How a Community Flower Show Is Judged
Community flower shows run at county and state fairs, garden club meetings, libraries, schools and spring garden festivals. They have two kinds of entry that need different scorecards: horticulture, where a grower brings a cut bloom, branch or potted plant judged on how well it was grown and groomed, and floral design, where an arranger builds a design to a class title.
| Division | What it includes | Example classes |
|---|---|---|
| Horticulture: cut specimens | Single blooms, sprays and branches grown by the exhibitor | Rose, one bloom; Dahlia, one bloom over 6 inches; Zinnia, three stems |
| Horticulture: container plants | Potted plants in the exhibitor's care | Succulent, one container; African violet; Herb container |
| Floral design | Arrangements built to a class title | 'Morning Light', a line design; 'County Fair', a mass design |
| Youth | Entrants under a set age | Sunflower, one stem; Design in a teacup |
| Special exhibits | Educational displays, not judged on the scorecard | Pollinator garden display; Club history |
Flower Show Judging Criteria: Two Scorecards
Judges score each specimen against an ideal bloom of its kind, at its peak. The weights below are a starting point for community shows, not the Handbook scale.
| Criterion | What judges look for | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Condition and freshness | Crisp, unblemished petals and leaves, no insect or disease damage, at peak bloom | 25 |
| Form | Shape typical of the variety, symmetrical, petals well placed | 20 |
| Color | Clear, true color for the variety, no fading or browning | 20 |
| Stem and foliage | Straight, strong stem in proportion to the bloom, healthy leaves | 15 |
| Size for the variety | Good size for the type, without being coarse | 10 |
| Grooming and staging | Clean, trimmed, correctly labeled and placed in the right container | 10 |
| Total | All criteria | 100 |
| Criterion | What judges look for | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Design principles | Balance, proportion, scale, rhythm, contrast and a clear focal area | 30 |
| Interpretation of the class title | The design clearly expresses the title and follows the class rules | 20 |
| Creativity and distinction | A fresh idea, skillfully done, that stands out in the class | 20 |
| Condition of plant material | Fresh, well conditioned flowers and foliage, no wilting | 15 |
| Color harmony | Colors that work together and suit the title | 15 |
| Total | All criteria | 100 |
Printable Garden Club Flower Show Score Card
Ribbons and Awards
Decide before the show whether judges place entries or award on merit, and print the choice in the show schedule. Placing gives one first, one second and one third per class. A merit system scores every entry against the standard, so any entry above a set score earns that ribbon. The thresholds below are an example.
| Award | Placing system | Merit system example |
|---|---|---|
| Blue | First place in the class | 90 points or more |
| Red | Second place | 80 to 89 points |
| White or yellow | Third place | 70 to 79 points |
| Honorable mention | Worthy entries that didn't place | 65 to 69 points |
| Best in Division | Chosen from the class winners | Chosen from the blue ribbons |
| Best in Show | Chosen from division winners | Chosen from division winners |
Flower Show Entry Rules and Running the Show
- 1
Write the show schedule
List every division and class with its number, title and rules, and publish it with the entry form. Mark which classes are design classes with titles.
- 2
Recruit judges and clerks
Pick at least two judges per division, such as experienced growers, florists or Master Gardener volunteers. Judges don't enter the classes they judge.
- 3
Check in and classify entries
Classification volunteers check each entry is in the right class, labeled and groomed, and give it an entry tag with the exhibitor's name folded under.
- 4
Judge with the hall closed
Clear the hall of exhibitors, then judges score each class with a clerk who records scores and places ribbons.
- 5
Tally and post results
Check totals, choose division and show winners, and post results before the doors open to visitors.
Running the show inside a larger festival or fair? Our art contest judging rubric and parade float judging sheet use the same approach, and festival management software covers laying out the grounds with vendors.