WORKING WITH FLOWERS

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29388, 15 December 1960, Page 11

WORKING WITH FLOWERS

Large Audience Hears Lecturer

“I am an ordinary woman who believes in the healing power of flowers,” Miss Julie Clements, a lecturer and writer on floral art, told an audience of 850 members of the Canterbury Horticulural Society in the Civic Theatre. ‘‘One thing I have discovered since I came to New Zealand is why it is that in Britain we feel so close to you in New Zealand. We both love gardens and flowers so much. ‘‘lt is a good thing in comparison with some other peoples—with their juke boxes and so one. See how many are here to discuss flowers while so many are discussing nuclear missiles. There is a common touch among flower lovers. ‘‘We have seen a great development in floral art over the last tew years and it has done much for horticultural societies as well. It has been much more difficult to get people to come and look at flower shows but now every horticultural society has its floral art work. People come and say that they could do that in their own homes.” Miss Clements described some of the principles of flower arrangement. Members of the horticultural society had arranged flower exhibits on the stage. Miss Clements analysed these. A tall arangement with lime tree branches stripped of their leaves, delphiniums, blue English iris and golden kniphofla, she said, was the best arrangement she had ever seen. She had noticed that in New Zealand flowers were often packed too much into a container. Miss Clements showed several slides and a number from Christchurch were also shown. The chairman of the society (Mr M. J. Barnett) spoke on the local flowers.