Penobscot District

The Penobscot District Newsletter deadline is 
September 15. 
Please send your information to Carol Smith

Penobscot District Newsletter 

REPORT OF:
DISTRICT STANDARD FLOWER SHOW 2010

The District’s Standard Flower Show, “Books & Blooms held June 16 – 18, 2010 at the Bangor Library had some challenges.  Staging throughout the Bangor Library certainly wasn’t one, with the large bookcases in the Children’s Room, display cases set at perfect locations and the beautiful library tables that we were welcome to use.  The challenge was Maine’s early spring.  The normal blooms of June were fairly past their prime, but the Schedule written by Pam Newcomb included an ‘any other’ class that exhibitors ran with.  A total of 101 specimens in Horticulture adorned the Children’s Story Room.   The Educational Exhibit on herbs displayed by Margaret Wendell of Sebasticook Garden Club and the Youth Educational Exhibit proudly created by the Brewer After Schoolers were both blue ribbon winners, with the latter also winning the Youth Educational Award.

Another challenge for the show chairmen was in the timing of our show.  We thought June would be a good month for a flower show, when members could use cut flowers from their gardens.  But June proved to be a month when most people were busy with other priorities.  We had difficulty filling classes and finding available judges.  With the cancellation of Flower Show School, Course III this month, we hope this is not going to affect the future of flower shows and judges in our state.

We are aware of several areas where we can make improvements to future shows.  One was allowing exhibits into the show that did not conform to the Schedule (clematis is a vine, biennials such as pansies and foxglove are not perennials, etc.)  Several awards could not be given because exhibitors did not correctly name their plants with both botanical and common names in Horticulture.  In Design classes, we must adhere to the required amount of classes and entries in order to give blue ribbons and top awards.

Pam Newcomb of Sebasticook won the Artistic Craft Award and the Maine Designer Award for this ‘jewelry’ made from nature’s bounty.

Carol Arnold of Veazie won the Petite Award

Other Top Awards were presented to Sally Mowbray of Sebasticook Garden Club, who won the Award of Excellence and the Designer’s Award for her Dr. Jeckel and Mr. Hyde Duo Design. The Award of Merit and Horticulture Excellence Awards were won by Jean Lyford of Brewer Garden & Bird Club.  The Award of Merit was won by Gloria Burrill of Sebasticook Garden Club, Sandra Doughty of Bangor Garden Club and Carol J. Smith of Brewer Garden & Bird Club, and the Grower’s Award was won by Carol J. Smith of Brewer Garden & Bird Club.

If you attended the show, you saw how many very talented members we have in our District Clubs.  Several ‘first timers’ won blue ribbons!  I encourage more of you to take a chance and try your hand at entering our next flower show.  We aren’t sure where and when that will be, but stay tuned!

~~~ Carol J. Smith, District Flower Show Chairman

2008 Awards

President's Award for a district to Penobscot District.

Judges Council Awards for flower shows: Horticulture Green and Silver Rosette to Penobscot District; Staging Red and Gold Rosette to Penobscot District.

The state Club of Distinction award with the highest rating went to Brewer.

Certificate of appreciation for Yearbook went to Orrington (1st place for small club) 
Brewer (1st place for medium size club)

National Garden Clubs Certificate of Achievement for School Garden Project to Veazie.

2008  GCFM Certificate of Merit to Brewer for the Brewer Junior Garden Growers Club

Penobscot District Officers

District Director, Carol Arnold
Assistant Director, Pamela Newcomb
Secretary, Ann Bennett
Treasurer, Pat Snyder
Assistant Treasurer, Carol J Smith

Flower Show Report 2011

After the Standard Flower Show, ‘Books & Blooms’ last year at the Bangor Public Library, it was decided we would not have a Standard Flower Show this year, but would find a way to do something for our members who have that need to create, as well as the public who loves to see those creations.  We decided to ask Bangor’s Garden Show if there was anything we might be able to provide that would be beneficial to the show and our District.  That is when ‘Art In Bloom’ was born.  The garden show had never had anything like it in the past and we all thought it was a good fit.

Pam Newcomb from Sebasticook Garden Club arranged for The Arts Alliance, of which she is a member, to be a part of this collaboration and we asked our garden club members to create arrangements that complemented and interpreted their artwork.  If you saw the show, then you know how successful and fun this was.  It was a good way for ‘first timers’ to try their hand at a design where there are no rules as opposed to a Standard Flower Show where there are many.

We had 37 pieces of art and 37 complimenting floral arrangements.  We held two workshops explaining what an Art In Bloom is and asked Flower Show Judge, Sally Mowbray to create a few to show everyone how easy and fun it is.  The workshops were well attended and I was certain that everyone would enter this show once they saw how fun it would be!  We had 19 designers and only 16 were from our District.

We held a People’s Choice Award and the winners were, in Floral Design; 3rd place, Pam Newcomb, Lonesome Fairies; 2nd place, Kathy Clegg, Sunset Jewels #23; and

1st place, Nancy Grimes for Garden Fairies #11.

In the Artwork; 3rd place Bonnie Ross, Red Poppies #35; 2nd place, Pam Barber, Sunset Jewels #23; and 1st place, Debbie Ellingwood, Flight of the Moon #32.

We have been given a wonderful opportunity to promote our garden clubs through Bangor’s Garden Show!   And remember that we all pledge to promote education, and flower shows are a wonderful and fun way to do just that.

Carol J. Smith & Pam Newcomb, District Flower Show Chairmen