THE SUMMER FLOWER SHOW.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 96, 16 January 1908, Page 9

THE SUMMER FLOWER SHOW.

-4 —• — ■ A FEAST .OF COLOUII. From' tho trellis at one end lightly twined with lycopoditun, to the ferns, palms, and flowering plants banked against the platform at tho other, the Town .Hall yesterday was beautiful to behold. Oil entering, the attoii; tion was at once attracted by the long table running across tlie hall, which was covered with sweet peas in every known , delicate and exquisite sliado. One wandered up and down and around admiring the perfect blooms and varied colouring, most of all perhaps tho glowing crimsons and pinks. Tho sweet pens held pride of place here.'. Thero were: a few fine roses; thero wero perfectlyformed carnations in every colour, looking cold and lifeless in their setting of' hard white paper; there was a gorgeous show of cactus dahlias that fairly flamed; at one across the hall, even when viewed from the gallery, and . thero wero soine brilliant gladioli and other gay summer blooms. But the sweet peas reigned supreme, in ■ their delicate loveliness and perfume, and, looking ait'them, one forgot that dahlias also were beautiful and carnation!! fragrant. Six thousand fivo hundred sweet pea blooms made a picture • not to bo forgotten. Tho single, bloom that attracted most admiration was a pale : pink curly pea that bore the inappropriate name of Mrs. 1 Hardcastlo Sykes, but thero were scores of others nearly as fine. Taken all round, it was, in the opinion, of experts, a magnificent show for this' time of year, and, as the whole of the floor of tho hair was available, there was plenty of room to, show everything to tho best advantage. Thero was no crowding,, and people wandered about admiring overytning in a leisurely way. Careful attention had been paid to the setting of the scene, and, except.for - tho fact that brilliant red' and green drapings had been used for tho tables, the effect was oxcellent. It was certainly a pity that white or dull-brown had not been used; common brown paper would have set the colours of tho flowers off much more effectively; : The pot plants banked against the platform caino from the greenhouses of Mrs. Hamilton Gilmer, who lent them for the purpose .of decoration, and they were arranged most artistically. Mrs. Gilmer won .'a first .-prise for a handsome aspidistra,' and another for a. group .containing a maidenhair fern, .a/, very' fine palm, and a ■ luxuriant asparagus, springeria, which had been trained over a large balloon-shaped frame. In the/corner,"' by.the.platform, was a rockery arranged by Mr.:,: Evans, with tree 'ferns, ;lycopodium climbing oyer rockwork of cork bark, and fishponds, .in- which 'gold-fish. whisked, ,abou.t as gaily as though they had not just taken a ' long. journey, in a kerosene: tin, from Miraraar. Near this, and running half the length of tho hall, was a display of' pat plants" by, the same grower, these for sale or order. 'Mr.! Poolo, who also had a fine display, made a speciality of hot-houso and foliage plants, with a particularly good show-, df aroius, • One magnificent specimen, with velvoty r shnded leaves, was worth a stand to itself.'' The comer 1 by the door was taken lip-with'a stand of plants/and cut flowers shown by Mr. Wcightman. There, were, of, eoui'so, some curious or uncommon floworing : plants,' including a small golden-coloured arum, exhibited by Dr. Purdy; a nerino (a great spiky,ball of salmon-red flowers springing. up among green leavos), exhibited ■ by Mr. Tringham, and, most beautiful ;of all; a flamingo: plant, : which comes from Brazil, where great massos of it may be seen growing iii ■ tho swamps. This' is coloured like • a flamingo, and it requires no'iraaginatidn to see in .it a resemblanco to tho 'bird whoso name it bears. ; .'■ • ■ Tho only disappointing part/of the show came with the decorativo entries. Thero were /nino decorative tables,. nono of which showed any originality of design.' Several: of them were very graceful and pretty, .but commonplace. Perhaps it is becauso there are so few private gardens in Wellington that 'more interest is not taken in this branch of "decoration; but it 'is/a pity that it should be so'. Thero were few entries' for • bouquets or 'and hone -'of.' them 'reached,-, a high,' Standard of excellence/: