Dazzling Dahlias Flower and Photograph Competition

Generous Gardeners will be hosting our first competition for dahlia flowers and photography on September 30th at the Bass Rocks Golf Club. The event will be free and open to the public from 11:00-2:00. You will be able to vote for your favorites for the People's Choice award in each of the seven categories.

The flower judges will be Bart Kellerman, many time winner of the Topsfield Fair Dahlia competition and Generous Gardener Antonietta Calabrese. The photography judge will be award-winning photographers, Jason Grow and Shawnn Henry. There will also be a People's Choice award.

General Guidelines and Information:

Exhibitors may be from any town or city and must register on our website by Friday, September 29. The cost to register is $5 per category. Limit is a total of two entries per contestant. Each submission is one flower or one photograph. Submissions will be accepted at Bass Rocks Golf Club main entrance from 8:30 -9:30 a.m. on day of the show. The show will be opened free to the public from 11:00-2:00.

Breakdown will be from 2:15 - 3:00. Exhibits and photos must stay at Bass Rocks until breakdown. Any exhibits not picked up by the close of the show at 3:00 will become the property of Generous Gardeners unless other arrangements have been made. The award announcement will be at 2:30 at the main entrance to the Bass Rock's clubhouse.

Judge’s decision is final.

Rules for Dahlia Competition: The competition is open to all amateur dahlia growers. Exhibitor must be the dahlia grower Each dahlia may be entered in only one category. Each exhibitor must provide their own container or bud vase Dahlias only in each of the single bud vase categories.

Rules for Photography Competition: All photographers are welcome. All photos must feature dahlias, either a single flower variety or a garden of many. Photos must be the exhibitor’s own work. Photos must be 5x7 framed and brought to the show. No digital entries will be accepted.

There are seven categories:

1. Flower: Cactus, Semi-Cactus or Incurved Cactus. Contestant provided bud vase.

2. Flower: Ball, Miniature Ball or PomPon. Contestant provided bud vase.

3. Flower: Formal and Informal Decorative, Stellar or Waterlily. Contestant provided bud vase.

4. Flower: Single, Collarettes, Anemones, Mignon Single, Orchid or Peony. Contestant provided bud vase.

SOLD OUT CATEGORY 5. Photograph: Framed 5x7 Single bloom of a dahlia: Petals may or may not extend beyond the edge of the photo. No photographer identification on the photo.

6. Photograph: Framed 5x7 Multiple blooms of a single variety of dahlia: More than one dahlia must appear in the photo. No photographer identification on the photo.

7. Photograph: Framed 5x7 Dahlia gardens: any dahlia garden with or without people. No photographer identification on the photo.