It’s Flower Show Time!

 

It’s fair time and flower show time again! The event is sponsored by the Northeast Alabama Federation of Garden Clubs. This year, the floral designs will feature dried plant material to accommodate the extended fair days. Never fear, though, fresh plant material may be added. Rainsville, Cherokee Rose, and Rhododendron Garden Club members may paint, glitter, dye and/or manipulate the dried plants for color and creativity. No exhibits of brown, boring dead stuff! Join a garden club and participate in creating floral designs!

The flower show has been associated with the fair for at least 60 years. It’s been fun to see the public response to the uniquely themed staging for each show. Titles of movies, songs, Dr. Seuss books, quilts, names, toys, and artists have been inspirations over the years.

This year, both the 71st Annual DeKalb County V.F.W. Fair and the flower show have patriotic themes: Happy 250th Birthday America. Adult horticulture sections feature lyrics from “This Land Is Your Land.” Design sections/classes are inspired by “America the Beautiful.” Can “amber waves of grain” be seen in that creative design? Or “purple mountain majesties” in the angular design? Sometimes it’s a challenge to see what that designer was thinking, but isn’t that art? In the eye of the beholder? Design and Horticulture exhibits are in the room between the kitchen and canned goods. Vote for your favorite design this year as a People’s Choice. A third division is Education. Each garden club has used a lyric from “My Country, ’Tis of Thee” in its education booth. Come learn about Alabama biodiversity, native trees, and the importance of natives in the garden. The Youth and Education Divisions are located along the walls in the room with the canned goods.

Horticulture entries do not require garden club membership. Anyone who grows horticulture may enter, including Youth. Categories include arboreal branches (tree or shrub), cut foliage, flowering plants, herbs, and container-grown plants. Specific classes are listed on pages 44-47 in the Fair Catalogue (dekalbcountyvfwfair.com).

Entries may be brought Saturday, Oct. 11, or Sunday, Oct. 12, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. First-timers need to register with the fair before bringing entries to the horticulture check-in table. Entry cards are available from garden club members or at the fair during check-in. It speeds up the process to have entry cards already filled out in pencil with the correct binomial name underlined and the common name placed underneath in parentheses. Google is your friend for finding those Latin names. Bring entries earlier during the day so the friendly, knowledgeable folks have plenty of time to help figure out those mysterious plants and get cards filled out correctly.

Yankee Doodle Dandy is the theme for the Youth division and is open to anyone who lives in the area. Imagine bookmarks inspired by “stuck a feather in his hat” or a mobile using “riding on a pony” as its topic. “Called it macaroni” offers so many ways to create a collage. The designs must use some plant material but expect to see feathers, macaroni, and ponies on the table as well! Sections are divided by age groups so pre-schoolers are not competing with 18-year-olds. The Youth classes can also be found in the Fair Catalogue on pages 48-50. Though you might sponsor one of those kiddos, let them create, please. We can tell if you’ve cheated! Shame! Shame!

For the Mentone Fall Festival, RGC will have a booth near the gazebo behind the gym. We should have potted plants for sale, and maybe the mural will be completed on the back wall for photo ops. Benches along the boardwalk offer respite for weary feet.