What makes a 'real' daffodil? Prospective judges learn the ropes

Judging daffodils at flower shows is not something Robert and Kerrie Goudsouzian ever thought they would do.

"It never crossed my mind, but now that we've dipped our toe in the water I guess we're learning so much more.

"And it just gives you a different appreciation for nature, for the flowers, the people who are involved in this," Ms Goudsouzian said.

"And it's just lovely."

The Goudsouzians and about a dozen other daffodil lovers came together in Hobart's northern suburbs last weekend to learn more about how to judge daffodils at flower shows.

Internationally renowned daffodil breeder Rod Barwick took them through the main criteria for judging daffodils — condition, form, substance and texture, pose, colour, size and stem.

Passing around samples of daffodils cut from his garden nearby, Mr Barwick took the group through the basic form and terminology.

"A real daffodil has six petals," he said.

"Technically they are called perianth segments. Three of the segments have to be at the back, there should be three at the front."

"In front of the petals is what some times, if it's longish, is called a trumpet, if it's medium it's called a cup, if it's small it's called a crown.

"None of those words are terribly important because in daffodil [terms] it doesn't matter what shape it is, it's called a corona."

The exception to the six-petal rule is double daffodils, which either have a doubling of the perianth or doubling of the corona.

'Like going to a Mr World contest'

Then came "the sex part of the evening".

Mr Barwick explained the female part of the flower, the stigma, was in the middle of the corona and around it were six anthers with pollen on them.

"If they are not intact, the flower can't be judged," he said.

"It's like going to a Mr World contest — if you remove the male bits, he's not going to get very far, is he?"

The session was organised by Mr Barwick with his niece Janelle Noble, who is the president of the Claremont Flower Show Group.

In the lead-up to next weekend's Claremont spring flower show, Ms Noble said she and Mr Barwick wanted to make the most of a resurgence they are seeing in interest in flower shows.

"I am really hoping that more people will get involved [in judging] and have a greater appreciation of daffodils," Ms Noble said.

"The interest is there and people are really keen to get on board and learn and enjoy."

Mary Crowe and her husband Kevin have been judging daffodils for about 30 years.

They are among the judges at the Hobart Horticultural Society's early spring show, which continues today.

They started showing daffodils in the late 1980s before becoming judges.

"Rod Barwick [and fellow Tasmanian daffodil breeder the late] Harold Cross had a judging school which a number of us went to," Ms Crowe said.

She said the course was a mixture of theory and practical lessons and ran over three years.

"There are now fewer judges … we're wondering about how to get the next generation into judging with daffodils because most of us are getting a lot older."

Getting started as a judge

Ms Crowe said the first thing a prospective judge should be doing is growing exhibition-type daffodils, sourced from specialist growers.

"It's a matter of going to shows, having a look, and if you're interested perhaps contacting some of the people there.

"We'll be around the show and we're always willing to chat to people and encourage them."

The Goudsouzians started by "off-siding" one of the judges and judging some of the minor classes at the Claremont shows a few years ago.

"It's a matter of getting out of your comfort zone, doing something different and learning something that you wouldn't ordinarily get exposed to,"

Mr Goudsouzian said.

As for Mr Barwick's judging session, they both said it had been valuable.

"I now feel that, yes, we're getting some skills now.

"It's not just, 'oh that's pretty', 'oh that looks nice'. It's, 'ok does it meet these criteria'," Ms Goudsouzian said.