Judging of Exhibition Blooms

1. Policy
The Daffodil Society’s policy on judging exhibition blooms is that they should be judged according to their official classification, as shown in the International Daffodil Register and classified list 2008 (RHS) and/or any amendments/additions notified in the annual supplements of that publication.

2. Classification
The full details of both the Horticultural and Botanical classification of daffodils are published in the above Register and its supplements and Daffodil Society approved judges must be familiar with the classification and apply it when judging.
In particular “The classification will consist of a division number and a colour code”
A page on the Classification scheme is available here

3. Scale of Points
The following scale of points has been adopted by the Society as an indication of the relative importance of the main features of an exhibition bloom. This scale of points is to be used by Daffodil Society approved judges at all shows organised by the Society or its affiliated societies.

Single blooms:
Form and poise     3
Condition               2
Colour                    2
Size for cultivar    2
Stem                      1
TOTAL               10

Multi-blooms:
When three or more blooms of one cultivar are shown in one vase.
Uniformity         2

Multi-vase:
In multi vase classes, the individual blooms or vases will be pointed as above. However, before this is done, the exhibit as a whole should be marked out of an additional 10% of the total points available. These points should be allocated equally between
a) – the coverage of divisions/colour combinations within the limits of the class as defined in the schedule.
b) – the overall presentation of the exhibit.

For example, in a class calling for six cultivars, one stem of each, the individual blooms will be worth a maximum of 60 points. The judge will therefore award up to 3 points for coverage and up to 3 points for presentation.  

Members of the Society will be aware that there are individual standards for Form and Poise for Divisions 1-3 and 9, Division 4, Divisions 5, 7 and 8, Division 6, Division 10, Division 11, Divisions 12 and 13. There are also standards for Colour, Size for cultivar and Stem. These detailed standards are not set out on this website but are available in the members handbook.