MINDEMOYA – The Campbell Horticultural Society flower show and tea took place August 6 at the Mindemoya community hall. Titled ‘A Treasury of Figurines,’ the event was a delight as always as members showcased their very best efforts in several categories.
As outlined by the society, the objectives of the show are to educate and stimulate interest in horticulture. As well, all the exhibits are judged according to Ontario judging and exhibiting standards for horticultural and floral standards.
Several society members were very prolific and showed a great many exhibits. Terry Thompson of Spring Bay took outstanding first-place honours in 14 categories while Marie Kirk of Mindemoya had 10 first-place awards. Ms. Thompson’s winning awards were for calla, Asiatic, and Oriental lilies, gladioli, miniature, any colour, houseplants, fern, Gloriosis daisy, cranesbill, roses, red, one bloom, a collection of pansies, and three different coloured begonias as well as the picotee category and potted, two or more begonias in the pot.
Ms. Kirk’s honours included dahlia, common, any colour, one bloom, shamrock, philodendron, Moses in the bulrushes, a collection of three different perennials, rose, any colour, one spray, a rose, not miniature, floating in a suitable glass container, no leaves, and collections of snapdragons, three carrots and three beets.
Bernice Lewis of Mindemoya placed first for her geranium, one plant, any shade of red as well as any shade of pink or salmon, for an African violet that had to be any shade of blue or purple, and a collection of marigolds.
Ann McFarquhar is a resident of Milton and spends her summers in a cottage in Sandfield. She won several firsts, including for a geranium with variegated leaves, a small leaf begonia, a Hart’s Tongue fern, gladioli, miniature, any colour plain and one spike and for her hosta plant with three leaves and eight inches and under.
Penny Palonen, of Evansville, has won many horticultural awards over the years and at this event, she took firsts in ivy geranium, a collection of three zinnias, a heliopsis with three blooms, and a begonia in the fibrous, large leaf, but not an outdoor plant category as well as leaf vegetables, three in a container with water.
Lynda Scott-Harper, of Evansville, displayed a winning entry with a begonia, tuberous, floating in a suitable container, any colour and without foliage. She also took home red ribbons for her orchid, her collection of mixed annuals, and for her caladium in the tuber/bulb/corm plants category.
This flower show is always outstanding and the category where the horticultural members really show their expertise, imagination, and love of plants and flowers in the Specials section where the Treasury of Figurines theme takes place.
Bev Webster of Spring Bay won two of the 10 different categories in this section. This included the Ikebana section, which portrays a Japanese art of flower arrangement and the miniature design that could not exceed five inches in any direction. Ms. Webster also placed first in the hibiscus, coleus, one plant any colour, rose, white, one bloom, and a rose bloom, not miniature, floating in a rose bowl or suitable glass container, no leaves.
Seija Bailey, also of Evansville, was awarded a first in the specials division in the pot et fleur category, as well as the three different perennials division, and yarrow, hydrangea, day lily and clematis, any colour. She also won for her rose, floribunda, any colour.
Camilla Yahnke, who lives on the shores of Lake Mindemoya, also won two top prizes in the specials section, in the synergistic design, which means several containers in a composition and underwater design. She won several other firsts in African violets, bi-coloured, gladioli, contrast throat or bi-coloured, phlox, and cactus, any variety.
Chris Marsh of Spring Bay was another winner of two awards in the very special specials section. This was for the modern mass design category and for the Hogarth design, so named after English painter William Hogarth whose works were minimal arrangements and had a distinctive S curve.
Mary White resides in Providence Bay and her winning composition was for line design. She also won for her aloe vera plant and her collection of petunias.
Camilla Finley, who won first prize in the youth class of the specials section for 2018, the 90th anniversary of the society, won again this year for youth-wayside design, and she also won for hollyhock, any colour, one spike, three inches or less. Miss Finley, of Sudbury, spends her summers in Spring Bay.
The finale of the flower show ends with the awards for all-round best arrangements in the specials section. Christine Marsh was awarded the President’s Choice ribbon, Camilla Yahnke won the Judge’s Choice, Penny Palonen the People’s Choice and Camilla Finley, the Youth-Best of Show.
Diane Chmielak, Carol Lang, Carol Lee, Marie Sloss, Sally Blackburn-Sloss, Bev Webster and Mary White formed the flower show committee while Ms. Lang and Christine Marsh were tea convenors. The Campbell Horticultural Society executive is Sandra Strong, past president, Carol Lang, president, Sally Blackburn-Sloss, secretary and Marie Kirk, treasurer.
The society welcomes new members and meets on the second Tuesday of every month save July and August, at the Spring Bay hall. Membership is $10. For more information, call Ms. Lang at 705-282-2782.
