Gardeners show off flowers at annual event

There were flower displays from dainty to majestic, simple to flamboyant at the Kelowna Garden Club’s 21st annual Juried Flower Show Saturday at the Guisachan Heritage Garden.

Along with some 130 entries from home gardeners, people could browse through arts and crafts, watch demonstrations, enjoy music and take a tour in the garden with Don Burnett, local garden expert and garden club member. Organizers of the show were pleased with the entries which included cut flowers, floral art arrangements and potted plants.

“We’re two weeks later than normal and we had that unbelievable rain storm yesterday,” said Jean Dangerfield with the Kelowna Garden Club.

Entries included a hydrangea the size of a small volleyball, rare late magnolia blooms, flowers arranged in tea cups and container vegetable and herb gardens. Dangerfield began gardening 13 years ago. “It makes you happy,” she said. “It takes away the stress. In the garden when you love gardening you usually just forget about everything else.”

Dangerfield had a number of entries and won best in category for her patio pot.

The garden club is trying to get more children involved in gardening and offered categories for children up to 12 years old.

“We want them to love gardening as much as we do and we want them to find it fun,” said Dangerfield.

The children’s category winner had flowers displayed in Lego complete with rocket ship.

While some displays were elegant, others were whimsical, such as the Name that Song category with exhibits that represent a song title.

Burnett took a red ribbon in that category. His entry included a sculpture made by his friend Tony Khonen built from a clarinet and a violin. Burnett attached the centre of Ringo Starr’s record Good Night Vienna, made a box for the top, planted Calibrachoa, which resembles mini petunias and added a set of his drumsticks. Merilyn Bohn was enjoying wandering through the exhibits.

Bohn loves walking around the Guisachan Heritage Garden regularly and for her the garden show was the cream on the cake.

She was admiring not only the flowers, but the creativity of the displays and the ingenuity of the arrangements.

“It’s remarkable,” she said.