FLOWER SHOW

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 45, 17 November 1936, Page 4

FLOWER SHOW

’ Pioneer Chib Event It certainly seemed that the gardens had been brought indoors to the Pioneer Club yesterday afternoon, when the annual flower show, organised by the garden circle, was opened by Lady Myers. One lounge was arranged with long tables, down the centre and round the sides of the room, and the wide variety of beautiful blooms were arranged to tlie best possible advantage. The stage was also banked with flowers. Tlie roses were particularly lovely, and in the decorative section some delightful posies, baskets aud sprays were shown. An exhibit which created much interest was one of native flora, collected by Mrs. E. J. Righton from her garden at York Bay, Mrs. Knox Gilmer also exhibited a collection of. nine varieties of manuka, one of which, a pale pink bloom, had been brought from Waitangi by Viscount Bledisloe and grown by Mrs. Gilmer from seeds. Another exhibit of mixed flowers had come from Mrs. J. J. Reich’s garden, and contained some unusual and attractive specimens. Miss M. Cooper, president of the garden circle, presented Lady Myers with a bouquet of deep red roses, which looked very striking against her ensemble of black and white figured silk. Miss Cooper herself was given a quaint little Victorian posy of pink and blue flowers. She welcomed Lady Myers, and remarked that although the rain and wind of last week might have destroyed some of the exhibitors’ gardens, the display was nevertheless a most creditable one. She also mentioned the judge’s praise of tlie decorative section, which seemed to bo bettered in size and quality at each successive show.

Lady Myers congratulated the competitors and the garden circle on the beautiful display, and spoke iu a most interesting manner of her visit, while in England, to the famous Chelsea Hower show. Here, she said, the flowers were seen in extraordinary quantities, and hundreds of varieties, aud were all very beautiful, but the exhibition had a certain advantage in the fact that, unlike most gardeners in New Zealand, their flowers were grown aud tended in tlie shelter of conservatories. .She mentioned that the liydrangeas, a flower for which she lias a particular liking, were very pretty in England, but were not equal to those seen iu New Zealand.

A little incident, about which her listeners were most interested to hear, was told by Lady Myers. She and Sir Michael Myers, she said, had luncheon with Viscount Bledisloe, aud on entering the room, the first tiling they had noticed was a big bowl of kowhai, and although they knew that tlie former Governor-General had taken some plants back with him, they could not believe that they could have grown to maturity in such a short time. On making inquiry, they were told that this particular kowhai had been found by Viscount Bledisloe in one of his conservatories, having been planted there by one of his ancestors who had received it from New Zealand. Lady Myers also described her visit to Hampstead garden suburb. Here she had been entranced with the streets and streets of houses, each with its little garden, perhaps no more than four feet wide, simply massed with lovely flowers, so that the whole effect was most pleasing to the eye, aud spoke a great deal for the industry and care of those who lived there.

Mrs. Knox Gilmer, president of tlie Wellington Horticultural Society, congratulated the circle on its successful show aud remarked on the improvement in the quality of the flowers and the manner in which they were displayed. Miss Amy Kane, president of the Pioneer Club, also commented upon the high standard of the exhibits. Afternoon tea was served in the adjoining room, and the show remained open until the evening. Tlie prizes were allotted as follows:—Cut flowers: Mrs. E. Henderson, 6 firsts, 2 seconds; Mrs. J. Myers, 1 first, 1 second; Mrs. Gower, 1 first, 1 second; Mrs. Du Pont, 1 first; Mrs. Wood, 1 second; Mrs. Jervis, 2 firsts; Mrs. Daniels, 1 second; Mrs. Silver. 2 seconds; Miss Cooper, 2 firsts; Mrs. Peterson, 1 first, 1 second. Roses (class A) : Mrs. J. Myers, 5 .

firsts, 2 seconds: Miss Isaacs, 2 firsts, 1 second; Mrs. Kane, 1 second; Mrs. Silver, 1 first.

Class B, cut flowers: Mrs. J. Myers, 1 first, 1 second; Mrs. Arlow, 1 first; Mrs. Daniels, 1 second; Mrs. Smith, 1 first; Mrs. Ramsay, 1 seconds; Mrs. E. Henderson, 3 firsts: Mrs. N. Henderson, 2 firsts, 1 second ; Miss Isaacs, 1 second: Mrs. Martin, 1 first. 1 second ; Mrs.. Knox Gilmer. 1 first; Mrs. Righton, 1 second; Mrs. Gower, 1 first; Mrs. Welch, 1 first; Mrs. N. Buller, 1 first; Miss Jacobsen, 1 second.

Decorative: Mrs. E. Henderson, 4 firsts; Mrs. Arlow, 2 firsts. 1 second: Mrs. Daniels, 1 first, 2 seconds; Mrs. Jervis. 1 first, 1 second; Mrs. Gilmer. 1 second; Mrs. D. Isaacs. 2 firsts, 1 second; Mrs. W. Smith, 1 second: Mrs. Ramsay, 3 seconds; Mrs. Cook, 1 second ; Mrs. Silver. 1 second; Mrs. Martin, 1 first; Mrs. McDonald, 1 first; Mrs. Welch, 1 first.

The pupils of Wellington Girls’ College will give two concerts in St. Francis Hall, Hill Street, to-morrow and Thursday evenings of this week. Tableaux and dancing will be presented and on Wednesday an extract from Daudet’s Lettres de Mon Moulin will be enacted in French. German songs will be featured on Thursday evening, and two plays will be presented both evenings. The entertainment promises to be very bright and attractive.