Virginia’s Piedmont Distict Fall Flower Show 2018

At the VFGC Piedmont District fall meeting this past week, the afternoon program was a Flower Show hosted by the District.  The committee, chaired by Joann McNabb and her team, did an outstanding job with the schedule, placements and presentation.  The site was the Four Points by Sheraton in Midlothian, VA. I will be posting the designs by the Class Schedule and adding the names of the designers (if I have them) in the order of the photos.  This blog won’t allow me to list the name below the photo, so I will list them first.  Hope you enjoy.

Design Division, Section D. Class 12 “Tubing Down the James River”
Exhibitor A
Val Story
Exhibitor C
Jean Fender

Floral Designs from the Piedmont District Fall Meeting

The morning program at the 2018 Fall Piedmont District meeting of the VFGC was held on Monday, October 8th at the Four Points Sheraton in Richmond, VA.  Over 200 attendees were delighted to watch Peyton Wells design floral arrangements using design types from the NGC Handbook.  She was a fun and informative speaker who has recently been approved to be a GCA judge.  Her knowledge and hints were quickly written down and whispered across tables to make sure we “got it right’.  Her use of the Crystal Clear Professional Bulb T-Bag was explained as well as the bonding wire.  The Holly Pillow was showcased in her design which she described as a “Hot Mess design”. This design type was described as trending and being chosen by brides that are planning upcoming weddings.  For more information on Peyton’s designs and availability, please contact her at Peytonwells@gmail.com or you can visit her website at peytonwells.com.  Used with her permission.

Peyton offered the following insights into her designs.
“I would add that Biedermeier Design is using an analogous color scheme where the contrast of form, color and texture creates interest in the design...

The creative table design was a Stabile-Kinetic; a creative design with a fixed base, where motion is implied, with restricted use of plant material (Garden roses used here)

The Echo, where all units share the same colors, textures and forms, creating balance and harmony, are usually placed in containers of the same shape but different size or color.  And, you could say that fatsia and aspidistra leaves were used in the Echo as well.”

The following designs are :

Panel design (or transparency) using orchids, protea and components of orange and hot pink

A Hot Mess - trending mass design popular with events and brides

Biedermeier - formed in concentric circles where the use of color and size of plant material is dominant

Parallel design - using three vertical components with negative space in between each vertical placement.  The base is covered but not dominant.

Creative design for use on a tabletop.  The components are dried wisteria vine and hydrangea branches that have been wired together. Flowers are encased in tubes filled with water.

Echo design of sanseveria and dahlias.  This design type uses two designs that are close to identical but are in two different sizes.

Peyton presented each these with thorough explanations of the type and material placements.  It was a very good program for our meeting.

Tony Tedesco creates cascade designs

Hello to all,

As you know, there have been several new designs introduced to garden clubbers over the past few years.  I was privileged to see Francis Thrash demonstrate how to craft several of them (view in an older post), and now want to show you a few by Tony Tedesco.    I ran across two photos online of Tony’s cascade designs and post these for your interest.  When I spoke with Tony a few years ago, he gave me permission to post his designs on my blog and I am very grateful for his gracious approval.  (Thanks, Tony).  I hope you enjoy his fabulous talent in these examples.  More to follow.....

June Garrett demonstrates designs

The Chester Garden Club has held two mini workshops with designs demonstrated by our own June Garrett.  She is a master judge emeritus and has been an active member for many decades.  She volunteered to show some of our newer members how to create a transparency design and also a small design with the dimensions of 9x4x3.  Below are her designs and a pic of June too.  Please look to the pages on the right side of this article to view photos of different types of floral designs.

A Stabile Kinetic design by Sally Seward



Hello All,

A new page, finally, for the Garden Club blog.  It’s been a while and I’ ve been building up photos and ideas for us to chat about and here we go.

Today’s post is about a Stabile Kinetic design.  I was unable to find a definition for this dual design type, but have included the NGC rules for each.

Kinetic
An abstract design with real (mobile) or implied (stabile) movement.

Stabile
A creative design with a fixed base, but motion is implied. The direction may be vertical, horizontal, or diagonal
and must be dynamic or flowing. The sense of movement is achieved by the selection of components and a very
restrained used of plant material. The design may rise from a container, stand alone on a pedestal or table‐top,
be suspended from a base, or stabilized in another creative manner. All components including the base and
mechanics should contribute to this dynamic feeling of implied motion.
Plant Material: Ferns, grasses, or vines are some examples of plant material that could be used to imply motion.

Virginia Historical Garden Week

Our state has the distinct privilege to host an annual Garden Week that falls on the third week of April.  Communities all over Virginia have House and Garden Tours to support this wonderful springtime celebration.  The village of Chester in Chesterfield County is participating by hosting a exhibit display at the Chester Library.  It will run throughout Garden Week from April 21- 28.  The Chester Garden Club will form two groups who will display designs and horticulture.  I will be posting photographs of these entrees as we go along.  The first blog post will showcase designs.

The designers are from top to bottom:  Phillipa Smith, Margi Fox, JanNiefeld, Sue Thompson, Winnie Fornash, and two designs by Sue Thompson

Easter or Spring Floral Designs our Arrangements March 2018

As you know, the creative drive comes of its own free will.  Here in central Virginia, we had three inches of snow yesterday, but I woke up with a startling thought that Easter is only two weeks away, even if snow is on the ground.  I have brought out my goodies and have tried to do different groupings throughout our home.  We will see how it goes.  I have a habit of moving things around all of the time.  It’s fun!!  I plan to make fresh floral designs as well and started looking for photo inspirations for Springtime.  Below are some designs that I have found on the internet.  I do not know who created them so I cannot give them credit.  Hope you are as inspired as I am.

Garden Club Dried Floral Designs Feb 2018

As you know, there are some great designs made of dried plant material.  If we look at the ones made with driftwood, for example, the container (driftwood) becomes a piece of art supporting the design.  I will do an article before too long on using driftwood, but for now, let’s focus on regular designs using dried plants.  Our club had a design category that called for this type of material.  Below you will see mostly traditional arrangements.  Hopefully, you can be inspired when you create a dried flower arrangement.

Garden Clubbing.... Let’s Begin. Novice Class

Our Club, as well as yours, I’m sure, have designers that are very skilled at arranging complicated and sophisticated designs.  The ability to take just a few items and turn them into works of art is something they do well.  The Chester GC is blessed to have four master judges in our ranks and they truly are able to make lovely arrangements.  But, we also have a good many novices that are intimidated by it all and so we have created a Novice Class that is mentored by one of the judges.  She has developed a schedule for the club year that progresses through the traditional design types and they meet the day before the monthly club meeting to put them together.  For two years they progress through this class then they advance to the regular schedule.  It works beautifully and creates a cohesiveness in the new members too.  I have created a page on Pinterest that showcases different types of beginning designs.  The Page is called.   Garden Club... Let’s Begin.  I will post the following designs onto that page as well.

Garden Club Illuminary Designs

The Chester Garden Club’s design schedule included a “Moonlight Dancing” category.  Many entries showcased a variety of work to interpret the theme.  As you can see, different types of materials were used to create the effect of light.  Whether it was tea lights, string lights, shiny plastic or metal.  All materials emitted light in the design.

Chester Garden Club February 2018

Our Club met in February and had several floral designs on display.  The one I am going to showcase now will be the one titled “Romance”.  There were several arrangements and roses seemed to be the flower of choice.  All fresh designs - Rule 1.