Brilliant Display Of Flowers At Show

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 29051, 13 November 1959, Page 2

Brilliant Display Of Flowers At Show

The Horticultural Society’s marquee at the Canterbury Agricultural and Paßtoral Association’s Show was a mass of colour yesterday, reflecting all the splendour of a summer garden. Serene and beautiful flower arrangements provided a noticeable contrast to the lowing, barking, bleating restlessness of the animal pens. Magnificent arrangements by Canterbury garden clubs attracted constapt attention all day. They were competing in a section created specially for the 1959 show calling for a “spectacular arrangement.” The organisers were not disappointed. There were rich displays in brilliant colours. Some burned with the autumnal magnificence of velvety-brown veined iris, copper beech and the subtle colours of Japanese maple. Others reflected the fragility of pinks and mauves in carnations, lupins and tea roses. Profusion of Colour

The profusion and bounty of nature were shown in the Cashmere Garden Club’s entry, which was second. Flowers spilled forth from a cane basket made in the shape of a swan, like the wings ruffling on its back. One side of the overflowing basket was in blue and pink tones, the other was in yellow and coral. Large blue clematis formed the centre-piece, surrounded by pink and crimson roses and peony roses, delphiniums, golden privet leaves, yellow iris, cream tea roses and calceolarias.

The prize for ‘ an arrangement in white, cream and yellow flowers was won by Mrs R. Elcock, of Christchurch, who combined fully-blown cream roses, white peonies and yellow-tongued white iris with creamy-textured banana, passionfruit and brown beech leaves.

Mrs Elcock’s imagination had seized on onion heads, broad beans, ranuncula pods, ice plants, panax leaves and unripe plums, and had welded them into a harmony of fresh green which won the first prize in the section for an arrangement in one shade. This was perhaps the most un-

usual exhibit, ideally displayed in a worn terracotta vase.

The premier award in the, show was won by Mrs Elcock with a glowing arrangement of blue delphiniums and shiny-leafed green euphorbia against a background of flax leaves, blue iris, eucalyptus pods and green fir cones, in which the combre muted colours of the fruit made the rich blue of the delphiniums appear iridescent.

Teazles, green ixias, orange and red ranuncula, watsonias and canna leaves radiated out from the focal point of large yellow chrysanthemums in the Stratford Garden Club’s prize-winning arrangement of flery-coloured roses, awarded the Horticultural Society’s silver cup. > High Standard

A miniature rock garden containing more than 100 blooms, the work of Mrs C. E. Foweraker, of the Cashmere Garden Club, won a bronze medal. The standard of the exhibits was high, said one official, and there had been a noticeable increase in entries. The number of garden clubs participating in the class for a spectacular arrangement was particularly encouraging.