Ideal Blooms

Flower shows have their roots in 17th and 18th century Britain, where they began as competitions among florists. Back then, florists weren’t the artful flower arrangers we know today; they were avid gardeners experimenting with breeding new flower varieties. A handful of plants (the readily mutating Sweet Pea (Lathyrus odoratus) included) became known as ‘florist’s flowers’ and horticultural societies developed a set of rules to judge new varieties.

The Horticultural Society of London, now known as the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), was founded in 1804. By the 1830s, it held highly contested competitions for flowers including dahlias, sweet peas and delphiniums. The 1860s saw an uptick in interest in the flower show scene thanks to international exhibitions that placed the quest for ideal blooms in the realms of entertainment for the masses. Growers networked and capitalised on the popularity of the flower shows and companies like Yates put the seeds of prize-winning hybrids in the hands of home gardeners.

Flower shows in the colonies were initially held alongside fruit and produce in agricultural competitions, with judges adhering to the RHS standards. As time passed, community groups like the Red Cross adopted the RHS flower show model as a fundraising technique.  High points on rural social calendars flower shows, and additional stalls selling plants, preserves and crafts helped organisers raise funds from wider audiences.

The NSW RHS publishes the Floral Art Show Guide to this day; it includes rules for stewards, show bench set-up, design elements and principles, colour theory, period flower arranging and judging criteria. Mrs Phylis Maunder would no doubt have been delighted that her winning bowl of Sweet Peas had passed muster after being judged in accordance with the RHS’ stringent criteria.