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.