HI Gill

how about a thread with only plants in bloom

It would be hard to keep my fingers off the key board for such a thread!

Richard, good idea, go for it! Like I said, anything to make an interesting moment for us. Will you start it off then, please? Need to word the title appropriately as mentioned and perhaps add an opening paragraph for anyone not knowing what's going on. Maybe limit pics per person to say four, I don't know, but will leave that to the OP.

Gill UK

Actually, there is something like that in the Houseplants forum (and has been for bit over a year now ). No reason can't do the same over here. Titles are typically along the lines of "November 2015 blooms go here".

:)

Paul, Richard has started it, err just browse the thread titles, I'm sure you will spot it.......!

Gill UK

I think it's a lovely idea, although I have nothing in bloom. However, I know I'm going to enjoy looking.

We have had threads here on monthly blooms, several times before, like November blooms, etc.

With the Jade idea, we would have to include a Mystery Jade thread for all those we have no idea on.

Christopher

Christopher

I used to post 'monthly blooms' quite often for about a year or so; I stopped last month since the thread 'Transience 2015' started - that is thread full of great photos...I hope it will continue.

We can continue monthly if anyone wants to - whoever remembers can start it on 1st of every month...Rina

Rina: Hosting the flowering this months threads is/was a great idea as some would follow and comment on the monthly thread(s) I think what happened is,,,,, most of us got in the habit that you'd be the host/hostess. Personally I enjoyed the "flowering this month" threads and like some others may feel that they ( and/or just me ) wanted to intrude on you as being the host of it.

I'm assuming that Gill would be hosting as she had indicated the hosting time availability and is willing to do hosting a " best of succulent " thread

I think what Gill is asking members is:, What type of succulents would draw forum members to post pics, vote and participate in regarding a different succulent species for a best of thread ?

With the range of succulent species that reaches a-lot more than"Jades" Why not have a best of contest for Hawothia ? Why not Lithops ? why not Stapelia ? Why not any one of the other several species other than Jades ?

I agree with nomen_nudum and would like to see a plant of the month contest with a panel of judges deciding the winner not trying to figure votes of members. judges could be decided by members of the c & s forum only.

winner could decide the next plant species.

Richard

Sounds great fun.

Gill was not saying a competition, nomen and Richard. Just posting photos for all to enjoy. I prefer that over a competition.

I disagree about having contests with 'judges.' I believe this forum has to remain of the people, as I said before. This is supposed to be a fun forum. There are varying skill levels here, and a panel of so called judges will only take away the enjoyment, particularly for the newbies.

Christopher

Gill: Like other forum members I too think you'll be a good host, thanks for stepping up to the plate As you are to be the host I think you should decide the plant species or a specific plant areal. IE : any succulent plant self sown and less than three yrs old to/or the biggest fatty with it's swollen form for all I know you may decide Agave or Sedum. I think most of us only want fairness for the participants and pic posters

Please deflate the egos and try to have some fun A contest with judges is also okay if that is what the host decides, there is nothing wrong with raising the bar the idea that judges could credit the least amount of votes as winner Granted this happening could have complications and may even harbor ill feelings from one ego to another. I can babble on all day long about judges how they score and do what they do, Assembling and determining a panel of judges is not as easy as one might think in real life and would be more difficult VIA the forum .

IMO To prevent internet person to person falling outs over a fun contest the voting system would be more than fair.

IMO No one can determine what a contest winner should do If they don't want to pick the next months plant species or type for a contest then they don't have to.

Mission statement : Allow as many people to participate as much as they can be it by pic posting, voting with minimal cross comments during the plant of the month pic thread in fairness, while promoting healthy succulent care growth and education

With that being said:

nomen, the 'like' button actually made for very fair voting in the jade photo competition, and if there were any disaffected participants they kept their thoughts very much to themselves. I think with judges there is actually a greater chance of falling-outs and disagreements - you can't argue with the 'like' button. I learned a lot from the jade competition, and am here if anyone would like to hear my thoughts on rules etc. after that experience, but most now know what they in the main are. In the end, a judge is one who either thinks he himself knows best, or others accord him that accolade - but one must ask, is there room for judges in little informal competitions such as we would have here? Simplicity is always the way to go.

However, if members here do decide on competitions with judges, I think that all judges should first have posted in a competition here, so that they may experience and therefore empathise with future prospective participants.

