A small standard flower show created with a large dedication to excellence due to a combined and beautiful effort from Countryside and Moonflower Garden Clubs. Two sister clubs that really showed off what it means to recycle in style!
There were a plethora of blue ribbons given to both clubs in design, horticulture and a newbie to the scene photography. The show was held at Cokesbury Village a sassy retirement residence that graciously shares its space and welcomes the outside community to bring in the joys of life that they once embraced on a daily basis. We gave Cokesbury their very own entry for horticulture, open only to this special community. It was our pleasure to encourage them to participate in something they probably had more knowledge about then us, LOL. Its just pure respect for the wise and wonderful and it blessed our hearts to include them.
There were three classes of design, recycle-photgraphy, reimagine- horticulture and reinvent-functional, small and creative designs. The functional table design blue winners were Patti McCarter and Barbara Boyce awesome job ladies.
I just wanted to sit down and have Chinese take out at their table! Hiro gave his best in his entry and placed third while Marsha took a second for her creative design.
In the small design an outside participant took the blue but our very on Phil Worrell proudly took the second he is quite elated with his win. Way to go Phil!!!
In creative mass another outside participate took the blue for a very unique design utilizing small volume water bottles just lovely indeed!
We even entered our challenge plants and as you can see most survived and one in particular bloomed fabulously! Congrats Joan Yulduzian on doing as you said “ Oh nothing, I did nothing” (yeah right, LOL)
The photography class was such a hit there was a waiting list and it closed with the maximum of 27 entries.
Many of us took a chance on being creative including myself by entering into classes we have never done before. It’s quite evident that being in a flower show is truly about surrendering to something new and taking a leap of faith, of course you may not walk away with a blue ribbon but you definitely earn a blue for effort!
There were also lessons on how the rule book is really interpreted even by the judges; most of us (the participants) were more by the book then they were. That was obvious with a winner that won by not following the rules a good lesson for all of us to let go and learn; and just being accepting to the powers that be. Another schooling on how judging is totally subjective.
So, a year worth of efforts led by our fearless leader Ann Perry and the commendable support and teaching of Dottie Howatt has finally come to an end, fulfilled with lots of enlightenment along the way. Many thanks to all the members of each club that put forth their time and talent and ultimately encouraging all that visited our show that recycling can be a beautiful thing!
and Flore-Pieno which is truly a beauty, I just love double flowers and this one is a keeper for sure. 
Countryside Garden Club of Hockessin, DE 