Huge bronze pots reminded us of the Three Wise Men bringing their treasures to the baby Jesus.  Pink Katrina roses, purple orchid dendrobium and small green carnations, together with leather leaf fern, variegated holly, eucalyptus and aspidistra leaves.
 
Christmas was the last design.  Three glorious arrangements on high gold stands using cream carnations, deep crimson gerbera, red roses and gold pincushion protea (safari sunrise).  Sprayed gold leaves, trailing variegated ivy, bergenia leaves, blue spruce and various greenery along with bright silver, gold and red parcels completed the arrangements.
 
During the demonstration, members of the committee told of the club’s achievements: village events, weddings, tea parties, flower festivals, arranging flowers in Westminster Abbey and many other adventures and memories during the club’s 40 years.

A memorable evening.  In all thirteen arrangements were raffled and taken home by delighted members and guests.

On 3rd November, members & visitors were entertained by Catherine Holness, who was visiting the club for the first time. Her chosen title was ‘Start with Music - End with Flowers’. Catherine explained that there are many words in music that are also used to describe the elements of floral design, eg dominance, rhythm, harmony.

For her initial design Catherine was inspired by manuscript paper and musical notation. The main feature was a treble clef which had been made from dried wisteria stems bound with ivy leaves and sprayed lime green.  Assorted foliage provided a variety of different shapes, sizes & textures. Into these Catherine arranged simple white roses & white orchids.  ‘Harmony’ was chosen as the inspiration for Catherine’s second arrangement, the inspiration coming from the title ‘The Blacksmith’s Forge’ given to the final movement of Handel’s opera Almira. Catherine arranged her foliage into the top of an inverted garden container. Phormium tenax provided a strong horizontal line with additional phormium sundowner positioned down the side. Curled aspidistra leaves were added for strength. Further carefully chosen foliage provided a warm background for the orange lilies, yellow, orange & red gerberas and orange roses. The colours certainly harmonised & made a good representation of ‘The Blacksmith’s Forge’. Horseshoes made from dried strelitzia leaves perfected the design.

‘The Rose Adagio’ from Tchaikovsky’s ballet ‘The Sleeping Beauty’ fulfilled the musical element of the third design. To represent the palace Catherine used a container in the shape of a castle turret. The scene was the princess’s coming of age ball. Into the foliage were positioned four anastasia chrysanthemums to represent the four princes. Red tinged pink roses made a pathway through the design to illustrate the princess promenading between the gentlemen. Plum coloured alstroemerias acted as good fairies.  For her fourth arrangement Catherine had chosen the song ‘Rhythm of life’ from the show ‘Sweet Charity’. Into a pale green wooden crate were positioned three vertical pieces of twisted plant material to represent DNA, the genetic material of plants. Dark red roses in straight lines provided the link to the heart for the ultimate ‘rhythm’. To complete the arrangement Catherine used anastasia chrysanthemums, hypericum berries, eryngium (sea holly), dark red hydrangea and cupressus.

Purcell’s Trumpet Voluntary’ was the starting point for Catherine’s penultimate arrangement. Cornus twigs were used for background structure. Phormium leaves provided a dominant line, with fatsia and skimmia japonica for colour & balance. Longiflora lilies represented the trumpeters. For contrast in shape & texture Catherine added pale green carnations with additional small trumpets provided by alstroemerias.

Catherine’s closing arrangement was inspired by ‘The Floral Dance. Her aim was to produce a rustic design in a container made to represent a battered euphonium. Small leaved foliage was chosen into which she positioned purple liatris to represent the woodwind, lime green chrysanthemums for the drums and orange roses for the violins and cellos. Pink gerberas, acting as villagers, danced in and out of the arrangement. Catherine then demonstrated how to make an ice cream cone using careful manipulation of an aspidistra leaf into which she inserted a white carnation. Ideal for cooling down the energetic villagers!
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Our Ruby Anniversary Year comes to a close on December 1st when Doug Howard, one of our favourite demonstrators, entertains us with ‘Sparkling Christmas Memories’.