Bravo to the Naples Garden Club and to the Naples Botanical Garden for cooperating once again to put on an outstanding show. Our show was visited by over 3,220 people which is at least 400 more than last year. Our change of days from a Saturday and Sunday to the Friday and Saturday seems to have been a good move. The addition of our Parasol Ladies proved to be one of the highlights of the show for many visitors. Many pictures were taken and smiles abounded when visitors looked at the lovely ladies. Our guests held many conversations with our ‘adorned ambassadors’.
Guests were also able to shop with over 30 vendors, learn through talks and demonstrations on floral design, orchids and fruit trees, be serenaded by a violinist, and stroll through the Botanical Garden.
The Standard Flower Show was awarded sufficient points by the evaluating team of Judges to apply for a National Award. The comments from the judges were positive and they applauded our theme and our pristine presentation. All that I heard from them were accolades for the show!
The staging in the new venue for design was expertly handled by Irmeen Barsky and her team. The addition of Artistic Crafts, headed up by Beth Bacon, was something new and different for us and well received by the visitors. The Design Division chaired by Mary Pulick and the Horticulture Division chaired by Catherine Ware were both outstanding and many ‘oohs and ahs’ were heard as guests walked through those areas.
As Chairman of the 2011 show I would like to express my thanks to all who worked so diligently to make it the success that it was. I look forward to next year when we will hope to top of efforts but this show will be hard to top!
Don’t forget to please visit our Flower Show News & Media page for full list of winners!
by Kathleen Hawryluk
