Great Lakes Chapter Fourth Annual Show Report, 1963
Daphne F. Scott, Show ChairmanThe fourth annual Great Lakes Chapter Rhododendron Show was held this year for the first time in Pittsburgh, May 22 and 23, in conjunction with the Garden Market. In spite of the worst winter in one hundred years in which temperatures were at least 10 degrees below normal, (Pittsburgh and Cleveland had 23 below), and a hard frost in May, 'a fantastic display was assembled in the Garden Center.
The quantity, quality and incredible variety of trusses and plants of both Rhododendrons and Azaleas thrilled and delighted an audience of the thousands of people from many miles around Pittsburgh who attend the Market each year. All classes but four were filled and some to overflowing and the specimen balled and burlapped plants exceeded in number that of any previous show with almost a hundred exhibited. Sub-divisions had to be created in two classes to properly judge the variety of trusses and a special class for tender exhibits was created.
The staging committee, Mrs. Joshua Whetzel, Mrs. George Ketchum, Mrs. Theodore Elterich and Mr. Louis Wissenbach did a superb job of setting up the two rooms and many tables for the exhibits. Flanking the entrance to the show was a special display of sixty-three specimen plants of iron-clad varieties by Aart Vuyk and Dorothy Burnheimer of Musser Forests. A special trophy was won by this exhibit for The Outstanding Rhododendron Display. In the main room a central table was reserved and spotlighted for the trophies and each blue ribbon award. A special award was given to Mrs. Hildreth Dexter of the Landscape Design Society for an exquisite Japanese garden planted with species Rhododendrons loaned by one of our members. At intervals between the tables pedestal flower arrangements were created especially for the show by the members of the Pittsburgh Guild of Flower Arrangers.
Chairman of judges, Lewis Lipp and his committee, Peter Girard, David Leach, Louis Martin, Aart Vuyk, Mrs. Peter Loesch, A. M. Shammarello and Orlando Pride with the help of judges scribes, Bruce Ashcraft and Mrs. Theodore Elterich, gave the following trophies.
The First President's cup for Best in Show went to Richard Fennichia for an exhibit of R. maximum X 'Pink Pearl'. Excellent dark green foliage was crowned with trusses of purest white on this specimen plant.
The Best Catawbiense in the Show went to B. F. Ailes for a truss of clearest pink.
Trophy for the Best Hybrid Rhododendron not Shown Before went to Peter Girard for a cross of 'Blue Peter' X 'Lee's Dark Purple,' no. G-73-B. This bicolor of intense blue had a blotch of bold blackish purple.
A new cup, The Missouri-Kansas Award, donated by Carl Penzel, Harry Seevers and Clarence Barbre was won by A. M. Shammarello. This award is given to the best pink Rhododendron truss of H-1 classification and was won with 'Pinnacle', a perfectly formed truss of clear and silvery pink.Special awards went to the following exhibitors:
A. M. Shammarello for B-46-R, a large red truss, and also for a beautiful specimen plant with white blooms. 'Bess Howells'.
David Leach for a clear red truss of the first hardy R. forrestii cross, 'Fanfare' X ('Prometheus' x R. forrestii).
Crystalaire Evergreen Nurseries won a special award with a glowing red truss of No. A A-17 for Weldon Delp.
