Ten days and counting...

If you haven't already printed out a copy of the requirements for entering this year's Flower Show on July 9th, you can do so by clicking on the side-bar at the right (Flower Show Schedule). Check the specifications for the various classes and begin planning your entries. Deadlines: All entries must be brought to the Chester Legion on either Wednesday evening, July 8, between 7 and 8 pm; or Thursday, July 9, between 8 and 10 am. No entries will be accepted after 10 am, when the doors will close and the judging will begin. The show, with winning entries identified, will be open to the public on Thursday afternoon from 1:30 to 5:30 pm.



Lupins, foxgloves and even poppies seem to be growing much taller than usual this season. It must be the rain! There has to be some explanation for the extra-luxurious growth and greenery along hedge-rows, roadsides and garden borders. It certainly can't be the sun (or lack of same).

Despite the damp weather, Chester is awash (a sorry sort of pun - ed. ) in colourful blossoms. The blooms of many azaleas and rhodos are now ceding centre stage to flowering shrubs like weigela and beauty bush, as well as masses of rosa rugosas. Potentilla and early varieties of clematis can also be seen on properties throughout the village and its surrounding areas.

In keeping with the grand old tradition, Chester's annual Flower Show and Tea continues to be a highlight of the summer. The floral competition is open to all, and everyone is invited to attend the tea (served from 2 to 4 pm) and admire the beautiful arrangements and single specimens, whether or not they submitted an entry. Tickets ($7 for adults; $5 for children 16 years and under) are available at the door. Attending the show and tea is a lovely way to spend a few hours with a friend, chatting and comparing notes on the creative artistry of our gardening community.

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Flower Show Poster

Coming soon to a notice-board or other public space near you, this attractive poster publicizing the Club's forthcoming Annual Flower Show and Tea. In recognition of the village's 250th anniversary, this year's theme is Historic Chester, and the various segments of the design class have been named for historical landmarks or cultural institutions in the area, with a brief note on the background of each. You can check out the information by clicking on the 2009 Flower Show Schedule on the side-bar to the right of this column, and then scrolling down through the pages until you come to Class 2 (Design).


In anticipation of the show, 22 members took part recently in the workshop conducted by Joanne Jellett to illustrate the basics of preparing floral exhibits, as well as some of the finer points of presentation that would be considered by the judges. For anyone interested in entering the flower show and competition, details concerning the specifications pertaining to floral design and also individual plant specimens can be found by clicking on the heading 2009 Flower Show Schedule on the side-bar. Everyone is welcome to enter the competition, and all are invited to partake of the tea.
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Annual Flower Show and Tea: preparations

Now that the gardening season is well underway, Chesterites and their neighbours are looking forward to the Garden Club's annual Flower Show and Tea, to be held on July 9th. Like the winding path in the illustration, this blog contains an invitation to members and non-members alike to enter into a garden-related activity. By clicking on the link for the 2009 Flower Show Schedule on the side-bar to the right, you can check out the details relevant to entering your floral designs, and/or plant specimens, in the competition that forms the basis of Chester Garden Club's Annual Flower Show.

To ensure that members will be inspired to enter their floral masterpieces in the show, the club is holding a workshop on floral design and presentation at its monthly meeting on June 22nd. Planning for the tea is also underway but, to date, no actual workshop has been organized! Volunteers have, however, been recruited to prepare and serve food for the tea, which has long been a much-appreciated tradition at the flower show.

Most sections of the floral competition are open both to members and non-members. There are even classes for children. Details re the specifications for each class, along with other useful information are included in the Flower Show Schedule (just click on the side-bar as indicated above).

The month of June has brought forth vivid splashes of colour to Chester gardens as the rhododendrons and azaleas burst into bloom. Paired with native beauties such as pink and purple lupins, they seem to be nature's reward for our having endured a cold damp spring.

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Flower Arranging 101

Chester Garden Club members will soon be busy creating a variety of beautiful arrangements under the watchful eye of our own Joanne Jellett, when they meet on June 22nd (note the change of date - that is, the meeting will be held on the 4th Monday in June).

The June meeting will be structured as a workshop designed to help members prepare for the Club's annual Flower Show and Tea, to be held on July 9th this year, at the Chester Legion. Similar workshops have been held in prior years and it expected that there will be a lot of enthusiasm again this year. It goes without mention that the workshop will be focused on floral design, not on brewing tea, although volunteers to prepare and serve tea are always needed too!

For the meeting on June 22nd, members are invited to bring along flowers, foliage and even a container so that they can be active participants in the hands-on workshop, the focus of which will be learning the tips and tricks of creating arrangements that will satisfy the eyes of even the most discerning of judges. Joanne will demonstrate specific techniques that will enhance the displays, and she will supply any necessary floral wire and ribbon to help anchor your masterpiece. If desired, members can also bring a finished arrangement that they have created at home and it will be subject to a gentle, collegial judgement from Joanne. It's all part of the learning process for those gardeners with a yen for competition.

Joanne is an award-winning competitor whose creations have been entered in a number of garden club shows, and she also has completed the qualifications required by the Nova Scotia Association of Garden Clubs to be designated an official judge by the NSAGC. She hopes that the workshop will prove an inspiration to many members of the Chester club and that they will then enjoy creating their own exhibits for display on July 9th.

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Sold out!

A foggy start to the day did nothing to dampen the spirits of those who attended the Club's annual Gardener's Sale on May 30th. Early-bird shoppers arrived before the volunteers had even finished setting up their displays, and the vendors were still unloading their trucks.

Vendors did a brisk business in plants and accessories. Other tables, loaded with plants from members' gardens and priced according to size and quality, were soon picked over. The early-birds knew what they were doing.


Spirits remained high throughout the morning as friends and neighbours met over the tables, while discusssing the attributes of various plants and picking up the latest news on the local grapevine (pun intended, said she sheepishly). One volunteer was seen leafing through (not another pun- ed.) one of reference books to help solve customers' queries about specific varieties.

The sale is an important fund-raiser for the Garden Club and an enjoyable event for those who patronize it but, in the end, it's all about satisfied customers!

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