GLORIOUS BLOOMS

Southland Times, Issue 21581, 19 December 1931, Page 9

GLORIOUS BLOOMS

ROSES AND SWEET PEAS GARDEN CLUB’S EXHIBITION. A glorious array of blooms was exhibited m Everybody's Hall yesterday when the Invercargill Garden Club staged its rose and sweet pea show. The entries were not quite as profuse as in former years in the cut flowers section, but the decorative section was better than usual and the scores of visitors who admired the blooms during the afternoon and evening • were loud in their praises. Although there were some very fine blooms in the cut flowers section, the general standard was not up to former years probably because of the recent hot weather, which has brought the blooms to maturity much quicker than was expected by exhibitors. This applied mainly to the roses, sweet peas not being exhibited in any quantity, while other flowers included in this section were of a very high standard, the delphiniums and stock being particularly pleasing. The decorative section attracted more exhibitors than usual, and the exhibits were mostly very attractive. Some of the exhibits were very naturally, and consequently tastefully, arranged, but many exhibitors lost points through arranging their flowers too stiffly. Commenting on the section, the 1 judge, Mrs Bain Challis, said that, taken as a whole, it was very good and much better than, some former shows, but some of the classes .had fallen off and were disappointing. The bowl of roses came into this category, there being only three exhibits where in other years there had been eight or nine. The winning bowl was quite good, but could have been displayed to better advantage with a more natural arrangement. The winner of the vase of roses had made a tasteful display and all of the other entries were worthy of commendation. There was only one entry of sweet peas and the baskets of flowers were most disappointing. There were usually about a dozen exhibitors in this class, but only three had entered this year. The winning basket was very naturally arranged and the second prize-winner was good, but the blooms were too heavy for the basket. Miss O. Rein, the winner of the bowl of Iceland poppies, had arranged her bowl very tastefully. These flowers lent themselves to delicate greenery and the second and third prize-winners had lost points through using greenery with comparatively heavy leaves.

There was an improvement over last year on the vase of Iceland poppies class, Mrs Challis continued. The arrangement was good throughout, and Mrs P. A. Thomson’s vase, which secured first prize, was excellent. Some of the exhibitors lost points through overcrowding the blooms. The vase of any other flowers class was also an improvement on last year, and in this class Mrs Thomson was again first with a delightful vase of coreopsis. Mr C. Hayes had also a nice exhibit of assorted gerbera (Jameson hybrids), which secured second prize. The winner of the bowl of any other flower, Mrs Cursou, had also arranged her exhibit of lilies very naturally and although the second prize-winner was good it fell behind through being too stiff and artificial in appearance. The entries in the floating bowl class were very good, but here again some exhibitors lost points through crowding the blooms used. Mrs Curson had secured first place with a tastefully arranged bowl of abutulion, surrounded by its own foliage and the tiny blue blossoms of anchusa dropmore. The second prize-winner had a bright appearance, but was rather crammed, and this also applied to the third.

In addition to the exhibits which came under the notice of the judges, there were several interesting groups of flowers and vegetables for exhibition only. The Corporation had a splendid display in one corner of the hall, Chili shrubs, fuchsias, begonias, cyclamens and hydrangaea blooms being built from a broad base to a cone with really artistic taste. A number of named roses were also displayed and proved of great, interest to the spectators. Mrs S. J. Randle, who had some dainty exhibits in the decorative section, displayed a fine group of spring vegetables, cabbages (Enfield market), potatoes (Sutton’s Perfection), peas (Green Feast), and lettuce being the prominent items. Mrs Drummond also exhibited some fine vegetables, her Sutton’s Early Snowball turnips being very fine ones. King Edward and Jersey Bennie potatoes, W. F. Massey peas, lettuce and spring onions, and a tastefully arranged dish of ripe strawberries completed the display. An exhibit of interest was entered by Mr L. Lennie, who contented himself w’ith displaying several sticks of Stott’s Monarch rhubarb. Several of the stalks were over two feet long and each and every one was of an astonishing thickness. The following is the list of awards; CUT BLOOM SECTION. Collection of roses, separate vases (one entry) : Mr T. J. Meadows 2. Twelve roses, varieties (4 entries) : Mr T. J. Meadow’s 1, Mr F. G. Hall-Jones 2, Mr E. A. Mills 3. Six roses, varieties (8 entries): Mr T. J. Meadows 1, Mr C. Hayes 2, Joyce Challis 3. Three roses, varieties (7 entries) : Mr T. J. Meadows 1, Mrs Sheddan 2, Mrs Biomfield 3. One rose (10 entries) : Mrs J. W. Smith 1, Mr C. Hayes 2, Mr E. A. Mills 3. Champion rose in show; Mrs Shedden’s British Queen.

