New Westminster's Garden Club
New Westminster Horticultural Society
Whether you are a novice or master
gardener, the New Westminster Horticultural
Society offers a friendly, social atmosphere to
enhance and share your knowledge and expertise.

Competitions

The following paragraphs describe the NWHS Container Contest rules and Photo Contest categories, rules and judging criteria (including past year judge's comments). In Club Competition rules, categories and judging criteria are provided in the May 2007 Newsletter (pages 3 to 4). Past contest winners are shown in image photo galleries found on the Photo Gallery page.

Also, information about the Queensborough’s Urban Farmers’ 2007 Fall Fair Competitions theme, entry, judging, rules & regulations and categories is now available (the theme for this year is "cows" and to quote our 2007 President Audrey Barnes: "We’re cownting down the days to this simply mooovelous event.") - Sept. 23, 2007. To enter: download the Competitions Entry Form and follow the instructions provided.

NWHS Container Contest

Share your container ideas with your club members by entering our container contest. This is not a photo contest but you want the best photo possible of your container. If you do not have a good camera, ask a member who does to take some pictures. For this contest, the member entering the contest does not need to be the photographer!

The Rules:
  1. The contest is open to all who are paid up NWHS members as of the Oct 2007 meeting.
  2. Each member can enter up to 3 containers or hanging baskets. Each entry must be a distinct entity e.g., not a raised bed.
  3. The containers must be created by the member.
  4. The contest commences on Oct 1, 2006 and ends on our October 2007 meeting.
  5. At the October 2007 meeting, the member submits up to 3 photos of each container accompanied by a list of all the plants used in each container. Obviously, the photos are best taken when the container looks its best. This does not mean that all photos need to be taken at the same point in time. For example, you might have a winter view and a summer view. The container can be started before Oct 1, 2006 (it can be several years old!) but the photos must be taken within the Oct 1, 2006 to October 2007 meeting time frame. At least one overall view is advisable. Photo dimensions allowed: each photo must have at least one dimension 5" or smaller i.e., if in normal format, up to 5" x 7"; if panoramic, either width or length must be 5" or less.
  6. All photos and accompanying plant lists will be collected at the October 2007 meeting and then organized onto poster boards for display at the November 2007 meeting. At this meeting each person attending will get one ballot to vote for the container that he/she selects as the best. Suggested judging criteria include: overall effect; color combination; plant form/shape; suitability of plants for container and creativeness. Ballots will be collected and counted and the the winner announced during the club's annual award ceremonies. The award for most votes will be a free 1-year club membership.

NWHS Photo Contest

In this contest, the photos entered in the contest must be taken by the member to enter the contest! No borrowing of photos by someone else! It is the photos themselves that are being judged (for more information view the Photo Contest Judge's Comments files for the following year winners: 2005, 2006 and 2007).

The Categories:
  1. COLOR IN THE GARDEN: Must be your own garden
  2. CREATURES ENJOYING THE GARDEN: Can be domestic or wild: bird(s), animal(s), fish, reptile(s) or insect(s). Must be living. Does not include human creatures. Does not need to be your own garden.
  3. VIEWS OF A HOME GARDEN: Does not need to be your own garden.
The Rules:
  1. Entrant must be a paid-up NWHS member as of the October 2007 meeting.
  2. Photographs must be taken by the member.
  3. Photographs must be taken after October 1, 2006.
  4. Photographs must be submitted no later than the October 2007 meeting.
  5. There is a limit of three photos per category for each member.
  6. Photograph dimensions allowed: if in normal format, up to 5" x 7"; if panoramic, either the width or length must be 5" or less.
  7. The winner in each category will receive a $10 cash prize, each second place, $5 and each third place $3. Awards are presented during the club's annual award ceremonies.
Judging:

The following criteria are used in judging: Interest or impact of the image for the viewer; correct exposure of image (not too dark or too light); focus of main subject is correct; composition is appropriate for the subject (centered subject or distracting objects in a photograph often hurt the composition); photograph is entered in the correct category and basic contest. Rules are followed.