Cut Trusses 1. Standard "ironclad" R. catawbiense hybrids in commerce: A. 'Catawbiense Album' 1st. and 2nd. R. O. Barto; 3rd. William Fetterhoff B. Any other white 1st. A. M. Shammarello, 'Belle Heller' C. Pink 1st., 2nd. and 3rd. A. M. Shammarello, 'Pinnacle', 'Sham's Pink', 'King Tut' Hon. Men. R. O. Bartoo, 'Parson's Grandiflorum' D. Roseum varieties 1st. Mrs. Woods King, 'Roseum Elegans' 2nd. Musser Forests, 'English Roseum' 3rd. Mrs. Woods King, 'Roseum Elegans' E. Lavender 1st. & 2nd., Frank Myers, catawbiense hybrid; 3rd. Mrs. Harold Antenne, catawbiense hybrid F. Purple 1st. John Giraro, 'Lee's Dark Purple' 2nd. William Fetterhoff, 'Lee's Dark Purple' 3rd. Musser Forests, 'catawbiense Boursault' G. 'America' 1st. Mrs. Peter Loesch 2nd. Peter Girard 3rd. Orlando Pride H. 'Dr. Dresselhuys'
1st. Mrs. Woods King 2nd. Frank Myers 3rd. Peter Girard Hon. Men. John Giraro I. 'Nova Zembla' 1st., 2nd. and 3rd. John Giraro J. Any other red 1st. Frank Myers, catawbiense hybrid 2nd and 3rd. B. F. Ailes, 'Dr. Rutgers' Hon. Men. A. M. Shammarello, 'Romeo' K. Any other color 3rd. F. F. Ailes, 'Sefton' 2. Catawbiense hybrid seedlings not in commerce A. Pink
1st. A. M. Shammarello, 'Campy' 1st. B. F. Ailes, cat. sdlg. D. 139 2nd. and 3rd A. M. Shammarello, A-43-P and 'Candy' B. Red 1st. Peter Girard, G16-R 2nd. A. M. Shammarello, B-46-R 3rd. Crystalaire Nurseries, AA-17 Hon. Men. Orlando Pride, cat. Rubrum seedling C. White 1st. B. F. Ailes, cat. seedling B-14 2nd. A. M. Shammarello, B:60-W 3rd. A. M. Shammarello, B-55-W D. Bicolor 1st. Peter Girard, Blue Peter X Lee's Dark Purple G-73-B 2nd. B. F. Ailes, L-27 3rd. Crystalaire Nursery, N-2-83 3. Caucasicum hybrids, including hybrids of 'Cunningham's White' & 'Boule de Neige' A. Pink 1st. David G. Leach, 'Bonlede Rose' 2nd. and 3rd. Richard Fennichia, R. smirnowii X 'Cunningham's White'
R. smirnowii X 'Cunningham's White', unnamedB. White 1st., 2nd. and 3rd. Frank Myers, Hybrid of 'Boule de Neige' 4. Fortunei series hybrids, any color 1st. and 2nd. Peter Girard, G-41-R; G-43-LP; 3rd. David Leach, 'Catalgla' X 'Goldfort' 5. Smirnowii hybrid 1st., 2nd., 3rd. and Hon. Men, Frank Myers, Seedling 6. Maximum hybrids 1st. R. A. Daugherty, R. maximum X R. haematodes seedling 7. Dexter hybrids, named or unnamed 1st. Paul Bosley, #1020; 2nd. David Leach, Fowle #18 8. Scaly leaved hybrids 1st. George Thacik, hybrid 9. Any hybrids not included in classes 1 through 8 (including azaleodendrons) 1st. R. A. Daugherty, 'Sappho' 2nd. Peter Girard, 'Blue Peter' hybrid 3rd. Mrs. Peter Loesch, 'Purple Splendour' Hon. Men. Peter Girard, 'Blue Peter hybrid 10. Species of the Ponticum series 1st. Richard Fennichia, R. makinoi 1st. B. F. Ailes, R. yakushimanum 12. Scaly-leaved species 1st., 2nd. and 3rd. George Thacik, R. carolinianum 14. Ghent azalea hybrids, named or new seedlings, including double ("Rustica") forms 1st. William Fetterhoff, Ghent seedling 2nd. Mrs. Peter Loesch, 'Riberia' 3rd. and Hon. Men. Frederick Close, 'Flarepath' and 