SAN ANTONIO – The third Alamo Area Horticulture Show and Contest is scheduled from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. May 26 during Festival of Flowers activities in San Antonio, said David Rodriguez, Texas AgriLife Extension Service horticulturist and a show coordinator.
The show and contest are presented by AgriLife Extension, the Bexar County Master Gardener volunteer association and the Texas Nursery and Landscape Association. It will take place at the Alzafar Shrine facility, 901 N. Loop 410 West, between Blanco Road and Stone Oak Parkway.
The third annual Alamo Area Horticulture Show and Contest will take place May 26 as part of Festival of Flowers activities in San Antonio at Alzafar Shrine facilities. (Texas AgriLife Extension Service photo)
“We’re proud to present the Alamo Area Horticulture Show and Contest again this year, particularly since it got such a good response last year,” Rodriguez said. “Last year’s show had more than 100 contestants from Bexar and surrounding counties.”
The Festival of Flowers is San Antonio’s most exciting gardening-exclusive event, said festival coordinators. It is presented by San Antonio Water System and gives attendees the opportunity to participate in informative seminars, as well as shop for plants, landscape materials and gardening accessories. It’s Citywide Plant Exchange is the largest in the state.
Admission is $6 for adults and free for children under 10. Event parking is free.
Experts from the Bexar County Master Gardeners association and the Texas Nursery and Landscape Association will be on-hand at the festival to provide information and advice, plus give hands-on gardening demonstrations, Rodriguez said. The TNLA booth will have a plant sale with proceeds to benefit the organization’s Region 1 scholarship fund.
Awards for horticulture contest winners are presented in various categories, including foliage and blooming potted or container plants; cactus and succulents; cut foliage, flowers and blooms; special displays, such as hanging baskets, dish gardens and container gardens; and vegetables and fruits.
Ribbons will be awarded for first, second and third place winners, as well as for honorable mention. Only one entry will receive a Best of Show award.
“The vegetables and fruits division of the show is a grower’s choice and may be tomatoes, peppers, greens, onions or other in-season crops,” he said. “Growers should show three to five samples of the same variety — unblemished and uniform in size, color and overall growth, with stems attached to help confirm they are home-grown.”
Rodriguez said there is a limit of three entries per division per exhibitor, and all entries must have been grown by the exhibitor for at least three months prior to the show
“The show is open to amateur gardeners of all ages, with contestants 17 years old and younger to be judged separately from adult contestants,” he said.
Rodriguez added that there also will be scholarships awarded to the first and second place winning entrants who attend area high schools with agriculture programs.
“First place will receive a $500 certificate and second place will receive a $250 certificate, he said. “These scholarships will be directly administered by the Region 1 Texas Nursery and Landscape Association to each student upon acceptance into a college or university.”
Entries may be brought to the Festival of Flowers staging area at the facility from 3-7 p.m. on May 25 or from 8-10 a.m. on May 26. Carts, wagons or dollies are permitted. Judging begins at 11 a.m. on May 26, with winners announced at 12:30 p.m.
The fee is $5 for each contestant who enters one or more exhibits, and entrants receive a coupon good for free admission to the Festival of Flowers on May 26.
Each exhibitor must complete an official entry form either prior to the show or at the time of entering an exhibit. Guidelines, tips and an entry form can be downloaded from the Festival of Flowers website at http://safestivalofflowers.com/, which also contains information on other Festival of Flowers activities.
More information and contest guidelines can be found at this website or at the Bexar County AgriLife Extension office website, http://bexar-tx.tamu.edu.
For more information on the horticulture show and contest, contact Rodriguez at 210-467-6575 or dhrodriguez@ag.tamu.edu, Mary Ann Johnson at majmgbc39@mac.com or Sandy Justice at sandy@sandyjustice.com.
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