President Georgie Hutchison welcomed 40 members and guests to the 55th Anniversary Celebration and Spring Flower Show of the Clifford and District Horticultural Society on May 26 at the Clifford Community Hall.
The room was filled with hundreds of entries in the spring flower show and visiting society members including many from Harriston to support guest speaker Willa Wick.
Joyce Yost was honoured for her 55-year involvement with the society. She held various positions throughout the years, maintained community flower gardens, mentored youth and continues to attend the meetings. Hutchison presented her with a bouquet of long stemmed red roses, the symbol for the society.
Hutchison presented treasurer Karen Dowler with a long stemmed red rose and certificate of appreciation for helping whenever and wherever able with the society. Bonnie Whitehead received the same for her reports to the paper and her role in the Earth Day event.
Trish Palmer reported 17 routes were canvassed with 243 adults and eight youth members joining the society this year.
Vic Palmer reported the community garden boxes were built and filled and ready for gardening when the fence is built. There is still time to volunteer to help with the yard and bake sale and any home baking would be appreciated.
Marion Wylie reported the plant and bake sale went well despite the frigid weather.
Barbara Harris reported that judge Stephanie Burke was impressed with the number of exhibits and remarked this was one of the best shows where the plants were clean and free of bugs. Twenty adult exhibitors showed 155 entries. One youth in the 6 to 9 category and five youth in the 10 to 17 age group showed 82 entries. Marion Pfeffer was presented with a prize from Wayne Pfeffer for having the most points in tulips, narcissus, and spring flowers. Esther Hallman donated a prize for potted plants won by Eleanor Litt who also won a prize from Paul Judge for her designs. Wayne Pfeffer won in the men’s only section. Frances Newman had a prize for Karen Dowler who won the most points for photography. Wayne Pfeffer and Eleanor Litt won the executive special for ‘Nature’s Natural Beauty’ which also captured the Judge’s Choice for best in show for Wayne Pfeffer.
Doris Jaunzemis introduced Willa Wick a dry stone waller has who shared her experiences locally and overseas. Taking a dry stone walling seminar in Peterborough in 2009 set her on a path of exploration and exhilaration for stones and the fences, walls, homes, sculptures, and artistic creations that can be created without the use of mortar. The downward force of gravity holds everything in place when executed correctly. Wick offered a handout on the art of dry stone walling and a map with the locations of walls that can be visited from Erin to the Cheltenham Badlands and Alton to Ballinafad or Holstein.
From pyramid steps in Mexico to amphitheater seating at the Saugeen Reserve, dry stone walling is an art form that is reaching out for more thrill seekers to leave their mark on the world.
The Ontario Horticulture Association convention will be held July 3 to 5 in Ancaster. The youth and their gardening partners will meet during the summer for a barbecue.
The summer flower show will be held in August with guest speaker Robert Pavlis talking about lesser known spring bulbs. Everyone is welcome.
