Johnson

Classification Chair:        Kim Larsen

Clerk Chair:                      Anne Lynam

Design Chair:                   Helen Venneman

Judges Chair:                   Kim Larsen

Placement Chair:            Rita Gindt-Marvig

Publicity Chair:              Charity Andeweg

Registration-Exhibitor
Assistance Chair:           Dorothy Lewis

Staging/
Dismantling Chair:         Peggy Moody

Tabulation Chair:           Rita Gindt-Marvig / Peggy Moody

 

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Although anyone can enter the Hosta Show, we encourage non-members to consider joining AHS and/or its regional and local societies.

Membership Information

The American Hosta Society
https://www.americanhostasociety.org/

 Membership in The American Hosta Society offers participation in all national activities including a National Convention and three issues of The Hosta Journal, each with nearly 100 pages, many interesting and informative articles, and dozens of color and black-and-white pictures which detail all national, regional, and local Hosta Society activities. Dues are $30 individual and $34 family membership per year (U.S.).  Membership is on a calendar year basis. Send inquiries regarding membership to:

Barry R. Ankney, AHS Membership Secretary
1104 Oxford Court
Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181-5249