I may not state my thoughts perfectly, and I certainly do not intend to offend anyone, but here goes.
Dave, I very much appreciate the thought and effort you put forth to submit this proposal. Gardening is indeed worthy of celebrating or none of us would be here. But I feel some distress regarding all this inclusion/exclusion discussion. Your willingness to listen and reevaluate shows what a great leader you really are. However, I believe that no matter how you slice and dice the setup, some will be dissatisfied. I have to wonder if the contest element is the real issue. It seems to me that we would all like to submit our very best photos, and naturally some gardens will be more photo-ready than others at the designated time. While we all love a good competition, and it usually boosts the fun and participation, maybe that competive element is just getting in the way of really celebrating our favorite plants?
