As our president and long-serving club member Sharon Nolan is well known to us all but we rarely see her demonstrate. She chose a difficult subject "A Wreath for all Seasons" and admitted that her designs could have looked like funeral tributes. However they did not.
Design 1 was a ring covered with aspidistra leaves which had dried and taken on their lovely rich brown colouration. Across the ring she placed apple tree branches, seed pods and preserved Garrya. To complete she added small purple orchids in test tubes. Vary effective.
A Christmas wreath had to feature and this was traditional in green and red. Sharon showed us how to make the ribbon bow attached.
An all green heart shaped design followed. Sharon had made the wreath herself and explained how it was done using a metal frame. She hung green ribbon ties from the base and green crysanthemums finished off the foliage which comprised variegated ivy, spotted laurel and yew.
Demonstrators have been advised by NAFAS to reduce their use of floral foam as it is not biodegradable. Sharon followed this advice in design 4 with a hand-tied bouquet arranged through a gold sprayed ring. The colours were pink and purple using roses, tulips, gerbera and chrysanthemums and displayed in a glass vase.
The next arrangement used test tubes attached to a straw ring with garden flowers of aquilegia and hedge parsley put into them. This produced a light and airy design with the flowers being shown off well.
The final design, for which a second placement was produced at the end, used metallic finish garden pots containing tall twigs. A foliage covered ring was placed around the top of the pot which had various colours and types of flowers added as well as small purple baubles and silver leaves. Finally small lights were turned on in the twigs to give a final sparkle.
Sharon tried to keep the cost of flowers to a minimum and used mixed bunches bought in Tarvin. She showed how well these can be used.
Cake was served with tea/coffee to celebrate our Chairman's birthday.
The June meeting is our annual garden visit. If you have missed adding your name to the list and would like to go please contact Merryn 01829 740832
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