MONROE - Green County Fair Judge Mike Maddox said he was a little nervous as he stepped behind a table Thursday, July 18, in Exhibition Hall.
He was judging the open class flowers and house plants. Flower heads were bobbing in front of a giant fan; their petals wilting in the mid-July heat.
A few women moved their folding chairs closer to watch.
Tammy Isely, Argyle, began entering her flowers four years ago.
"I learn something every year," she said.
Isely said she learns by listening to the judges' comments, but her biggest challenge is "when the flowers bloom." Some flowers don't always peak at fair time.
Maddox is the director of the UW-Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Program and has been a horticulture educator with UW-Extension since 2001. He's taught MGVs across the state and has been a frequent guest on Wisconsin Public Television's Wisconsin Gardener and Wisconsin Public Radio's Garden Talk.
No, Maddox wasn't worried not about his expertise in judging the delicate flowers, but rather, the reaction of the viewers.
"It's that someone will jump up and yell, 'That's my flower,'" he said. But the rules say, during judging, there is to be no discussion from the audience about the entries until the entries are placed.
Maddox began with the annual flowers entries, presented in alphabetical order from Bachelor Buttons to Zennias. He looked for uniformity among the trio of blossoms in each entry and judged the flower specimens on size, shape, health and quality. When the entries per lot are fewer, he judges them harsher, he said.
Several Bachelor Buttons were entered. "This one has a little defect... blemishes here... insect damage," Maddox pointed out.
Two Cosmos. "This one is blemish-free, but not uniform. This one has more damage," he said.
The first Cosmos places second; the other gets third place. No blue ribbon for this lot.
Gloria Sutter, Brodhead; Susan Konopacki, Monroe; and Leslie Brugger, Monticello, each scored two blue ribbons for first place in the first half of the class of Annuals.
Participation in the flowers and houseplant competition has been declining, said Susan Konopacki, co-superintendent with Cheryl Rezabek for the fair flowers and houseplants department.
Janet Kaderly, Juda, took first place for her Coneflower in Perennials. This is her second year in the flower competitions, though she's been coming to the county fair for years. This year she brought four flower entries: Coneflowers, Coreopsis, Marigolds and an outdoor planter.
"I always had flowers (in the garden at home), but I never brought any," she said.
Kaderly said she noticed not a lot of flowers were being entered and, "thought I could add a few this way."
"It's hard to get three uniform ones," she added, "but the best part is listening to the judge and learning."
Maddox had another hour or more of judging ahead of him, but so far no one had yelled at him.
Open class judging continue on Friday, July 19.
He was judging the open class flowers and house plants. Flower heads were bobbing in front of a giant fan; their petals wilting in the mid-July heat.
A few women moved their folding chairs closer to watch.
Tammy Isely, Argyle, began entering her flowers four years ago.
"I learn something every year," she said.
Isely said she learns by listening to the judges' comments, but her biggest challenge is "when the flowers bloom." Some flowers don't always peak at fair time.
Maddox is the director of the UW-Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Program and has been a horticulture educator with UW-Extension since 2001. He's taught MGVs across the state and has been a frequent guest on Wisconsin Public Television's Wisconsin Gardener and Wisconsin Public Radio's Garden Talk.
No, Maddox wasn't worried not about his expertise in judging the delicate flowers, but rather, the reaction of the viewers.
"It's that someone will jump up and yell, 'That's my flower,'" he said. But the rules say, during judging, there is to be no discussion from the audience about the entries until the entries are placed.
Maddox began with the annual flowers entries, presented in alphabetical order from Bachelor Buttons to Zennias. He looked for uniformity among the trio of blossoms in each entry and judged the flower specimens on size, shape, health and quality. When the entries per lot are fewer, he judges them harsher, he said.
Several Bachelor Buttons were entered. "This one has a little defect... blemishes here... insect damage," Maddox pointed out.
Two Cosmos. "This one is blemish-free, but not uniform. This one has more damage," he said.
The first Cosmos places second; the other gets third place. No blue ribbon for this lot.
Gloria Sutter, Brodhead; Susan Konopacki, Monroe; and Leslie Brugger, Monticello, each scored two blue ribbons for first place in the first half of the class of Annuals.
Participation in the flowers and houseplant competition has been declining, said Susan Konopacki, co-superintendent with Cheryl Rezabek for the fair flowers and houseplants department.
Janet Kaderly, Juda, took first place for her Coneflower in Perennials. This is her second year in the flower competitions, though she's been coming to the county fair for years. This year she brought four flower entries: Coneflowers, Coreopsis, Marigolds and an outdoor planter.
"I always had flowers (in the garden at home), but I never brought any," she said.
Kaderly said she noticed not a lot of flowers were being entered and, "thought I could add a few this way."
"It's hard to get three uniform ones," she added, "but the best part is listening to the judge and learning."
Maddox had another hour or more of judging ahead of him, but so far no one had yelled at him.
Open class judging continue on Friday, July 19.