QBARS - v17n3 Great Lakes Chapter Show Report

Great Lakes Chapter Fourth Annual Show Report, 1963
Daphne F. Scott, Show Chairman

The 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', unnamed
B. 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 hybrid
29. 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 seedling
Cup 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