1. The competition classes are for amateur exhibitors only.

2. All exhibits must have been grown or made by and be the bona-fide property of the exhibitor. Any competitor obtaining a prize fraudulently will forfeit all prize money to which they may otherwise be entitled and may be excluded from future shows.

3. The Directors have power to refuse any exhibit that they consider unworthy of being shown and also to reject and order the removal of any unsightly or unsuitable stands, receptacles or staging.

4. All exhibits, stands, equipment, stock and other property belonging to exhibitors are the responsibility of the exhibitor and remain in the Showground at their own risk. The Directors will endeavour to provide protection, but it will not accept any liability for loss or injury arising from any cause whatsoever within the Showground. Exhibitors are advised that it is unwise to leave any items of value within the Showground.

5. Every exhibitor must submit an entry form on-line, by post or email specifying the classes to be entered with the requisite entry fees by the time specified in the schedule. Members of the Flower Show may enter exhibits without fee other than in any imposed class or for group exhibits. Exhibitors may only make one entry in each class.

6. A non-member exhibitor whose entry fees amount to at least £10 will receive one nontransferable ticket for admission once to the Show and which will be issued with their class tickets in the Competition Marquee when staging their entries.

7. Exhibits must be staged during the times quoted in the schedule and MUST remain staged until the show closes on Saturday, when a bell or whistle will be sounded. The marquee will be cleared and exhibitors will be readmitted to remove their exhibits. These must be removed by 6pm. Any exhibits left after this time will be disposed of.

8. Exhibitors will be allowed to take into the showground only such assistants as are reasonably required for the staging of their exhibits.

9. A card for every class entered will be supplied from the control point in the Competition Marquee. The exhibitor will be responsible for the proper placing of exhibits in the space allotted with the card face down, unless otherwise specified in the Schedule.

10. Exhibitors must provide their own accessories, vases, dishes, baskets and other requisites, except where otherwise stated in the schedule.

11. Judging will commence at 7.45am on Friday. Judging of all exhibits will be in accordance with the Rules and Guidelines of the Royal Horticultural Society and/or those of a specialist national society where appropriate. No exhibitor, unless officially engaged, will be allowed to remain in the marquee during judging. Any protest against the decisions of the judges must be made in writing to the Show Secretary before noon on Friday accompanied by a deposit of £5 which will be returned if the protest is upheld or otherwise forfeited. Subject to the results of any protest, the decision of the judges is final and binding.

12. Judges shall not be competitors in any class in which they are appointed to judge and they shall not be present during the staging of exhibits. Judges may cut, taste or otherwise examine any exhibit and have the power to withhold or reduce prizes for any exhibit that, in their opinion, does not merit an award.

13. Irrespective of the prize money awarded in each class, points will be awarded for the determination of trophies as follows: First Prize: 6 Points; Second Prize: 4 Points; Third Prize: 2 Points unless otherwise indicated in the schedule. In the event of a draw, the trophy will be awarded to the exhibitor with the highest number of first prizes in the classes applicable to the cup. If there is still a draw then the highest number of second prizes and then third prizes will be taken into account and if it is still a draw then the cup will be awarded jointly.

14. If the judges award equal prizes in any class the points/prize money relating to that prize and the appropriate number of prizes next below it/them in that class according to the number of joint winners, will be added together, and the total divided equally between each of those joint winners.

15. Prize money may be collected from the Control Point in the Competition Marquee between 3.00 pm and 6.00 pm on Saturday. Prizes not claimed at the Show will be assumed to have been donated to the Show.

16. The Royal Horticultural Society’s Banksian Medal is awarded to winner of the largest total amount of money in prizes in the whole of the horticultural classes at the show. Any competitor who has won the Banksian medal in the last two years is not eligible to win this medal. Those sharing in the cultivation of, and exhibiting from, the same garden and/or allotment are considered to be a single exhibitor. If one is awarded the medal then none of them is eligible for the next two years.

17. In the event of the cancellation of the Show by the Directors before its advertised time of opening by reason of any circumstances beyond the control of the Directors, no exhibitor shall have any claim on the Society for any loss, damage, interest or compensation whatsoever.

18. Definitions of terms used in this schedule such as ‘kind’, ‘cultivar’ and the definitions of fruit or vegetables etc are taken from the glossary to the “Horticultural Show Handbook” published by the RHS.

19. Participants and visitors must behave in a reasonable manner and with respect for other exhibitors and TFS volunteers and staff. Participants and visitors must comply with all reasonable instructions given by the stewards and officers of TFS.