Flower Show and Tea

In keeping with its long tradition, Chester Garden Club held another successful Flower Show and Tea this summer. The event dates back to the club's earliest days and is a popular feature of summer in Chester. This year's theme was All Through the House, which gave the organizing committee scope in dividing the design class into sectors such as "Living Room", "Kitchen", "Child's Playroom" and "The Veranda". The competition, open to members and the general public alike, brought in a large number of entries in both the design and specimen classes.


Jane Wilkins' lovely arrangement for a dining room table won the Popular Choice award, the one prize that is voted on by all those who came to see the exhibits and enjoy the delicious tea.

All other awards were determined by qualified judges who based their decisions on the exhibitor's adherence to the rules laid down for the competition as well as general elements of design composition. This award winner for the above arrangement was Myra Knight.

Organizers were at the Chester Legion before 8:00 AM on the morning of the show, to receive entries and help exhibitors fill out their tags correctly. Shown above are Brenda Hiltz (an exhibitor), Brenda Garland and Heather Mackinon (co-chairs), and Sheila Soestmeyer (committee).

A member puts a final touch to her entry on the specimen tables, which were aligned along the length of one wall and included sample blooms for about 30 varieties. The close-up below shows the range of sizes, from tiny sweet peas and nasturtiums to giant Asiatic lilies.

A long view of the hall provides a glimpse of the colourful arrangements that were received by the committee before 10:00 AM, at which time the hall was vacated to allow the judges to work uninterrupted.

Although it is impossible to show all of the entries in the design class, we are showcasing a few samples of the beautiful arrangements that can be done by amateur floral artists.

The section devoted to floral designs arranged in a teacup and saucer brought in 13 charming and delicate entries.

Of course, one of the draws is the actual Tea itself. Here we see one of the Club's most venerable members, Maggie Copas, pouring tea for Margaret White who, among her other duties, was a volunteer server for the occasion.

The arrangement below was created by Myra Knight and won the Dudley Lees Trophy for the Best in Show.

And last, but most certainly not least, the success of the event was due in no small part to the unsung heroes who formed the kitchen team. Many of those volunteers were kept busy preparing plates of sandwiches and desserts, while others (hello, Alec and Robert) devoted their efforts to ensuring a steady supply of freshly washed cups and plates.

Because we expect to receive more photos from members who attended the event, we hope to post more images in the next few days.