I'm designing a display and I need to bring...

[Heather]

Hey, did you guys ever play that game when you were little. "I'm going on a picnic and I'm bringing...." and each person goes around and names something they would bring? Well, now's your chance to play it again!

The president of our society is moving and had to step down this weekend. She's the one who was trying to recruit new members (including me) to be part of a new design team. So, now I think I may be it!

I thought it would be nice to see what types of tools and materials everyone collects to use when putting together displays.

I'll start us off with a few things I remember she had in her bag of tricks and hope to hear some great ideas from the rest of you! I know we have some experienced designers around here!

Floral wire and tape
extra stakes
scissors
wire snips
paper towels
asst. lenthths of zip ties

 

[lienluu]

Orchids, in bloom.

 

[Rick]

Always take plenty duct tape!!!

Whatever you use to make labels. (cardstock, gel pens, support sticks)

Boxes, crates, boards for support structures.

 

[likespaphs]

whips, leather, pvc...
oh, sorry, wrong list.

 

[Dantheman]

pots to put under pendulous blooms

bark to dress the display

depending on theme - pebles
logs
rocks
moss
filler foliage plants eg Ferns and Mondo grass


also hope you do well and get lots of plants for the display

is it a table top or a big floor display?

 

[Heather]

is it a table top or a big floor display?

Thank you, it's an extra special display, I like to refer to it as hypothetical.

I just thought having a listing of all these important items in one place when February comes (and I will have to help with a display) would be useful. And for others too!

Keep 'em coming!

Lien, you're being cheeky again! :noangel:
Brian, sounds like someone had fun last night....:evil:

 

[Jon in SW Ohio]

Plastic pots of all sizes
Duct Tape
More Duct Tape
Gorilla Tape (for when duct tape just isn't doing it or it needs to be black)
Floral wire and tape
LOTS of black cloth, all sizes
hair pins/straight pins
crates/collapsable crates/boxes
drift wood
tillandsias/bromeliads/ferns/foliage plants
lighting
squares of plywood to help plants sit level
wedges to help lean plants
wire
sheet moss
spanish moss
spray bottle
paper clips
wire cutters
scissors
pliers
bark/rocks/other fillers
clear tape/double sided tape
marker (i like the silver marker on black card stock for names)
trash bags
coffee...very important
second set of eyes to tell you an outside opinion
and lastly, I won't put a display in without my Lucky Begonia...every time I've won the AOS Trophy it's been in the display

Jon

 

[Ron-NY]

shelf fungus looks wonderful in displays

 

[Rick]

I think its burried in Jon's list, but I think very important.

Lighting. You could probably start a whole thread on display lighting.

I like halogen floods. I also use some high color rendition halogen spots on tracks.

 

[Heather]

Ha...My society does not allow any additional lighting at our show! Isn't that awful? It has to do with the rental agreement we have with the hotel. So, that's one thing I don't need to worry about.

I think I am going to start to slowly collect some of these things. This could get expensive and I don't have the extra cash right now so I'll have to collect bit by bit.

Thanks this is great!
I'd love to hear from Wendy too...she does some great displays!

 

[Heather]

shelf fungus looks wonderful in displays

What the heck is shelf fungus?

 

[Jon in SW Ohio]

The woody shelf shaped fungus that grows on trees...definitely nice to have in a display and it's FREE.

If I think of other stuff I'll post it.

Jon

 

[Heather]

Oh! That stuff! Cool. Thank you.
Unfortunately, my style is most likely going to be more minimalist than I'm going to be able to do for the NHOS display. Jon, I read an old thread today (I was hunting for certain photos at the other forum) about a display you did a while back where you had too many large specimen sized plants. That was my problem at the last show. All the little ones just got lost, I thought.

All about learning though I guess.

 

[Rick]

Don't forget duct tape

 

[Jon in SW Ohio]

Hahaha...that exhibit was nuts! But if you notice, I had my lucky begonia oke:

Jon

 

[Wendy]

Good idea Heather. Here's a list from off the top of my head....there's bound to be more but I'll add on if I think of anything else.

Black cloth...lots of it. make sure you have enough to go around/over the table plus lots of smaller pieces for pot wrapping. Judges do not want to see pots.
Duct tape
Plastic to put uder the cloth on the table. It protects the table from the water you will use.
Masking tape
clear tape
safety pins/straight pins
double sided tape. The stuff for carpets is stronger.
wire...both fine and heavy gauge
a soft cloth for last minute clean ups
a small hand broom/dust pan combo
lots of different interesting drift wood. I use a different bit for each show depending on the plants I take. The wood can't overpower the plants.
scissors
pliers
wire cutters
an assortment of screws and hooks etc
double sided velcro
paper twist ties (DO NOT use any kind of butterfly clip to stake plants...tacky!)
an assortment of foliage plants. I use mainly smaller ones like ivy and scheffelera but if you have taller orchids you may want to take a bigger foliage plant. Do not use varigated leaf foliage plant...it detracts from the orchids. Remember you are showing orchids...NOT foliage plants.
Moss...lots of it. I wrap some pots with black cloth and then try to cover that as best as i can with moss. To me it looks better. If you can get fresh green moss that's best but store bought, bagged moss will also suffice.
Those tree fungus thingies.
Rocks
Water. Not really necessary but it's nice to add a water feature.....here's a trick....I got tired of taking a fountain etc so now I use a bit of clear plastic. It looks just like water when you put it on black cloth and the moisture from the moss fogs it up on the underside creating a neat effect. You can also use a small mirror.
Power bar for lights etc.
Small spotlights. Preferable to have a neutral colour like black or silver/grey
Extension cord
Heavy paper for tags. Make your tags as small as possible so you don't detract from the flowers. Also use black or dark green colour. You don't want the tags to stand out more than your flowers.
Gold or silver pen for tag writing.
Water spritzer to spray you plants/moss
Assorted buckets/pots to vary heights on plants
Bucket for water to wet moss.
Small lifelike, plastic creatures (ie insects) for props

Okay this is important....keep it simple. If you come to a spot where you are stuck on how to proceed then put everything down and walk through the sales area/get a coffee/ have something to eat etc....then come back and start again. You will have a fresh outlook on the whole situation. Taking a picture with your digital camera and looking at that is also very helpful if you feel something about the display is 'not quite right'.

I hope that helps. Post away if anything I wrote is confusing. Also, I have done a couple of talks for our local clubs on doing displays if that is of any interest.

 

[littlefrog]

I cheat and build my exhibit before I leave the house... I don't have space in the car for a big exhibit plus plants to sell (and my wife won't let me get a bigger vehicle). So I do the basket thing (usually two or three baskets). I find that I tend to forget a backdrop of some sort, coverings for tables, and sissors... Other than that I can usually make do.

Putting a big exhibit together is something else entirely, and I don't even have a fraction of the skills required to do it. I salute you in advance.

 

[bwester]

Duct Tape
Staple Gun
Lots-o-Extra Staples
Clear Packing Tape
Ice
Bourbon
Pliers
Screw Drivers
Something to screw screws in with
Twist-ties
Clothes Hangers
2-3 Strippers
Batterys
Vodka
And sometimes a Goat

 

[littlefrog]

You need a glass, too. I guess you could make it out of tape...

 

[Heather]

And sometimes a Goat

Only sometimes?