THE GLORY OF MIDSUMMER

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 33, 9 February 1939, Page 18

THE GLORY OF MIDSUMMER

"A riot of colour" may be a hackneyed phrase, but the reason phrases become hackneyed is usually because they "fill the bill" so aptly, and in the case of the Wellington Horticultural Society's Midsummer Show, which was held at the Town Hall yesterday afternoon, there are no words that could describe the scene in the main hall so well.

In the flower world colours may riot but they do not clash, and the numerous lovers of Nature who attended the show were provided with an incomparable treat.

Stately gladioli like small companies of soldiers, stood in orderly array on green-covered tables placed at intervals about the hall whilst all about them crowded the gay and seemingly more irresponsible multitudes of summer's floral citizenry.

Graduated tiers holding pot-plants and vases of all kinds of flowers surrounded the front of the platform.

DISPLAY OF BLOOMS AT TOWN HALL

Baskets and bowls of blooms, arranged in every conceivable manner, were loaded upon innumerable tables. Begonias as big as saucers vied in size and colour with dahlias as large as dinner plates. Sweet-peas and roses not only rivalled the other flowers in colour but filled the air with their sweet perfume, and presiding over all, in positions of honour on the high stands in the centre of the tables, were the deep-hued hydrangeas which have become the glory of New Zealand summers. There were, of course, many other kinds of flowers, and even vegetables and fruit on show, and the difficulty was to admire everything there was to be seen in one short afternoon. Perhaps of most interest to the average woman were the decorative exhibits; artistic arrangements of fruit and flowers. There were beautiful shoulder-sprays, "mixed" baskets of flowers and fruit, and, most intriguing of all, little china ladies with crinoline frocks made entirely of flower petals—as dainty as Dresden china. The flowers had a better background than usual to show off their glorious colours, the interior of the Town Hall having been painted a deep , cream with brierwood brown "trimmings." Green lattice screened off the portion under the main balcony where flower bedecked tea-tables were set out, and at one side of the hall there was a stall where flowers were for sale. NOTABLE EVENT. The Hon. W. Lee Martin, Minister of Agriculture, opened the show and also made the presentation of the Loder Cup to Mrs. Knox Gilmer, president of the Wellington Horticultural Society. This was a very notable event as it is the first time that any individual has held the Loder Cup, iwhich was given by the late W. E. Loder. Esq., of Sussex (Lord Wakehurst) to be awarded to lovers of Nature in New Zealand. On the platform with Mrs. Gilmer and the Hon. W. Lee Martin and his daughter, Miss Lee Martin, were Mrs. W. Mummery (Wanganui), members of the Loder j Cup Committee, members of the exjecutive of the Forest and Bird ProItection Society and the Horticultural [Society, Sir Charles Luke and Mrs. Cunningham, Mrs. J. S. Barton (wife of the president of the Lower Hutt Horticultural Society), Mr. Duncan (chairman of Parks and Reserves) and Mrs. Duncan, Mr. Hope Gibbons (president of the Rock Garden and Alpine Society). Little Gendie Whitcombe Mrs. Gilmer's great-niece, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Basil Whitcombe, presented Miss Martin with a bouquet and the Hon. Lee Martin with a buttonhole. She made a pretty picture in her frock of floral pink organdie. After the opening ceremony Mrs. Gilmer entertained the official party at tea. Among those who visited the show were also Lady Myers, Lady Norwood, Mrs. L. Geqjjge, Mrs. C. Malfroy, Lady Shirtcliffe, Dr. and Mrs. C. Morice, Mrs. j T. Young, Mrs. W. Hume, Mrs. R.! O'Regan, Mrs. Barton, Mrs. G. P. H. Davidson, Mrs. W. S. Bean (Christchurch) , Mrs. Basil Whitcombe, Mrs. i Seaton, Miss M. Seaton. Miss Jean Gilmer, Mr. and Mrs. W. B. Matheson. Mrs. F. Dyer, Miss Phillips, Mrs. F. Hay, Lady McGavin, Mrs. C. Wheeler, Miss Lorimer, the Misses Halse, Mrs. Dv Pont, Mrs. H. D. Vickery, Miss Archibald, Mrs. Stichbury, Miss Me- i Dougall, Mrs. Pengelly, Miss Penny, I Mrs. Lowe, Mrs. Vickerman, Mrs. Adams, Mrs. Marcus Marks, Mrs. Shoosmith, Miss Cunliffe, Mrs. Carter, Mrs. Kane, Miss Amy Kane, Mrs. Turnbull, Mrs. McGowan. Mrs. A. E. West, Mrs. J. Coombe, the Masses G. i and A. Nathan, Miss Paterson, Mrs. A. Reid, and Miss Beagley.

Whilst inspecting the display the visitors were entertained wit'i delightful music played by an instrumental trio under the direction of Miss E. Henry.