WEDNESDAY night last week brought a breath of Spring to Pershore Flower Club at our monthly meeting held at Bishampton Village Hall.

Chairman Janis started the evening off with welcoming members and six visitors. Janis went on to confirm to members that the charity they had chosen to support for the year was “Air Ambulance” and that a cheque had been sent to them for £200. Members were asked to recall last year's “National Flower Arranging Day” in May when we were all asked to place a small posy of flowers in a public place and advertise NAFAS and in particular our own club. Members are being asked to repeat this exercise again this coming May.

Janis then went on to introduce our demonstrator for the Evening Sharon Badger who had travelled all the way from Market Harborough.

Sharon brought Spring Time into the room and hoped she would inspire us all to carry out a variety of spring activities.

The first arrangement depicted a woodland walk in the sunshine incorporating Japonica, Pussy Willow, tree ivy, daffodils, purple hellebores, and a variety of polyanthus plants. For this activity Sharon wore her best smart jacket.

Next off came the jacket on went the gardening sun hat, and we were invited to get out in the sunshine and do some gardening. Her container was a lovely garden urn in which she arranged flower currant, berginia leaves, garryaelliptica and verbena. To this lovely foliage she added trailing ivy, liatris, pink roses, anemones, pink and cerise tulips all arranged in a traditional pedestal style.

Off came the sun hat and on went very “colourful” washing up gloves. Obviously with brightly coloured yellow and green buckets we were in for a bit of spring cleaning. Fatsia, aspidistra and euonymus leaves dominated this modern lateral design which was enhanced with yellow tulips, green Anastasia chrysanthemums and finished off with no other than halves of lemons placed on sticks. - perhaps we shall all rush home and clean our kitchens!

Off came the gloves on went the apron to inspire us to bake some Easter goodies. This arrangement was in a red hessian tall container in which she placed fatsia leaves sun flowers and red roses. This made us smile and depicted happiness in our Easter get together with friends and family and showed our love of baking. The arrangement was a horizontal design in which Sharon made good use of the stalks of the sun flowers instead of throwing them away.

Off came the apron and by magic Sharon found a very large necklace amongst her box of goodies – we were ready to go shopping. Into a tall aluminium container Sharon carefully placed phormium leaves, liatris, and aspidistra which she had manipulated in to gentle curls and then added the green chrysanthemums and orange and cerise gerbra – the result was stunning.

Finally the last quick change of the evening - off came the necklace and back on with the posh jacket for the finale a lovely tall pedestal to remind us all to go to church for Easter and perhaps help with the flowers for the Easter Service. The arrangement was based on green and white colours and included lovely smelling stocks, carnations, spider chrysanthemums, tulips and oriental lilies. What a lovely way to finish a demonstration.

Ann Nicholas gave the vote of thanks to Sharon and said how very much we had all enjoyed her evening and she had certainly inspired us all to welcome in the Spring in a variety of ways.

JILL MILLARD