Pershore Flower Club

Members and three visitors were welcomed by Chairman Janis, and after a reminder about the summer outing to Ashwood Nurseries. Janis also remarked that the “lonely Bouquets” last month were very evident around the town and villages. She then introduced our demonstrator for the evening.

Marie Munday had travelled from Painswick to be with us, making this her second visit to our Club. Marie's title was “A Trip to London”, so on with your best shoes and handbags and get ready to go.

For her first arrangement demonstrated she opted to show us how to do a hand tied bunch of flowers supported on a metal frame for stability and support for her tulips. Her flowers were multi coloured tulips, green chrysanthemums and white carnations. Marie managed to have variable textures, and the different shapes were helped with using twisted aspidistra leaves. The hand tied represented fresh flowers that we could have bought in any florist in Oxford Street.

Next a visit to the theatre to see “Phantom of the Opera” which was the first ever musical Marie had ever seen. In a tall black container she used “Black Tie” Corderline leaves, conifer and leather leaf to which she added “Black Tinge” Roses, Red mini gerbera and finally a white phantom mask. Marie reminded everyone when conditioning gerbera use a little water to which add a very small amount of bleach to stop the flowers getting stem rot, and support their heads.

Now on to Westminster Abbey for NAFAS's 50th Anniversary. This arrangement was a cascade design in red, yellow and gold – very stunning. Flowers were anthuriums, “Spring” gerbera and ranunculus known as”Buttercups”.

Off to “Ascot” was next, complete with Marie in a very fetching large fascinator. Her arrangement was creating two lovely hats which could be worn at Ascot. Both with manipulated aspidistra leaves, black coderline, arum italicum, white carnations, For the second hat she used green button chrysanthemums and purple palace eucra. They certainly could have been worn on the day. To this display she added a gentleman's top hat and white carnation.

Marie last arrangement must of course be a visit to the Chelsea Flower Show – what else would a flower arranger do in London in May. This became a spectacular arrangement in a tall black vase filled with lots of wonderful foliage to which she added allium, “Avalanche” roses, large pink gerbera, curled aspidistra leaves, pink hypericum berries eryngiums, and solomon's seal.

All the time she was producing her wonderful designs Marie kept us enthralled with her tales of travels since she was young to her present home and family in Painswick. Helen Morris gave the vote of thanks to Marie and said how very much we had all enjoyed our trip to London, so much so that she thought we would all be rushing off to buy a ticket to this years Chelsea Show.

JILL MILLARD