Imagination blooms in floral show

A room filled with flowers is tucked away from the busier world of animals, carnival rides and hand-dipped corn dogs at the Flathead County Fairgrounds.

The Floriculture building had more flowers than people Wednesday morning as two judges circled tables of floral arrangements. Before food stands opened and rides began to turn, the judges spent hours looking for each designer’s intent for the hundreds of variations of flowers that filled the room.

Bill McClaren adjusted his magnifying headgear as he scanned a display of gladiolus flowers. After 40 years of judging flower competitions around the United States, the 86-year-old McClaren said his sight was starting to fail. But it’s hard to miss a beautiful flower, he said.

“When we judge, we look for imagination, the artistic part of the piece — and of course the flower’s condition and foliage,” he said.

Looking toward the gladiolus, McClaren began to dissect its strength.

The piece, entered in the Rocky Mountain High category, had striking petals with hints of color blooming from towering stems. The flower is known for symbolizing strength and moral integrity, he said.

“The sticks placed around the flowers, and the flowers themselves, create lines like a mountain peak,” he said as his hand outlined the arrangement’s edges.

The flowers’ beauty paired with the surrounding pieces’ heaviness represented Montana’s wild mountain ranges.

His judging partner, LeAna Sacrison, moved to the next piece in the category of Pink Elegance. Carnations and blue salvia grew from a delicate teacup resting on a white lace doily.

“We’re looking for flowers to synchronize with the title,” she said. “I’ve been growing for about 35 years, and judging is very rewarding. You see flowers growing within the Flathead, and appreciate what other artists do.”

McClaren said he entered the world of flowers when he began growing dahlias, which grow three to six feet tall in almost any type of garden soil.

When he began to understand how to make things grow, he began to search for how the rest of the world was doing it — from the east coast of the United States to the colorful flowers of New Zealand.

He said the population of flower enthusiasts is small, but the people in love with floriculture are scattered worldwide. And in that sense, the community is vast.

Angie Olsen, the superintendent for the Floriculture building, said many aspects of floriculture are growing.

“We’re always looking for more entries and judges, but we’ve seen a lot of changes in the type of submissions we’re getting and the ages of our contestants are expanding, too,” she said.

She walked toward the section of miniature gardens and fairy homes, where pots, buckets and planters were filled with stories intermingled with plants that often act as accents instead of centerpieces.

“Miniature gardens is the fastest growing trend we’re seeing in our area right now,” Olsen said. “You can see it’s pulling in completely different crowds, from adults to young growers.”

A series of plants bloomed from rusty cans and pots with garden supplies scattered throughout — the obvious work of an adult, Olsen said.

In another piece, handmade clay creatures were posed as crawling throughout bright-colored plants. A old can acted as a fairy’s home with a wood-shaving pointed roof. A sign welcomed all living beings, and blue marbles acted as the bottom of a pond.

“It’s like the new playground for gardens,” Olsen said as she looked over the piece.

In the back of the building, McClaren and Sacrison stopped at each arrangement as someone walked behind them with ribbons.

McClaren nodded as Sacrison advocated for a blue ribbon for roses that stood alone in a simple pot, their fragrance almost as striking as their petals, she said.

Together, in a nearly empty room, the duo put a blue ribbon next to one of the day’s winners.

“Really nice,” McClaren said as they moved to the next row.

For information on how to be a Floriculture judge or the world of flowers, go to www.montanadahliasociety.org/index.html.

Reporter Katheryn Houghton may be reached at 758-4436 or by email at khoughton@dailyinterlake.com.