'Peg. Special Class created for 'tender' exhibits 1st. and 2nd. B. F. Ailes, 'Britannia' and 'Marinus Koster' 3rd. R. A. Daugherty 'Mars' 15. Knap Hill azalea hybrids, named or seedlings 1st. Frederick Close, 'Cecile' 2nd. and 3rd. Peter Girard, Knaphill hybrid seedling Hon. Men. Fredrick Close, 'Fawley' and 'Scarlet Pimpernel' 16. Mollis azalea hybrids, named or seedlings 1st. Frederick Close, Mollis seedling 2nd. and 3rd. Peter Girard, Mollis seedling Hon. Men. Ronald Daugherty, Mollis seedling 19. Native deciduous azalea species 1st. David Leach, R. austrinum 2nd. Mrs. Woods King, R. nudiflorum 3rd. David Leach, R. speciosum Hon. Men. Orlando Pride, R. calendulaceum. 20. Deciduous azaleas, species not included in class 19 1st. and 2nd. Richard Fennichia, R. japonica 21. Persistent-leaved azaleas, named or unnamed, excluding forcing varieties A. White 1st. Peter Girard, 'Kathy' 2nd. A. M. Shammarello, 'Desiree' 3rd. Francis Hart, 'Kathy' B. Pink 1st. Dr. Louis Martin, 'Pink Lady' 2nd. G. Thacik, 'Lake Erie' 3rd. Francis Hart, 'Linwood Pink' C. Purple 1st., 2nd. and 3rd. Peter Girard, Poukhanense hybrids D. Red 1st. Roemar Nursery, 'Cadmium' 2nd. Peter Girard, 'El Capitan' 22. Poukhanense hybrids, named or unnamed 1st., 2nd., and 3rd., Francis Hart, Poukhanense Hybrids 23. Gable, azalea hybrids 1st. Frederick Close, O. Pride seedling 2nd. G. Hughes, 'Rosebud' 3rd. Frederick Close, 'Very Red' 21. Glenn Dale persistent-leaved azalea hybrids 1st. Dr. Louis Martin, 'Redbird' 25. Persistent-leaved hybrids of the Obtusum series 1st. Peter Girard, 'Beethoven' 25. Any persistent leaved hybrid azalea not included in classes 21 through 25 1st. Jennie Feith, Seedling 2nd. Edna Gerner, Seedling Balled and Burlapped Plants
26. Named rhododendron hybrids in commerce 1st. A. M. Shammarello, 'Bess Howells' 27. Unnamed or numbered rhododendron hybrids A. Less than three feet including ball 1st. A. M. Shammarello, A 43 P 2nd. Richard Fennichia, R. fortunei hybrid 3rd. Musser Forests, 'America' X R. fortunei B. More than three feet including ball 1st., 2nd., and 3rd. Richard Fennichia, R. maximum hybrid,
R. carolinianum hybrid; and R. fortunei hybrid29. Azalea, deciduous A. 6 inches to 18 inches 1st. Musser Forests, Exbury seedling B. 18 inches and up 1st. A. M. Shammarello, 'Red King' hybrid 2nd. and 3rd. Peter Girard, 'Gibraltar' and 'Persil' 30. Azalea, persistent-leaved (evergreen) A. 6 to 18 inches 1st., 2nd. and 3rd, Peter Girard, 'White Princess', R. poukhanense hybrid, and 'El Capitan' B. 18 inches and up: 1st. Tony Shammarello, 'Desiree' Hon. Men. Richard Fennichia, 'Amoena' 31. New hybrid seedling (rhododendron or azalea) exhibited by breeder
and never before shown. Special trophy.1st., 2nd. and 3rd. Richard Fennichia, R. maximum X 'Pink Pearl',
R. fortunei hybrid, and R. yakushimanum seedlingCup For Best Hybrid Not Shown Before Peter Girard for Cross 'Blue Peter' X 'Purpureum' Cup For Best R. catawbiense In Show B. F. Ailes for R. catawbiense seedling
