SHOW RULES     

1.    Participation in the show is open to anyone interested in African Violets and other related Gesneriads, whether a member of the Seattle African Violet Society or not. 

2.    Any member wishing to sell plant material must have at least one entry in the show. 

3.    Horticultural, artistic planting and design and arts and crafts entries will be received at the Center for Urban Horticulture on Saturday, April 26th, from 12 noon to 3 PM.  Arrangements and artistic plantings can be received from 7:30 to 8:30 AM on Sunday, April 27th, but all paperwork must have been completed for entry on Saturday.

4.    Entries arriving after hours will be entered for "Exhibit Only" and will not be judged.  We welcome “Exhibit Only” items to increase public interest.

5.    Exhibits may not be removed until 4:30 PM Sunday, April 27th and must be checked out through the Entries Committee.  Purchased show plants will be checked out through the Show Plants Sales Committee.

6.    Only clean, healthy plants will be accepted.  All plants must have been in the exhibitor's possession and care for at least 3 months immediately prior to the show to be entered in competition for awards.  Plants or blossoms used in Artistic Planting and Design sections are not required to be grown by exhibitor.

7.    Any exhibitor may enter any number of plants in each section.  The Classification Committee will place the plants in the proper class.  Unless otherwise specified, exhibitors may enter multiple exhibits in a class provided all the exhibits are different cultivars or species.

8.    African Violets entered for judging must be specimen plants of a named variety, unless entered in the Seedling or Un-Named class in Section F.

9.    Varieties with “Alpha names”  such as "Rhapsodie", "Ballet", “Rob’s” and "Optimara" must be entered by the full name, i.e., "Ballet Marta", not just "Marta".  Washington State series Saintpaulia must include the series as a part of the name, i.e., Skagit "Little Gem", “Yarrow Briar Rose” or “Storytella Bluebeard”.   

10.    Plants must be single crowned only, with the exception of trailers and species Saintpaulia.

11.    All pots must either be unglazed red clay or standard plastic (round or square shape), white and dark green only.  No supports or collars under the foliage will be permitted.  EXHIBITORS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR REMOVING COLLARS FROM THEIR PLANTS. 

12.    Plants should be watered and pots washed the day before the show.  Variety name labels must be removed or out of sight.  The owner's name should be on the bottom of the pot.  Slip potting is allowed, using the same size pot.

13.    Reasonable care will be taken of all exhibits.  Please note that the Seattle African Violet Society will NOT be responsible for any injury to persons or any loss to plants, container or displays.

14.    All exhibits are under the control of the Show Committee during the show, and no exhibitor may change or remove any exhibit without the committee's permission.  No commercial exhibitor may sell or solicit business for plant sales from the show room.  All plants for sale (except show plants) must be flagged.  TEN PERCENT (10%) OF THE PROCEEDS FROM ANY OTHER TYPES OF SOLICITATION [plant supplies, cards, crafts, etc.] MUST BE DONATED TO THE SEATTLE AFRICAN VIOLET SOCIETY.

15.    The Show Committee reserves the right to reject any entry or exhibit.  Classes may be subdivided or consolidated at the discretion of the Show Committee.
Show Judging and Awards


~    The system used in judging will be the merit system.  DECISIONS OF THE JUDGES ARE FINAL.  The judges may withhold any award if the entry does not warrant one, even if the entry is the only one in the class. Qualified Pacific Northwest Judges Council judges, according to the standards of the council will judge the show.

~    Points necessary to win ribbons are:

        Blue ribbon                90 to  100 points
        Red ribbon                80 to  89 points
        White ribbon                70 to  79 points

    Rosettes will be awarded for those blue ribbon entries scoring 95 points or higher.  In case of a tie, each rosette will count 5 points and each blue ribbon will count 3 points in determining the Sweepstakes winner.  Sweepstakes for Saintpaulia in horticulture exclude Sections F, G, & J.

~    Exhibitors will be classified as follows:
•    Novice:  A person who has never previously entered an African Violet show and who does not wish to enter as an amateur
•    Amateur:  Anyone not classified as a novice
•    Junior:  Any exhibitor 14 years of age or younger

    Plants entered in Novice Section are not eligible for major awards.

~    The classification "Smallest Blooming Plant", Class 25, is meant to add a whimsical note to our schedule.  It literally means SMALLEST blooming plant, not a species or miniature.  Plants must be rooted and may not have had leaves removed to reduce the size of the plant.