|
Pacific
Southwest District
|
 |
The American Rose Society with its great and infinite wisdom created a new classification of roses named Mini-Flora. The size of the blooms are somewhere between a Miniature and Floribunda. In the Horticultural Section of show schedules, it is stated that the Mini-Floras are to be exhibited with the Miniatures. Therefore, in the Arrangement Division of the schedules it is also permissible to have the Mini-Floras in miniature rose arrangements. The Arrangement Committee has decided not to create any new awards that are specifically for Mini-Floras.
The two most important Principals of Design for Miniature Arrangements are Proportion & Scale. Proportion is the relationship that exists between the parts of the design and each other, and to the whole, the placement for type of design and to the space the design occupies. Scale is the size relationship of all components to each other and the size relationship of design to container. Trying to apply the principals of Proportion & Scale with the use of Mini-Flora Roses in a design under ten inches is very difficult. It just does not work - most of the blooms are just too big! According to our Guidelines for Judging Rose Arrangements, Miniature roses as well as Mini-Flora roses may be used in standard sized arrangements. Standard Arrangements are any arrangements that are greater than ten inches in height, width or depth. A more appropriate size for an arrangement with Mini-Floras would be eighteen to twenty-four inches. Granted that you might be able to use one Mini-Flora bloom in a miniature modern design, but trying to do a traditional miniature arrangement with Mini-Floras would be next to impossible. A well executed design that is only twenty four inches tall, may be a much higher scoring design that a design that is forty-eight inches tall. Most local and national shows have done away with the niches and now specify how much table space the designer may use. There is usually no height limitation. The designers may provide their own background. The background may be made the appropriate size for a twenty-four inch arrangement. A traditional line, line-mass or mass using all Mini-Flora roses could be spectacular, but enter your design in a standard size class and do not try to cram the Mini-Floras into a design that is under ten inches.
REMEMBER: As your District Chairman of Rose Arrangement Judges, I am supposed to review all the arrangements schedules in the Pacific Southwest District. You may attached your schedules to an e-mail and send it to me at kreg@kreghill.com or mail to P.O. Box 6408, Albuquerque, NM 87197. The reason why I review the schedules is to make sure that they are in compliance with the ARS Guidelines for Judging Rose Arrangements. I am more than willing to help any society with its schedule - just contact me. Generally, I am able to review the schedules very quickly! We have many Apprentice Arrangement Judges in our District who need shows to judge. If currently you do not have an Arrangement Division, please consider adding arrangements to you next show.
ROSE ARRANGER'S BULLETIN: If you would like to read more articles and review
the arrangement show results from across the country, please subscribe to the
ARS Rose Arranger's Bulletin. Send $10 to ARS for this quarterly publication.
I am the current editor of the bulletin and the arrangement results from your
rose shows should be forwarded to me. We have a lot of excellent arrangers in
our district. Both Kitty Belendez and I would welcome your arrangement articles
for both the Pacific Southwest Rose and the Rose Arranger's Bulletin.
