Flower Show Exhibits

On a lovely sunny day (July 9th) Chester Garden Club welcomed about 100 visitors to its annual Flower Show and Tea at the Chester Legion. An enticing array of bird houses perched on a gaily decorated step-ladder was placed at the outside the building to indicate the entrance to the hall.


Inside, visitors were struck by the tranquil beauty of the large airy room with its many tables covered in floral arrangements. Many favourable comments were heard about the varied creations entered in the ten design categories, each of which had been named for a local heritage landmark or institution in honour of Chester's 250th birthday. Individual floral specimens were also popular with visitors and judges.

A total of 61 entries were received in the design class and another 56 in the horticultural specimen class. Qualified judges perused the entries and made their decisions regarding first, second and third places in both the design and horticultural sectors. A list of those winners in all the various classes will be available at the next Chester Garden Club meeting, to be held on July 20th at St. Stephen's Parish Community Centre.

During the afternoon, all visitors were given a ballot to use in voting for their favourite creation in the design class. After all ballots were counted, Joanne Jellett, a seasoned veteran of flower show competitions along our shores, was declared the winner of that popular choice award.


Despite the cool damp weather, the show provided evidence that gardeners can always find plant material to use in creating their entries in the design categories. Club members and summer visitors from outside the province contributed to the success of the show by entering their competitions in the design category and also as horticultural specimens. A number of Club members also volunteered for kitchen duty and as servers of afternoon tea. This year's tea featured dainty sandwiches and a choice of two old-fashioned deserts made from recipes taken from a "heritage" cookbook. The tea was much appreciated by the visitors, most of whom were from the Chester area but many of whom came from farther afield, including parts of HRM - Bedford, Halifax and Sackville, and Ontario and the USA.


The Quarterdeck category elicited a number of interesting compositions related to boats and the sea. Tea at the Hackmatack, a traditional inn that offered daily teas in the grand old days, was remembered in a category that called for a miniature arrangement in a teacup.



Roses were among the most popular choice of blooms used in creating arrangements and compositions. Wildflowers, foxgloves and delphiniums proved popular too.

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