Audra and Gordon Martin of West Covina were visiting the gardens and decided to stroll through the show.
“If I had to pick just one, I couldn’t do it,” Audra Martin said. “One after another is just gorgeous.”
“The ones I like are white in the center and pink on the outside,” Gordon Martin said.
One of the winners was Jim Fitzpatrick, a member of the Southern California Camellia Society that meets at the Arboretum. The North Hollywood resident was just elected president of the group, he said.
Fitzpatrick took home a tall crystal vase for winning first place or Best Tray of Three for his medium japonicas in the Prima Ballerina variety. Pink petals surrounded the yellow stamens.
“Some of the crystal prizes I give back, but I’m keeping this one,” he said, adding that he also has roses in his garden that will look great in it.
Fitzpatrick also won a third place or Court of Honor for his Tray of Three treated medium japonicas that were a deep red in color.
Judges look for four things: form, color, size and condition.
When entering three together as one entry, you want them to look as similar as possible, he said.
The shows allow serious growers to show their blooms and perpetuate an interest in the hobby, said George Harrison, president of the Pacific Camellia Society.
His job Saturday was to organize the judging.
“We do it because we love camellias — that’s the only reason, and we want people to see how beautiful they are,” he said.
After the top blooms are chosen, they are taken into another room where they are judged again. The winners are placed on the head table with their crystal prizes, Harrison said.
