In keeping with the theme “Music is in the air”,  Chester gardeners  recently created a splendid assortment of floral arrangements  that were the highlight of the Chester Garden Club’s annual Flower Show and Tea.  As convener of the event, Cynthia had  combined her organizational skills with good old-fashioned enthusiasm to encourage exhibitors to tune in, and turn out… their best artistic designs inspired by a musical motif. Members and friends of the club  produced over  70 interpretive designs and an equal number of horticultural specimens for assessment by two qualified judges. 
The first exhibitors arrived at 8:00 in the morning and soon the receiving table was busy with people re-checking the status of their plants, re-building the more elaborate designs, and filling out plant classification forms.  Committee members, Brenda and Jocelyn, helped to place the entries on the viewing tables,  according to the particular sections and classes of competition.  

An admirer of Beethoven was seen creating a “picnic with the maestro” arrangement. 

At 10:00 o’clock, the doors were closed and no further entries were allowed, much to the chagrin of three competitors who arrived late with a large number of specimens and arrangements. The two visiting judges, Carolyn Downie and Karen Deveau, along with the appointed clerks, worked in privacy during the next two hours.

Once they completed their task, they relaxed with a cup of tea and a light lunch…

… while  the volunteer cooks and servers prepared to open the doors for the arrival of  the public. 

Kitchen staff and servers were kept busy as 120 teas were served that afternoon; an additional 25 people dropped in just to see the show. 

Club organizers did one last check to see that everything was in order in the hall before opening the show. 

Among the teams of volunteers who helped to make the afternoon a success are those shown below. Herb was the master of iced tea; Lynn and Madge did door duty; and Joan was in charge of selling club note-cards and other related material as well as acting as “guardian” of the enormous Sweet Pea trophy.  Jane, a life member of the club, was chosen to preside over tea-table for the first hour, and she poured tea for honored guests.

 

 

 Marion and Heather escort Life-member Janet as she admires one of the classes that stipulated a hat must be incorporated into the arrangement. Although unaccustomed to the habit, most of the club members also wore hats in celebration of the occasion.    

The judges awarded prizes for winners in the 12 classes of interpretive design and also for many specimens in the horticulture section.  Indoor plants and a children’s section complemented the roster.  In addition to the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place ribbons, a total of 11 trophies were awarded as well. More photos of the event, with an emphasis on the floral displays and winning entries, will be included in the next post here.

Thanks to Graham and Cynthia for supplementing the photos recorded by your blogger.

With only 10 days to go before the big event, members of Chester Garden Club gathered in a member’s garden for a hands-on workshop on the finer points of preparing materials for exhibition at the club’s Annual Flower Show and Tea.

As is usual for most club events, the evening began with  refreshments, but it wasn’t long before the group, led by instructor, Myra, began to move to the actual flower beds.

Despite a lack of rain in recent weeks, a bed of delphiniums was part of the colourful display.

It seems that gardeners are never at a loss for words.
Cynthia, as chair of the Show and Tea, no doubt needed to sample one more tasty square in the line of duty.

Baby marigolds are tucked under a clump of very tall lilies, while garlands of roses climb all over the railing of the deck. 

For those interested in more information about the Flower Show itself, an updated schedule is posted on the page devoted to the Show and Tea (see menu above). A late addition to the awards available this year is the McNeill Trophy for Novice Best in Show.

 

The origins of this cup are a bit of a mystery but it was rescued at an antique auction, repaired and polished up, and then donated by club member, Sylvia McNeill, who has been an enthusiastic volunteer and supporter of the club for many years, as well as an encouraging mentor to other less-experienced gardeners.