Thank you to Bea Singh, Member Programme Committee, Milne House Garden Club for submitting this detailed recap of the Milne House Garden Club’s Annual Flower Show.
After a pause of two years due to Covid-19, Milne House Garden Club celebrated its first in person Annual Flower Show at the Toronto Botanical Garden, on May 19, 2022. And what a show it was!
Of the 54 members, 12 entered 175 exhibits in the Horticultural Division of the show and 18 members entered 40 exhibits in the Design Division of the show. Each exhibit was judged by an accredited and/or certified judge in good standing.
Competition was stiff, but the rewards were sweet for everyone whether they placed 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or received an ‘honorable mention’ for their exhibits. Special awards were also handed out for first place entries such as Best in Show, Judge’s Choice or Best Fresh Miniature.
The theme for this year’s Annual Flower Show was ‘Cirque du Soleil’.
As a relatively new member of the Club, I was curious to find out what the process was for selecting a theme for the show. Heather Grey, a long-time member, clarified this for me: ‘Our Design Committee meets in March of the previous year to determine a theme and then we brainstorm for possible class titles such as Acrobatics or Juggling and design types like a multi-rhythmic or a dried miniature design. The Design Chair then sends the final version for printing in July. The Show Schedule is made available to members in September.’
This seems like a fair amount of time for the creative juices to start flowing, so that members can create and submit their ‘winning entries’ to the Annual Flower Show in May, the following year.
The theme of ‘Cirque du Soleil’ was suggested by Lynne Melnyk, also a long-time member and one of the schedule writers for the show. When asked, how she thought of this theme and why, in her opinion, it would lend itself to be expressed with flowers, she replied: ‘Many flower show themes are tied to the seasons, and I was looking for more imaginative themes. All the arts have much in common and I felt the different acts of the Cirque du Soleil, would lend themselves to the elements of design such as space, form or texture, and the principles of design including balance, rhythm and or scale.
Who would have thought that this theme, conceived some fourteen months before the event, would coincide with the return of the Cirque du Soleil to the Big Top at Ontario Place this Spring, with its travelling show called ‘Kurios-Cabinet of Curiosities’? Kurios, made its debut in Toronto in 2014, which, much like a flower show, ‘offers an escape from reality through the whimsy & delights of its shows’.
As in the Design Division, plants entered for competition in the Horticultural Division, need to follow certain criteria specific to horticulture. Some of these include being the property of and having been grown by its exhibitor. House plants must also have been grown for at least 3 months by the exhibitor. In the case of Special Exhibits that include planters or dish gardens, plants may be acquired and arranged.
Although it wouldn’t have been noticeable from the number of entries in the Horticultural Division, our Membership Director, Ann Steffener noted that fewer number of tulips were entered into the show this year, than in the past. This was due to the unsettled weather we had been experiencing in the early part of Spring. It is hard to trick Mother Nature!
The objectives of flower shows are to educate, raise interest and awareness in horticulture. They also provide a place to showcase creativity, encourage community participation and offer a programme in which all members can participate. To stimulate outside interest, flower shows may also be open to non-members to display their exhibits in the entire schedule, or only in select sections of the show.
As in many previous years, on May 19th, Milne House Garden Club opened its gates to its Annual Flower Show, welcoming visitors to peruse at their leisure, rows of horticultural and design displays reflecting the bounty and beauty of nature and the work of its artistic interpreters. Many members were present to answer questions and to share their knowledge, expertise, and enthusiasm about any subject ‘horticultural’.
Milne House Garden Club is a not-for-profit organization, affiliated with and located in the Toronto Botanical Garden and is proudly celebrating its 54th anniversary this year. Its purpose, from which it has not deviated since its founding is:
• To stimulate knowledge of horticulture and floral design among amateurs
• To aid in the protection of native plants, trees, birds, soil and
• To encourage civic planting
Through monthly meetings, guest speakers on topics such as creating beautiful gardens, growing plants, craft workshops, hands-on demonstrations on flower arranging, and community outreach activities, Milne House promotes the pleasures of gardening and the art of floral design to its members and the public.
Although Covid-times were sometimes challenging as we could not meet in person, members showed their flexibility and resilience by agreeing to conduct all activities and communications ‘virtually’-by Zoom.
Thanks to the new technology, we met our community outreach commitment by holding our annual fundraiser known as ‘Christmas with Milne House’, virtually. All proceeds from this event, support the Toronto Botanical Garden’s Children’s Education Programme.
Michael Erdman, our Vice President, hosted the meeting and demonstrated two different floral arrangements-one for a festive dining table and another for an entrance hall or table against a wall. The video presentation was made available for one month afterward to help members practice and create their designs at their leisure.
This year, Milne House Garden Club also partnered with the Greater Toronto Bulb Society in an annual programme to supply and plant Spring bulbs in the display beds of the Toronto Botanical Garden. Together the clubs have agreed to donate $2,000 to this effort and will be seen using their green thumbs to plant 6,000 tulips this fall.
Judging by the attendance, Milne House Garden Club’s, first in person Annual Flower Show was a great success.
By creating awareness among the members and visitors of the power of imagination and the importance of living in harmony with nature, we hope this success will be carried forward.
It is the wish of the Club to attract new members with fresh ideas for horticulture and design to whom they may pass on their baton of passion for gardening. As they say in the circus, the show must go on!
For further information on joining Milne House Garden Club please go to their website: www.milnehousegardenclub.ca
