Show and Tell
On select months, members are encouraged to share their bountiful vegetables and flowers with other members of the club and reveal the secrets of their growing success. On other months, they are encouraged to share their end-of-the season horticulture and floral designs. Another month, they can show a unique plant or gardening tip that made a difference in their growing methods. Members also attend flower shows in other cities and submit designs for awards.
Tubular Design by Rani Murali
Tubes are from a hardware store attached to a wreath stand. Flowers are spider mums.
Floral Arrangement by Jackie Johnson
Flowers from her cutting garden are: purple and white coneflowers, yarrow, zinnias, aliums, anise hyssop, false sunflowers, hairy wood mint,crocosmia seed pods, hosta, loosestrife, catnip, sea holly and echinops.
Flower Show Entries
The Pittsburgh Area Judges Council and Laurel Highlands Judges Council held a NGC Standard Flower Show in Greensburg on Thursday, August 17 under the theme, “Dance With Me.” Each design was a reflection of different dances. Three of our members entered designs which are pictured below.
Armature Design by Rani Murali
The Armature is made of a plant support and flat cane going around the top to the bottom to show (pirouette) movements of a ballet dancer. The whole unit is painted gray to keep in touch with “Swan Lake" theme.
Small white garden spray roses were used going upwards and large stem white and red roses were used to represent the princess and the prince!
Staging Panel and Underlay are black as they would be on a stage.
Design by Charlotte Crissey
Manipulated iris leaves and sunflowers on a black panel to represent “Dance Like a Robot.”
Design by Mary Jo Gardill
Orange lilies, purple liatrus, juniper and sexism plants were displayed in front of a green and white panel with geometric designs to represent the “Macarena.”
Flower Show Designs
A flower shown was held on October 31, 2023 and the sponsor of the show was Designers Guild, a group of designers who get together 4 times a year to practice and discuss floral design. Most are members of garden clubs from western PA but anyone is welcome to join. Two of our members, Charlotte Crissey and Rani Murali, entered and received awards. Congratulations to them! Details are below.
Poor Designer’s Sculpture
Awarded Blue and Best in Show Ribbons
by Charlotte Crissey
The title of the class was “Fairies Dancing on a Moonbeam.” Commercial floral sculptures can be very expensive but materials gleaned from around your home and hardware store can be just as creative and cost far less. This design can be considered either a reflective or an illuminary design. Reflective from the foil covered moon that was texturized by stippling and illuminary because it incorporates fairy lights. The form is from a mangrove root collected after a hurricane, cleaned, sprayed with several coats of polyurethane and screwed onto a length of 2”x6” board for balance and spray painted black. The plant material is asiatic lilies and pachysandra inserted into floral tubes that were spray painted black and wired onto the root. Remember to keep the principles of design in mind while working: balance, dominance, contrast, rhythm proportion and scale. You too can come up with an amazing and economical work of art.
Low Profile Design
by Rani Murali
Class : Magic Carpet
Received 3rd place
Description : 5 Techniques incorporated according to the Flower Show Handbook. Fresh plant materials used for each technique.
1. Bundling - Stocks from chard greens tied together.
2. Braiding - arosa palm.
3. Weaving - bear grass
4. Leaf manipulation - tropical palm
5. Pave' - fall mums - white variegated, lavender mums, green dianthus, and lavender color roses.
Measurements are 22" Long, 5 1/2 " Deep and 5 1/2" in Height.
The Armature is made of plant support and flat cane going round top to bottom to show ( pirouette) movements of a ballet dancer. The whole unite is painted gray to keep in touch with " Swan Lake " theme.
Small white garden spray roses were used going upwards and large stem white and red roses were used to represent princess and prince !
Staging Panel and Underlay is black as would be on a stage.
Rani Murali’s Entry -Philadelphia Flower Show- 2024
Title of the Show: United By Flowers
Awarded 2nd Place Ribbon
Rani’s entry was in Class 119, Miniature Arrangement.
Plant List: Cryptomeria, Eryngium, Little Blue Star, Metasequoia Seed Pod, Midollino
The judges’ comments were: Rhythmic, airy design fills the space effectively. Color of looped material lacks impact.