Mini Flower Show and Wine & Cheese

Thirteen garden club members and a guest brought flower arrangements and cheese to the February meeting. It was a social function, but we did have a short business meeting followed by each participant in the flower show explaining the inspiration for their floral arrangement.

Bonnie shared her puppy arrangement inspired by a web site idea

using Pom Pom Chrysanthemums. Cute!

Gloria's arrangement of three glass vases with ribbons and brooches

was inspired by an article from Victoria magazine.

Donna's contribution was named "Tea in the Garden"

with African violets nestled in a teapot from her collection.

Peggy's arrangement in two glass vases of white carnations connected by

a swirling metal wire was inspired by a watercolor painting of a brook in winter.

Dianne's arrangement was inspired by a design in a book--and a desire

to add some stunning color to our winter "blahs".

Cheryl's arrangement was called "Winter Beach" and included

grasses and other "finds" from her winter walks on beaches.

Eleanor brought an orchid submerged in a glass over an LED light.

The arrangement was inspired by her daughter's wedding flower arrangements.

JoAnn's arrangement of yellow tulips and forsythia from her yard

were arranged in her grandmother's vase.  Her grandmother always

filled the vase with forsythia in the spring.  JoAnn found a magazine article

which combined tulips and forsythia and also showed how to fill

a square or rectangular vase with forsythia and shear it into hedge-like shapes--

which she will try when the forsythia branches are in full bloom.

Kim's arrangement included her collection of distressed architectural items, moss, and clay pots.

Kim used green hydrangea (which she soaked to force open) and orange roses--

a nice contrast to dispel winter's bleakness.

Deb explains her arrangement

of white tulips in a bowl of pebbles. If you are careful to keep

the water level below the pebbles, it looks like the tulips have sprouted

from the center of the pebbles.  Deb sometimes uses washed river stone or

black stones for highter contrast.  The tulips do well in this high globe vase

 as their stems keep growing and bending as it is displayed in a warm room.

Sue's arrangement was inspired by artwork (see photo) in which her mother

printed leaves and blooms by covering them with paint and pressing them

on the paper surface. Sue included ferns from her walks, a potted cyclomen and dracaena,

and some rhodendron from her yard.

Karen was inspired by her busy, active weekend with her grandchildren

to create an arrangement that explodes with energy, texture and enthusiasm--

in a champagne flute!  Does the calla lily yearn for relaxation?

Dear Garden Club,

This is a bouquet (boca) for you.

Love

Karen's granddaughter sent the garden club this "boca".

We used it as a centerpiece for the cheese display.

Thanks to everyone who brought a cheese to sample. We had a good variety: Wexford Vintage Cheddar (Irish), Red Leicester (Irish), cheddar and pepperdew, baby swiss, cheddar, pepper jack, brie, Rondele Gourmet spreadable cheese, Pecorina Romano, and olive spread from Maine.  The cheese was accompanied by olives, dried apricots, almonds, red and green grapes and strawberries, crackers and, of course, wine.

In a short business meeting we discussed the plant sale in May headed by Hollye Thomas.

Hollye and her committee need any help you can give them. Please be thinking of plants

you can donate to the sale--or time you can offer for Dig 'n Donate.

President Karen also mentioned that she and past Belltown Garden Club Presidents Liz and Susan will enter a floral arrangement in the

Wadsworth Atheneum's Fine Art & Flowers event April 26-29.

(Click on the underlined link above for more information on that event.)

Karen encouraged everyone to enter the art museum event

or another event sponsored by Elizabeth Park, Wine & Roses on June 22nd.

(More information on the Rose Garden event later, but May 1st is the deadline

for floral arrangers to register. Call Karen for details if you want to participate.)

The next meeting will be Monday, March 26th at 7 p.m. at the East Hampton Public Library.

A representative of Woodward Greenhouses in Chaplin, CT 

will demonstrate making wreaths with succulents.

Let Cheryl or Bonnie know if you would like this event to be "hands on"

which means you could make a wreath at a cost to be determined.

Watch for more details on this opportunity later on the blog or by email.

Thanks to everyone who participated by bringing a floral arrangement and their inspiration.

We had a really nice social event --and our own flower show-- on a winter evening!