A spirit of comradery and honour pervaded the air at the annual Garden and Flower Show hosted by the Anguilla Beautification Club (ABC) on the weekend of February 28th. The theme for this year’s competition was ‘A Tribute to Mother Earth’.
All the exhibitors vied to express the theme. It made for quite an interesting display of creative designs using flowers, shrubs, trees, sand, rocks and other things found around and about, to the delight of everyone present.
The most magnificent exhibit was one not entered into the competition. It was entitled ‘A Tribute to Mother Nature’, created by Black Orchid florists. It was the ‘lady in green’, with yellow garlands on her brow, wrist and ankle. Spectacularly arrayed as she was in a dress made of palm leaves with a flowing train behind, she took centre stage in the display hall, seeming to welcome all who came to the show.
Mother Nature was not the only one honoured at the show. A special “get well soon bouquet” was displayed in honour of Onita Fleming, a dedicated member of the club, who was off island getting medical attention. Another special bouquet was displayed in loving memory of Leonie Gumbs, a longstanding member and tutor of the flower arrangement classes, who recently passed away.
Giving honour to whom honour is due seemed to be the order of the day for the ABC, because the trophy for the ‘Best in Show’ award is called the ‘Jamida Webster Trophy ‘. This trophy was thus named in honour of the late Jamida Webster who was an active participant in the youth section of the flower show. She was very comptitive and made entries year after year usually taking either first or second place.
This year has seen a greater number of persons being honoured with 1st, 2nd or 3rd place prizes because of greater participation. As past president, Hyacinth T Hughes, commented: “I am just grateful for all the hard work of all the exhibitors.
They have exceeded themselves – the professional ones as well as everybody else. I didn’t think we would have this much and it was great having to find space… This year it was heartening, very heartening… Everybody worked so hard and so well together in judging the entries – as this year they had a lot to do. There were so many entries… We’ve had a lot more interest, and people are just so enthusiastic… When you get other people who are enthusiastic, by what you are doing, that spurs you on. We are all grateful to everybody. I’m very pleased, absolutely!
There were a number of categories involved in the competition:
A1: Arrangements of flowers in a vase or bowl –Professional – 1st Rolston Hennis A2: Arrangements of flowers picked in Anguilla – 1st Gaby Gumbs A3: Arrangements of foliage without flowers – Professional – 1st Rolston Hennis A4: Arrangements of flowers depicting a sunset – 1st Odette Richardson A7: Creative arrangements of fresh flowers using decorated container/driftwood or conch shell- Professional – 1st Rolston Hennis A8: Single flower in a clear vase – 1st Diane Frame A9: A cluster of flowers on a single stem – 1st Sherma Hodge A10: Off the wall crazy arrangement of plants and flowers – WOW Factor – (Professional) – 1st Rolston Hennis B1: Flowering plants growing in a pot or container – 1st Jeritza Samuel B2: Foliage plant growing in a pot or container – 1st Maycel Samuel B3: Cactus or succulent plant growing in pot or container – 1st Mitchelle Lake B4: Oversized plants – 1st Patricia Hodge B5: Miniature garden of more than three (3) plants growing in a container – 1st Keesha Fleming-Lake
JUNIORS
A1: Arrangements of flowers in a vase or bowl – 1st Amber Rogers A2: Arrangements of flowers picked in Anguilla – 1st Kalea Richardson A3: Arrangements of foliage without flowers – 1st Amber Rogers A4: Arrangements of flowers depicting a sunset – 1st Amelique Hodge A5: Arrangements of fresh flowers depicting the theme “A Tribute to Mother Nature” – 1st Terika Webster A7: Creative arrangements of fresh flowers using decorated container/driftwood or conch shell – 1st Ryana Brooks A8: Single flower in vase – 1st Amber Rogers B1: Flowering plant growing in a pot or container – 1st Amia Fleming-Lake B2: Foliage plant growing in a pot or container – 1st Kiara Mills B3: Cactus or succulent plant growing in pot or container – 1st Kiara Mills B4: Oversized plants (Junior) – 1st Amia Fleming-Lake B5: Miniature gardens of more than three (3) plants growing in a container – 1st Amia Fleming-Lake
GROUP C: GARDENS DISPLAYS
C1: 20ft x 20 ft – 1st Anguilla Garden Centre C2: 10 ft x 12 ft – 1st Friends Thru Flowers
C3: 8 ft x 10ft – Primary School – 1st Orealia Kelly
D2: Decorative icing flowers (on small container) – 1st Mary Smith
BEST IN SHOW AWARD – Rolston Hennis
BEST HOME GARDEN COMPETITION – 1st Maycel Samuel
BEST HOME GARDEN …Professional – 1st Linda Coppede
BEST HOME VEGETABLE GARDEN – 1st Lynette Webster Gumbs
BEST GARDEN: PRIMARY SCHOOL SITES – 1st Vivien Vanterpool
BEST ROCK GARDEN – 1ST CAMPUS B
The new president of the ABC, Janice Richardson, said, “I am very pleased with the level of participation this year. There was so much positive energy, high enthusiasm and the final product was the crowning moment. I am looking forward to next year’s competition, and already there are persons preparing to enter the show. We may have to make extra space for that one, bur the bigger, the better.
