SHARE THE WEALTH BY
EXHIBITING YOUR ROSES AT ROSE SHOWS
Exhibit (v) 1) to present for viewing, to show, to display 2) to present to public view for entertainment, instruction.
Each year we discuss what to feed our roses, what to spray (or not spray), how to prune, etc. But we seldom discuss what we are going to do with them when they bloom.
You can keep your roses safely locked up in your back yard, out of the view of prying eyes, strictly reserved for your own personal pleasure, like some art collectors do, but that sounds a little selfish, doesn't it?
Why not think about sharing your roses with the world? Their beauty is fleeting. But what else, besides a rose can bring such joy to the senses and the soul in such a short time?
There are many ways to share your roses. Give them to a neighbor. Take your roses to a hospital. Donate them to your church. I know one woman who takes roses to everyone she does business with. She claims it not only makes the recipient happy, but it gets her better service, too. These are really all ways of exhibiting roses.
I chose to share their beauty and my joy by exhibiting my roses at a rose show. Contrary to the belief of some, most of us don't exhibit to win trophies. We show roses because we are driven to share them. We want as many people as possible to see roses at the peak of perfection. We challenge ourselves every week to see how close to perfection we can get our roses. No one can grow every variety, but we can all enjoy the ones we can't grow at a rose show. Think of the awe inspiring experience of entering a rose show, the smell when you first walk through the door, the color, the massive collections, the creativity of the arrangers there's nothing else quite like it. I am in fact, quite sad when an excellent rose blooms on a day when no one but me gets to see it. A really good one can quite take your breath away.
Don't be afraid. If you want to learn how to exhibit your roses there are plenty of us "seasoned rose exhibitors" at Pacific Rose Society who will be more than happy to teach you how to do it. Try the little rose show first. Then put one or two of your very best roses into the annual show in April. There are really no losers at a rose show. Whether you win a trophy or a ribbon really doesn't matter. It's about sharing the beauty that God has been kind enough to put into your life and sharing your enthusiasm and joy with others who enjoy doing the same thing. Everyone wins when you do that. What else gives you the opportunity to become intimately acquainted with the flowers you love? Try it; you'll like it!
© Copyright Lynn Snetsinger. All rights reserved.
Our Mailing Address
Pacific Rose Society
Post Office Box 1504
Sierra Madre, CA 91025
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