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Flower Show School Curriculum

Curriculum By Course

It is recommended that a course series be taken in sequential order; however, it is not required. 

FS Procedures Horticulture Design
Class (2 hrs.) Class (5 hrs.) Class (5 hrs.)
  1. Intro to the flower show handbook
  2. Overview of flower show framework including flower hierarchy, divisions, sections, classes, and subclasses
  3. Explanation of NGC non-top exhibitor awards
  4. Overview of a flower show schedule
  1. Plant terminology
  2. Filling out entry tags
  3. Requirements for NGC "Horticulture Top Exhibitor" awards
  4. Understanding the horticulture point-scoring criteria: conformance, plant identification, maturity, color, form, condition, grooming, and staging
  5. Review on horticulture commenting terms
  6. Judging procedures
  7. Discussion of growing and showing two horticulture types with emphasis on exhibiting and judging
  8. Point scoring practice

Written Point Score Exam (1 hr.)
  1. Brief history of floral design
    (includes European and American designs including mid-20th century traditional design)
  2. Elements and principles of design
  3. Requirements for NGC "Design Top Exhibitor" awards
  4. Understanding the design point-scoring criteria.
  5. Review on design commenting terms
  6. Judging procedures
  7. Instructor design review: understanding principles of design and traditional designs: line, line-mass, and mass
  8. Point scoring practice

Written Point Score Exam (1 hr.)

After the successful completion of any two courses, students are eligible to earn exhibiting credits toward becoming an Accredited Judge. NGC recommends a course series be taken in sequential order, however this is not required.See the Handbook for Flower Shows, 2017 for more information. Courses 2, 3 and 4 may be taken in any order.

FS Procedures Horticulture Design
Class (2 hrs.) Class (5 hrs.) Class (5 hrs.)
  1. Review of Standard Flower Show and Specialty Flower Show requirements
  2. Review Standard System of Awarding
  3. Duties of Flower Show Chairman and Flower Show Committees
  4. Explanation of Botanical Arts Photography section and requirements for Botanical Arts Photography Award. (Committee to work with instructor on obtaining examples of Botanical Arts Photography)
  1. Staging Horticulture Innovatively
  2. Discussion of Petite Horticulture
  3. General Requirements for NGC Horticulture Top Exhibitor Awards: Section Awards, including Elfin Award
  4. Review Judging Qualities found on the Horticulture Point Scoring Form
  5. Review of Horticulture Commenting Vocabulary
  6. Review Judging Procedures
  7. Discussion of growing and showing two Horticulture types with emphasis on exhibiting and judging
  8. Practice point scoring

Written Point Score Exam (2 hrs)
  1. Table Designs: Functional and Exhibition
  2. Role of Balance, Color and Texture in Table Designs
  3. Creative Staging Table Designs
  4. Discuss Petite Designs, General requirements for Petite Award.
  5. General Requirements for NGC Design section Top Exhibitor Awards - Table Artistry Award
  6. Review of Judging qualities found on the Design Point Scoring Form
  7. Review of Design Commenting Vocabulary
  8. Review of Judging Procedures
  9. Instructor's designs illustrate Tables: Functional, Exhibition and Tray plus Petite designs, Table/Tray for one
  10. Practice point scoring

Written Point Score Exam (2 hrs.)

After the successful completion of any three courses, the student is referred to as a Student Judge and is eligible to earn judging credits. NGC recommends that a course series be taken in sequential order, however this is not required. See the Handbook for Flower Shows, 2017 for more information. Courses 2, Course 3 and Course 4 may be taken in any order.

FS Procedures Horticulture Design
Class (2 hrs.) Class (5 hrs.) Class (5 hrs.)
  1. Explanation of Education Division and judging educational exhibits
  2. Explanation of Youth/Sponsored Groups Division
  3. Requirements to become an Accredited Flower Show Judge
  4. Judging etiquette/ethics
  5. Review writing a Flower Show Schedule with emphasis on format and general rules

Effective date July 1, 2021

  1. Introduction of Combination Plantings
  2. Creating a Horticulture Schedule: sections and classes
  3. Review of general requirements for NGC Horticulture Top Exhibitor Awards
  4. Review judging qualities found on the Combination Plantings Point Score Form.
  5. Discussion of growing & showing one Horticulture type and Combination Plantings with emphasis on exhibiting and judging. Local Flower Show Schools Committee to provide adequate number of specimens and 3 or more different types of Combination Plantings (dish gardens, planters, terrariums, hanging gardens, troughs) in consultation with the instructor. It is recommended that the plant topic be part of the Combination Plantings but not required.
  6. Practice point scoring: (2 hours) Local Flower Show School Chairman to provide
    1. Three exhibits of studied plant
    2. Three Combination Plantings, per instructor’s specification

