There was a great variety of foliage ( all foraged or dried and some manipulated ) included in Linda Seabrook’s ‘Green Finger Flower Arranger’ demonstration. Supplemented by flowers in lovely colour combinations, designs included arrangements which were either in or representing a wheelbarrow, a watering can, a window box and a bird bath. Linda also gave us lots of tips relevant to both flower arranging and gardening – thank you for an enjoyable evening.
It is always a great pleasure to welcome Gill McGregor to Bedford. It had been a beautiful Spring day and that happy atmosphere continued into the evening when Gill presented ‘Sensationally Spring’; culminating in a stage full of wonderful designs using Spring colours. As usual, Gill amazed us with her leaf manipulation which she used both as mechanics and to enhance her arrangements. Together with numerous tips and interesting stories it was a great start to our 2025 floral year- thank you. The pictures give just a flavour of her demonstration.
We started our Christmas celebrations and ended our 2024 programme with Beverley Artis presenting her ‘Christmas at Tiffany’s’ demonstration. Beautiful designs and flowers, ( many of which could be replicated or adapted for home), lots of tips and an entertaining commentary. Thank you Beverley and for agreeing we could share pictures. Thank you too to all members who contributed to the charity tombola and for all their commitment and help throughout the year. Best wishes to everyone for Christmas and for a happy and healthy New Year. See you in 2025!
We had a lovely but different meeting this month when our very talented club members turned the stage into a floral frenzy. We attempted two arrangements; a seasonal one involving a wine glass and a candle and the other, inspired from a recent demonstration, using two wreath rings and a margarine tub. Lots of creative and beautiful flowers plus coffee and home made cakes to help the evening along. Thank you to everyone for their creativity and enthusiasm and to those who helped organise the evening.
A big thank you to everyone who negotiated the bad weather and the flooded roads to come to the Open Evening this month. The atmosphere in the Hall was so much more cheerful than outside as Sarah Fenton presented ‘Let’s Go………’. Her lovely designs took us round the garden, on a picnic, to the theatre, the seaside, a fireworks display and to flower club. Sarah used a wide variety of flowers and foliage and the colour combinations throughout were beautiful and sometimes unexpected. Throughout, she kept us entertained and the stage looked spectacular at the end of the demonstration. Thank you, Sarah for a very enjoyable evening and for allowing us to share photographs of your designs.
Thank you to the team from BFAS – Sue, Jenny C, Sandra, Jenny H, Margaret and Nicki- who arranged our lovely exhibit Harvest/Food at the Area Flower Festival ‘Abundant Blessings’ in Hitchin. It was a very successful and beautiful event highlighting the talent in the Home Counties Area. Pictures of all exhibits are on www.flowerhomecounties.org and on www.stmaryshitchin.com
Jackie Page visited us for the first time this month. Her skills as a national teacher as well as an area demonstrator certainly shone through as she presented ‘Connections’ – five beautiful, very different designs all connected to various aspects of her life from childhood memories to her teaching and floristry careers. The five designs produced twelve raffle prizes so there were many happy members at the end of the evening! The pictures below give just a flavour of Jackie’s arrangements – thank you for an enjoyable evening.
We welcomed Christine Long to our meeting this month. Her demonstration’s intriguing title ‘ Loosely Round the Solar System’ resulted in six arrangements representing colours or features associated with planets. The picture below gives just a flavour of one of the designs which also introduced many of us to the kaaps flower which is a member of the protea family.
A couple of days later, several of us enjoyed an afternoon ( with tea and cakes!) in Audrey’s (President of NAFAS Home Counties) beautiful garden in Kings Langley. The money raised at the event will go towards the Area Flower Festival in Hitchin on 20th -22nd September.
‘A lovely fun presentation’ ……‘Super ideas to try’…….‘Colourful and entertaining’….. ‘Brilliant, really enjoyed it’
It was Andrew Key’s first visit to Bedford and these four comments from members after his ‘May to September’ presentation surely means it won’t be his last.
The stage looked stunning at the end of the evening filled with designs which included commemorating the 80th anniversary of the D Day landings, remembering life on his grandfather’s small holding, a visit to Buckingham Palace Garden Party and one arrangement which was a tribute to his geese!
A wide variety of flowers and foliage were used and British Flower Week was celebrated in several of Andrew’s designs. We were given lots of tips and ideas especially on items we could use from home (plastic guttering was a wonderful container for a long narrow table design!). His presentation was informative and entertaining and included musical interludes. A really enjoyable evening – thank you Andrew.
Our first social and practical evening of the year. We always like these evenings to be ‘time related’ so the brief this time was ‘an arrangement depicting the May season incorporating wood and /or ribbon’ .At the end of the evening the stage looked wonderful with beautiful designs. They were all very different, showcasing the talent we have amongst our members – the pictures below give just an example of what was produced.
We also had time to enjoy a bring and share supper, to complete quizzes, to reminisce looking at photographs of the Society’s activities over the last 50 years and importantly, more time to chat and socialise with other members.
A lovely, relaxed evening – thank you to everyone who contributed to its success.
