The dedication of our members to the Society is sometimes astonishing. One of our members flew in to Heathrow, from Seattle, at 8 am on Saturday morning and by 10.40 he arrived with his photograph, scones, Victoria Sandwich and pot plant to exhibit in our spring Show!
Three years ago the Spring Show had to be cancelled because of the snow. This year the weather turned out to be very warm, if you were outside, however for the organisers and volunteers the provision of hot soup from the refreshment stall was very welcome. In the weeks leading up to the Show there were fears that there would be no daffodils to show as the Winter had been so mild and many of our members found that their daffodils were past their best. However our members came up trumps again and there was a good selection of different types of daffodils in containers and vases. The potted plants showed a variety of types with Hyacinths, Orchids, a Wollemi pine and Camellias. The Cacti and Succulents exhibits attracted the attention of the enthusiast as well as quite a few novices who were keen to obtain information and also to buy plants so that they could start their collection.
It was good to see that there was a good number of entrants in to the Domestic category. The recipe for the boiled fruit cake enticed quite a few members to try their hand and there will be quite a few households in Ruislip and the surrounding area eating fruit cake for a few days! The Floral Art section always provides inspiration to our many visitors and it also recorded our first tie for the Muriel Cup and Gift Voucher. Although the cup will have to be shared Pat Smith and Pat White did receive a gift voucher each.
The Photographic section also saw an increase in the number of exhibits. It is always interesting to see the different interpretations on a theme. The standard was very high and hopefully it will encourage other members to search through their photographs for a winning entry in our Summer Show. The quality of the exhibits in the Handicraft Section is so good that it makes you want to take up embroidery, patchwork, knitting and painting as well as gardening, cooking and photography. A member of the Ruislip Central Horticultural Society has no spare time. It was good to see that the younger members (Children’s section) were continuing the theme of making for enjoyment.
It was a very successful show and at the end our prizes were awarded by Lesley Crowcroft, Chair of the Friends of Eastcote House Gardens. As she said gardeners are never happy, the right time for any plant is the previous week or the next week, but in the end it always turns out right. So it was with our Spring Show. A big thank you must go to the number of volunteers who turn up to put up the tables before the show and are ready to take them down again; to our hard working team who man the refreshment stall, our stewards and all those who at a moments notice are willing to volunteer. A special thank you to David Minnion for 10 years as Show Secretary – long may he continue!
For the results from the Spring Show click on the link below
SPRING SHOW 2016 PRIZE WINNERS
Pictures taken by ©Warren Reeves and John Swindells
