There is nothing quite like the controversy of how medals are awarded at RHS Shows. To the casual onlooker the judging process may seem mysterious and difficult to understand. Some visitors to the shows often question why their favourite garden did not get the prestigious Gold. However there is a set procedure to the way judging is handled and what award is given.
One thing that often gets confused at shows is that there is no limit to the number of medals that can be awarded at each grade. Any number of gardens or floral exhibits can be awarded the much-coveted Gold medal. If the judges believe a particular level has been achieved then they will award that medal.
The next thing is that each exhibit is judged on its own merit – that is, they are not compared to each other.
Judging floral exhibits
In his talk at the Cardiff Flower Show 2013, Bob Sweet, RHS Head of Judging, discussed the criteria on how awards are made.
Judges will look at three areas of criteria for each exhibit:
- Plants
- Overall impression
- Scale of endeavour
They will get a maximum of four points in each area, and these are totalled to give a final score. These scores relate to medals:
11-12 points: Gold medal
8-10 points: Silver-Gilt medal
6-7 points: Silver medal
3-5 points: Bronze medal
0-2 points: No award
About 10% of results are challenged by the moderators, and if this is the case, there is a re-vote with the moderators and judges.
Judging garden exhibits
The gardens are also judged on a point-based system. The difference in judging gardens, is that the judges are comparing what they actually see with what the designer has written in the design brief.
The gardens will be judged by one of two panels of judges – a panel for small gardens, and a panel for large gardens. Large gardens are judged by a panel of 6 judges and small gardens by a panel of 5 judges and feature a mixture of experience in the areas of design, plants and construction.
The judges look at the following areas for each garden:
- Brief/purpose
- Overall impression
- Overall design
- Construction
- Planting
The judges award points for each area, which are then translated into medals.
Judging is held on the day or morning before the show opens by a panel of three assessors who visit each garden and look at the garden in great detail and will make their recommendation for points.
On show day, the judging panel reads and discusses about whether they agree with the initial assessment.
As with the floral judging, a team of independent moderators also goes around each garden and makes their assessment on medals, which are compared with that of the judging panels’.
Judges keep a look out for tricks of the trade
In his talk Bob discusses the tricks that some exhibitors use to get those extra marks. Exhibitors often use a few questionable techniques to get better results such as dusting the leaves, using wires to make plants look more upright and and spraying the flowers with water just before the judges arrive to make the garden sparkle. Is this cheating or not? Well I guess that is for the judges to decide and the exhibitors to argue.
Bob Sweet, RHS Head of Judging Explains the process:
