Did you know that you can win a blue ribbon at the Minnesota State Fair for your PLANTS? Last year, I decided to enter the hort society’s Potted Plant Show for the first time and ended up leaving with not one blue ribbon but three!

The Potted Plant Show happens in the horticulture building at the state fairgrounds during the first two days of the fair. Despite what you may think, you don’t actually have to be a member of the horticultural society to participate, and you don’t need any prior plant show experience! The word “plant” is pretty broad—here are the 13 plant divisions to choose from, and you can enter as many as you’d like.

A. Indoor Flowering Plant(s)
B. Patio Tropicals & Annual Summer Favorites
C. Succulents
D. Cactus Family
E. House Plant Favorites
F. Vines, Hanging Plants
G. Planter, Dish Gardens & Fairy Gardens
H. Terrariums
I. Bonsai
J. Topiary/Kokedama
K. Novice or Children
L. Vegetables & Herbs
M. Plant Collections attractively displayed as a grouping

Rules for annuals and houseplants are a little different, but you’ll definitely want to make
sure you remove any crispy leaves and that your plant is free of any pests. Last year, I brought
five plants: a fern, three philodendrons and a maranta. The philodendrons were entered into the aroid class under the houseplant division and the fern and maranta were in the fern and
maranta classes. This year, I’m thinking of bringing my favorite carnivorous plants for the
collection division and maybe some hoya for the succulent division! Everyone has their
preferences and niches, so it’s likely you’ll show up and see plants you’ve never heard of before.

An overview of the day

You’ll bring your plants to the state fairgrounds the day before the show starts, when vendors are still arriving and getting set up—you can feel the excitement and anticipation in the air! You’ll fill out a tag for each of your plants that will include the section, division, and class that you’re entering and then the genus, species and cultivar of your plant. You can print these out at home ahead of time to speed up the registration process but they’ll also be available on Wednesday when you drop off your plants.

All plants are judged Wednesday evening before the fair starts, and they’ll be on display for people to see all day Thursday and Friday. If you received any awards, they’ll be with your plant. Written on the tag, you’ll find what the award was for and any additional comments. One of my favorite parts (besides actually getting ribbons) was having my local friends and family visit my plants and tag me in their pictures! Friday night after 9pm is when you pick up your plants and any awards you received. Traffic around the fairgrounds during drop-off and pick-up time will be heavy, so plan accordingly and consider carpooling with another plant parent.

I was so nervous beforehand because I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I ended up feeling so welcomed and I can’t wait to do it again this year. If you’re a plant lover, I hope to see you there!

Nicole Larson is a Minneapolis-based plant lover, collector, grower and cohost of the @wherearewegrowing podcast. You can follow her on Instagram at @nicolelarsongrows.