The Anguilla Beautification Club (ABC) Flower and Garden Show was well attended last weekend although, due probably to the current drought, the entries for the competition were less than usual. The Agricultural Department produced a beautiful display of plants, fruit and vegetables and won the garden display. The Wow factor was won by Lorin Richardson with his creation of a bird among flowers. He won the Best in Show Award.
Patricia Beard, President of ABC, at the opening ceremony thanked everyone who participated in the show. She suggested that members and others should encourage the planting of seeds and plants and share with others who can benefit from having their own produce.
Andre Samuel, from the Department of Environment, gave the feature address and commended the ABC for the fourteenth year of the show. He said that with rising food prices there was an urgent need to grow food, quoting the annual food bill for Anguilla as EC$35 million and the cut flowers imported annually at EC$7 million. He suggested that much can be grown with little space using pots or tyres and keeping the native trees rather than imported ones. He said that the benefits of gardening were many and can improve the quality of life, reduce your food bill, reduce stress, improve health, and support bio-diversity. Samuel noted that the Environment Department was willing to partner with the ABC as much as possible.
The ribbon cutting to open the show was by Lady Josephine Gumbs, in appreciation of her hard work as a member of ABC, and as past President and organizer of the Flower Show.
First place winners included Janice Richardson, (with five first places), Anita Fleming, Gleniford Gumbs and Stanley Reid and Civilla Kentish. Junior winners included Shamoy Sutton, Koyleisha Richardson and Alietha Richardson. The home garden prize was won by Elsie Phillips. Trevor Lake won the best professional garden. And the home vegetable garden prize went to Vincia Gumbs.
The Raffle winners were: First prize a ticket for two by Cape Air to San Juan, won by Nadia Ruan. Second prize, a fifty minute spa treatment from CuisinArt Golf resort and Spa, won by Remington Lake. Third prize a gift certificate from Anguilla Garden Centre won by Ashton Brooks.
