Pershore Flower Club

Janis, Club Chairman, welcomed everyone and gave out information regarding the forthcoming summer outing to Ashworth Nurseries, and other flower festivals in the area. Janis then introduced our demonstrator for the evening, Jayne Morris from Michinhampton whose title was to be “Strolling around Gardens.”

Jayne started with reciting the first verse of Rudyard Kipling’s poem “Glory of the Garden”. Jayne was about to take us for a walk (or a gallop if you wished) through a large country estate following in her steps as she visits numerous National Trust Properties

First we entered Dyrham park through grand gates and walked along the hedgerow which was covered in honeysuckle, blue cedar copper beach and festooned in seed heads, green “Prado” carnations, green spray chrysanthemums, this could also have been Montacute House in Somerset (of Wolf Hall fame). The arrangement was circular and placed in an old sieve.

More lines from Kipling and then we headed for the walled garden such as the one to be found at Calk Abbey with its lean-to glass houses. Here the design was in orange solidago, carnations called “Parkins”, orange spray chrysanthemums “Wood Packer” added to which was the curry plant and mini sunflowers and placed in a large wooden box,

Our walk then picked up a pace as we headed for the orangery This time Jayne's design was a modern horizontal in a lovely large urn. The flowers were orange lillys, red dahlias and a lovely carnation called “Apple Tea” these represented the fruit grown in the orangery. All surrounded by fatsia and manipulated phormium leaves. In ancient times apparently produce was shipped around the Mediterranean in very large urns to keep them fresh whilst at sea.

Every large house has a herbaceous border (the best according to Jayne was Arley Hall near Nutsford) and whilst strolling we stopped to admire a modern upright arrangement in a lovely large basket which was filled with a large variety different colours from Alium seed heads, cornflowers, dark red astilbe, flame antirrhinums and a lovely rose “Bell Rosse”. Jayne added a second placement to this design.

Our walked ended at the Vista Walk (possibly at Hever Castle) where we could look through the opening in the hedge to something rather spectacular, usually an urn or a statue. Hence Jayne's design in an extra large urn. Along with ferns and fatsia leaves and the lovely Itea with its glossy green tassels, Jayne had added white carnations, soft pink alstromeria, dark red chrysanthemums, and the most wonderful spider chrysanthemum called “Baltazar”

Jayne felt we had done a lot of walking on a very hot summers evening so we sat and listened to the remainder of “Glory of the garden”.

The vote of thanks was given by Sheanagh Hickson.

JILL MILLARD