Three blooms roses, one variety, pink, in vase (13 entries) : Mr F. G. Hall-Jones 1, Mrs Biomfield 2, Mrs J. C. Cooper 3. Three blooms roses, one variety, red, in vase (7 entries) : Mrs A. Harper 1, Mrs Biomfield 2, Mrs J. C. Cooper 3. Three blooms roses, one variety, white, in vase (6 entries) : Mrs J. W. Smith 1, Mrs Biomfield 2 and 3.

Three blooms roses, one variety, any other colour, in vase (10 entries) : Mrs F. G. Hall-Jones 1,2 and 3. Six vases sweet peas, six sorts, three sprays each, own foliage (one entry) ; Mrs E. C. Patterson 1.

Three vases sweet peas, three sorts, six sprays each, own foliage (2 entries) : Mrs E. C. Patterson 1, Miss I. M. Craig 2. Exhibit of Rambler roses (4 entries) : Mrs Biomfield 1, Anonymous 2, Mrs S. J. Randle 3.

Vase or bowl of lupins (4 entries) : Mrs F. G. Hall-Jones 1 and 2, Mrs S. J. Randle 3. Vase perennial poppies (4 entries) : Mrs P. A. Thomson 1, Mrs T. Aitken 2, Mrs J. C. Cooper 3. Exhibit any other flower (5 entries): Mr C. Hayes 1, Mrs P. A. Thomson 2, Mrs J. C. Cooper 3.

Exhibit Delphinium (4 entries): Mrs F. G. Hall-Jones 1, Miss I. M. Craig 2, Mrs Bain Challis 3. DECORATIVE SECTION.

Bowl of roses, any foliage (3 entries): Mrs W. R. Ronald 1, Miss W. Godward 2, Mrs S. J. Randle 3.

Vase of roses, any foliage (6 entries) : Miss I. M. Craig 1, Mrs P. A. Thomson 2, Mrs W. R. Ronald 3 and h.c. Basket of roses, any foliage (3 entries): Miss W. Godward 1, Miss E. Aitken 2, Mrs J. C. Cooper 3. Vase sweet peas, any foliage (one entry): Mrs J. C. Cooper 1. Vase any other flower, any foliage (13 entries) : Mrs P. A., Thomson 1 and 3, Mr C. Hayes 2, Mrs J. C. Cooper h.c. Bowl any other flower, any foliage (7 entries): Mrs H. Curson 1, Mrs Acton 2 and h.c., Mrs J. W. Smith 3. Bowl Iceland poppies (4 entries) : Miss O. Rein 1, Mrs P. A. Thomson 2 and 3. Vase Iceland poppies (6 entries): . Mrs P. A. Thomson 1 and 2, Miss E. Aitken 3, Mrs Acton h.c. Floating bowl (6 entries): Mrs H. Curson 1, Mrs T. Aitken 2, Mrs W. R. Ronald 3, John Drummond h.c. ROSE-GROWERS’ COMMITTEE FORMATION DISCUSSED. A well-attended meeting of rose-growers was held, in Everybody’s last evening to.

consider forming a district council of the National Rose Society of New Zealand. Mr G. M. Broughton was elected to the chair and explained that the rose-growing enthusiasts of Auckland had decided to form a National Rose Society and had elected a district council. It was desired that district councils should be formed in all the main centres. The annual subscription would be 5/- and the privileges would include publications of interest to rosegrowers. Some local growers had expressed the opinion that too many bodies connected with gardening were not needed, Mr Broughton continued. However, if a rose society were formed it would probably act as a sub-committee of the Gardening Club and might strengthen the interest in rosegrowing. Mr J. A. McPherson said that the formation of such a society would be an excellent idea because it would enable rosegrowers to get together and advance rosegrowing. Such a move would do a great deal of good in Invercargill and Southland generally, and would be of considerable assistance to the Garden Club, especially when shows were being arranged. Mr L. Lennie said he was pleased to hear that the society would support the Garden Club. The club would welcome any move that would assist the work it was doing. There was a strong possibility of a rose show being arranged if the council were formed, Mr Broughton said. Half of the subscription fee would go to the New Zealand Society and a New Zealand publication on roses would be arranged by the society. Mr F. G. Hall-Jones moved that the meeting recommend that a rose sub-com-mittee of the Invercargill Garden Chib should be formed for the purpose of encouraging ’rose-growing in Southland and to offer facilities to growers to form a branch of the National Rose Society of New Zealand. This was seconded and carried.