INTERESTING GARDEN TALKS AT HASTINGS GUILD

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 134, 23 June 1937, Page 11

INTERESTING GARDEN TALKS AT HASTINGS GUILD

Members of the garden circle of the Hastings Townswomen's Guild enjoyed a. rnout interesting meeting in the YV.D. fckU. rooms on Monday afternoon, when two members from the Napier Guild, Mrs W. Harvey and Mrs A. C. iVJackie, gave the programme. The circle leader, Mrs J. B. Pickering, introduced the visitors, and said how much everyone appreciated their interest m the sister guild. Mrs A. C. Mackie, who was the first speaker, chose as her subject the fuchsia, and gave a particularly instructive talk about these old favourite plants. Afternoon tea was then enjoyed, and during this interval Mrs A. F. Glenny reminded everyone about the card party to raise f unds to assist the triplets, which would be held on July i in the afternoon at the.Assembly Hall. Several members volunteered to make up tables. Mrs W. Harvey judged the shoulder spray competition, which had attracted a large number of very beautiful exhibits. First place was awardcd to Mrs Innes Campbell's spray of cyelaJ men, heath, maidenhair fern and delicate bronze leaves. Mrs E. Appleby m was second, with a spray of very dainty yellow chrysanthemums, African marigolds and hydrangea flowers; and Mrs Dyer was third, with a purply-tinted spray of violets, grape hyacinths and stock. Mrs W. Harvey commenced her talk by giving a few words of advice about the making of shoulder sprays. She advis€d members to keep their sprays to a wearable aize, and to concentrate on having one choice bloom to work round. She suggested that a rose was always a good flower, and could be much improved by refiexing the outside petals. To keep a .choice rose from being in full bloom for a day or two the speaker said that it could be lightly tied with wool. Scveral ideas • were given for varying the shoulder spra/s witK tubing or black fern. Mrs Harvey gave the members many very useful tips for their floral work, She demonstrated her ideas on two shoulder sprays which she had brought in a cellophane box and explained that these were ideal for keeping flowers, and a spray could be taken in one of them to a patient in the hospital and would keep fresh in the box for several da/s. The speaker said that f,or show purposes bowls, receptacles, netting and moss should be got ready the previous week to avoid any hurry. She said that the receptacle should be the exact size of the basket to avoid its moving and displacing the flowers. When doing a basket some" of the basket and handle should be seen because otherwise the exhibit looked just like a bowl. Numerous hints for arranging bowls were also demonstrated, and in conelusion Mrs W. Harvey urged members to try unusual and creative designs in their floral exhibits. Miss I. Shaw expressed the appreciation of all the members to Mrs W. Harvey and Mrs A. G. Mackie for their interesting talks. A vote of thanks was also passed to the hostesses. Mesdames Kitterniaster and Taylor.