Written Point Score Exam: (2 hrs.) Local Flower Show School Chairman to provide

  1. Three exhibits of studied plant
  2. Three Combination Plantings, per instructor’s specification.
  1. Creating a Design Schedule: sections and classes
  2. Creative Staging Options
  3. Creative Design General Characteristics
  4. Elements and Principles as they relate to Creative Design
  5. Dynamic balance, plastic organization, juxtaposition and abstraction
  6. General Requirements for NGC Design Section Top Exhibitor Awards - Designer's Choice, Club Competition
  7. Review of Judging Qualities found on the Design Point Scoring Form
  8. Review of Design Commenting Vocabulary
  9. Review of Judging Procedures
  10. Instructor's designs illustrate different Creative Design types
  11. Practice point scoring

Written Point Score Exam (2 hrs)

After the successful completion of all 4 courses the Student Judge will receive a Schedule Writing Assignment. NGC recommends a course series be taken in sequential order, however this is not required. See the Handbook for Flower Shows, 2017 for all requirements. Course 2, Course 3 and Course 4 may be taken in any order.

FS Procedures Horticulture Design
Class (2 hrs.) Class (5 hrs.) Class (5 hrs.)
  1. Review of judging etiquette/ethics
  2. Flower Show Achievement Awards
  3. Flower Show Schedule writing assignment
  4. Writing a Flower Show Schedule, with emphasis on format and general rules
  5. Evaluating an NGC Flower Show, Flower Show Evaluation, Point Scoring Form and Criteria

 

  1. Introduction of Collections and Displays
  2. Review Horticulture Schedule Writing: sections and classes
  3. Discussion of Botanical Arts Horticulture section.
  4. Discussion of Club Competition- Displays and Gardens\
  5. Review General Requirements for all NGC Horticulture/Botanical Arts Horticulture Top Exhibitor Awards.
  6. Review judging qualities on the Display Point Score Form. Collection point score form is used for all cut or container-grown horticulture specimens and collections.Review judging qualities found on the Collections Point Score Form
  7. Discussion of growing and showing one Plant Type and Collections with emphasis on exhibiting and judging and include an introduction on Displays. Local Flower Show School Committee to provide adequate number of specimens and three or more different Collections (flowering, foliage, succulents, arboreal, etc.) in consultation with the instructor. It is required that the Plant Type studied be part of one Collection.

Written Point Score Exam: (2 hrs.) Local Flower Show School Chairman to provide:

One (1) class of three (3) exhibits of the plant type studied and one (1) class of a Collection
  1. Review Design Schedule Writing: sections and classes
  2. Elements and Principles of Design as they relate to Abstract Design
  3. Review characteristics of Creative Design
  4. Review Plastic Organization, Penetration of Space and Dynamic Balance
  5. Discussion of Botanical Arts Division, including Botanical Arts Designs sections, NGC Top Exhibitor Awards Botanical Arts Design and Artistic Crafts Awards
  6. General Requirements for all NGC Design Top Exhibitor Awards
  7. Review of Division and Section Awards
  8. Review of judging qualities found on the Design Point Scoring Form
  9. Review of Design Commenting Vocabulary
  10. Review of Judging Procedures
  11. Instructor's designs illustrate Plastic Organization, Penetration of Space and Dynamic Balance using Advanced Design Types
  12. Practice point scoring

Written Point Score Exam (2 hrs)

Flower Show School Reading

The following required reading list applies to all Flower Show School courses. Students should read pages as noted in Student Outlines provided by each course instructor.

Handbook for Flower Shows, 2017 Edition Outlines of Period Flower Arranging
Frances J. Hannay

Find the latest handbook here.

Purchase Outlines of Period Flower Arranging here.

This book is required for Course 1 only.

While not required for attending Flower Show School, these books provide additional information for exhibitors and judges on specific design types and horticulture entries.

Guide to the New Petite Floral Designs Hortulana Designing by Types
Anna G. Burns Nancy A. Heber Harriet Osborn, Editor

Learn all about creating amazing designs - all 12" or less. Purchase this book directly from the author here.

Find Hortulana here 

This book complements the design chapter of the 2007 edition of the Handbook for Flower Shows

While not required for attending Flower Show School, these books provide additional information for exhibitors and judges on specific design types and horticulture entries.

Table Settings for All Seasons Plant Families for Designers
June Wood and Deen Day Smith

Enjoy the creation of more beautiful and exciting table settings, with some help from this book.

Interested in creating a monobotanic design? Need to know what plants are in the same family? This paper has all the information you need.

Download here