Just a suggestion, of course :)

nomen

I can continue with 'monthly blooms' thread - starting on 1st of every month. Just wanted to make sure that I don't 'own' the thread, and if someone starts it first, it is OK. But it would be nice to always keep same title - next one will be December 2015 blooms.

Rina

I can only surmise you are referring to me, I can assure you I have no ego to bruze.

I've only been here three years and only make suggestions if asked to.

I have trouble with English, cant type well and consider my self a rank armature at best . that being said I do like to play by the rules as laid out. judges were suggested because some people seem to think rules don't apply to them. I don't think any one who made a comment in the lawn mower forum five years ago or voted twelve times should cast a deciding vote, some agree and some don't. the idea was to get more people to post pictures and to that goal I believe was accomplished.

IF I offended anyone I am sorry.

Richard

marguerite_gw In the past I have judged plant shows and I agree with you 100 & 50 % plus 1000 % more after that >>> I applause you with your prior hosting as you kept it fair, allowed it to be as easy as possible for as many folks to participate that could.

Richard: Like you I try to be open minded to options there is no offence taken here By understanding member voting allows for more members to participate in monthly plant favorites would be more fair for those who participate than your proposed judging suggestion. My opinion if you want to learn and know more about plant judging become a member of an area cultivating or horticulture group.

Seeming as some judges have horticultural degrees and are certified, all the people who do judging at shows are asked to judge and do so as volunteers( guest) Because of there experience and/or degrees in a very wide range of horticulture there is a certain amount of respect that goes into it ( warranted) There isn't that many on the forum that could for-fill what I think a judge should be.

Rina Thank-you I understand, IMO some folks ( myself mostly) didn't feel the need or want to intrude on the flowering this month thread with out any formal who want to host next moth being read.

All the different opinions are very interesting, and would be very valid in the context of 'best' plant, even 'best photo', but our first little competition was for 'Your Favourite Jade', which is purely subjective, and I personally think that helps it to be fun. Whoever wants to run the next contest might feel differently, and the title of the next contest might imply a necessity for a knowledgeable judge, experienced or otherwise, qualified by university studies or otherwise.

One problem with this is, fairness might be sacrificed, because how can you tell in a photo whether the poster owns the plant photographed, or how can you judge quality of culture and other competitive criteria in a photo? Or if you are actually judging the photo, plant and all as one entity, as a forum member previously pointed out, the quality of the camera comes into the matter, and not everyone owns a camera which might show to the best the most praiseworthy aspects of their entry.

OK, so I am being ignored here. But I will have my say regardless. Gill stated at the beginning of her post, "no competition, no prizes". But Richard is going for a panel of judges, and Nomen is pushing for voting. What is that? I like her idea of a theme post, be it Adenium, or Haworthia, Kalanchoe, Euphorbia...plants many of us have. There cannot be fairness in a competition on a forum like this, as you have too great a range of experience levels. Why not keep it fun, instead of competitive? Is there really something wrong with that? I will keep it brief, and not hijack Gill's post.

Christopher

Technically Gill never said she would host a favorite jade either but did ask for someone else to host a thread of a particular jade type with no comments, voting and/or other.

As quoted : My idea would be for anyone to start a thread with the title of a particular Jade variety, members could then post their pics within that thread, no competition, no prizes, no dialogue, just plain old pics for us to see of plants past or present but owned by the member.

To my understanding Gill is requesting that someone host a jade thread while following Gills guide lines What I think is fair is A future host to set up there own guidelines VIA input from members. ...... IMO If someone wants to post a pic of a particular type of jade then they can do so with out Gills approval and ask members to post pics of the same type of jade they currently have or once had in the past.

I like the theme post idea too. Start one, Chris, and anyone that wants a competition, start one too. Both should be enjoyable.

Christopher

I was reading Gill's post the same - just a thread about specific plants: ..." My idea would be for anyone to start a thread with the title of a
particular Jade variety, members could then post their pics within that
thread, no competition, no prizes, no dialogue, just plain old pics for
us to see of plants past or present but owned by the member"...

So if anyone wants to start a thread for a particular plants, all/anybody should post photos of their (same) plants on that particular thread.

Competitions could run sometimes too, but that's not what Gill was suggesting...JMO

Rina