The Times Herald (Norristown, PA)
Norristown Garden Club gears up for flower show
WORCESTER >> “If you have a Garden and a Library you have everything you need.”
Although it was probably not part of his plan, when Roman statesman Cicero dashed off that aphorism in 46 B.C. he was conveniently setting the stage for the Norristown Garden Club’s 2019 fall flower show theme.
The vibrant colors of flowers and the pages of books will come together in a variety of poetically floral ways when the Garden Club hosts “A Child’s Garden of Books: An NGC Small Standard Flower Show and Craft Market” on Saturday, Sept. 14, at Fairview Village Church, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
With such thematic motifs as “The Mad-Hatter’s Tea Party,” “In Mr. McGregor’s Garden” and “Thumbelina,” an array of botanical fantasies will feature all manner of blossoms, herbs and even vegetables taking the shape of the imaginative visions of primarily Garden Club members, but also of the general public, noted the show’s co-chair Lynn O’Dowd.
“Non-members can submit, but typically it’s members that participate,” she explained during the setup for the show on Thursday Susan Terry Foley, Paul Jay Smith of Collegeville, Charlotte Ruth Bunke Fall flower show cochairs Lynn O’Dowd, left, and Karen Nemeth, select the perfect zinnias for arrangements to be featured at the Norristown Garden Club’s fall flower shower on Saturday.
afternoon.
All entries would be submitted Friday morning, and then assessed by independent judges.
When the public gets an eyeful of the designs on Saturday, many will be accompanied by an awarddesignating ribbon.
The fall show’s theme was conjured to appeal largely to children, O’Dowd noted.
“We’re encouraging kids to come and experience a flower show, because we do so much within the Norristown School District system. We have the courtyard that’s maintained at the Marshall Street Elementary School, and we have a gardening club at Stewart Middle School. We’ try to get the entire community involved in conservation, gardening, and all of that.”
Stewart Middle School students are also behind one of the show’s exhibits, which features their handiwork with pressed flowers and mostly organic gathered materials.
Highlighting the various categories, each with its decidedly specific rules, are such diverse exhibits as container fairy gardens, created to enchant the younger set, O’Dowd allowed.
“The show itself is geared towards things children would be interested in, and one of our exhibits is a fairy garden. Children love fairies. You’ll see hidden fairies, with different plant materials and a lot of stylistic things like potted plants, moss, little swings and little extras. I believe you have to have a minimum of five plants in your exhibit. Seven people entered, so with seven fairy gardens each could look very different. They could have a forest scene, or a tropical beach scene, whatver the person interpets a fairy garden to be.”
Complementing the festivities will be awardwinng children’s author Dr. Jessica Dimuzio, who will read from her book “Bow Wow Wow! Green Beans Now?,” hailed by Mike McGrath, host of NPR’s “You Bet Your Garden,” as “the cutest book about growing green beans ever written!”
Also featured in the show will be Fairview Village Church members’ award-winning exhibits from the recent Philadelphia Flower Show.
A craft market will be open concurrently with the flower show, as will the church’s cafe.
Fairview Village Church is located at 3044 W. Germantown Pike, Worcester. criminal complaint.
“There was no surface in the residence clean enough to allow for the safe consumption of food. There was a large amount of clothing and trash throughout the residence, which created a significant safety hazard and fire risk. The residence had paths created by trash and filth,” Robinson and Keenan alleged.
With the charges, police alleged Wilde and Ruch created a hazardous environment in which they “knowingly” endangered the welfare of the child “and placed her at substantial risk of serious bodily injury or death” through the unsanitary conditions and “allowed unrestricted access to narcotics and loaded firearms.”