Nature & Wildlife, Verwood | Posted on March 21st, 2024 | return to news
Huge turnout for Verwood and District Horticultural Society
There were more than 350 entries from 76 entrants for the society’s 77th annual Spring Show held on 16 March.
Verwood and District Horticultural Society opened their 77th Annual Spring Show on Saturday 16 March with show benches filled with over 350 entries from 76 entrants. The recent weeks of wet weather have proved difficult for spring bulbs; however this did not affect the quality of the blooms on display. Alongside rows and rows of glorious daffodils were pots of polyanthus, vases of flowering shrubs and beautiful sprays of camellias.
John Manston took the VDHS cup for Best Exhibit in Daffodils, with Norman Castro winning the cup for Most Points in Flowers and Plants as well as the Best Exhibit in the same categories for an impressive orchid. The flower arranging trophy was split four ways this year with Anne Bartlett, Diane Northam, Doreen Norton and Ann Gordon sharing the prize. Anne Bartlett also won Best Exhibit in Flower Arranging with an eye-catching interpretation of the “Wedding Time” brief, split over two levels. Norman Castro took the cup for Men-Only Flower Arranging.
Blooms were not the only impressive entries on the show day. The handicraft classes were well represented with cross-stitch, quilling, quilting and paintings all artfully displayed. Sue Coleman took the Best Exhibit prize for her exquisite threaded-bead Yeoman of the Guard. The Homecraft category was won by Anita Rigler for a lemon drizzle cake.
Many of the visitors were taken by the number of children’s entries this year. Easter cards, homemade flowers, wildlife garden designs and spring paper crowns added a splash of colour to the show, and demonstrated the creativity and imagination of Verwood schoolchildren. By far and above the most popular children’s class this year was the vegetable animals. Felicity Habgood (4) had created a cucumber bird, and Tabitha Greensmith (5) entered a potato unicorn complete with mangetout mane and baby sweetcorn horn. However, it was Carter Hayes (7) who took the Best Exhibit prize for his watermelon dinosaur head, and won himself a trophy and a £20 toyshop voucher. Hillside Pre-Schoolers also provided a fabulous display of over 30 violas in individually decorated pots.
The 2024 Spring Show also saw the judging of the “Verwood Through The Lens” photography competition, looking to find images from Verwood and its surrounding countryside to be enlarged for permanent display in the Verwood Memorial Hall. Over 65 photographs were submitted by talented local amateur photographers. The judges took a long time deliberating, but finally agreed on a wonderful photo capturing a Jay fighting a Great Spotted Woodpecker. Darren Price was awarded the first prize of £100 online voucher. Second prize, a £30 voucher, was awarded to Colin Lamond for a colourful sunrise landscape over Holt Heath, with third prize (£20 voucher) going to Tony Harris for a photo capturing the old Station Hotel, the Albion Inn with wildflowers in the “Historical Interest” category. Prizes for this competition were donated by Verwood Town Council.
The Mayor of Verwood, Toni Coombs, who was one of the judges, was impressed by the photos on display. She said: “It was an honour to be asked to join the judging panel for the photography competition. We had a difficult task as the standard and sheer number of images was high.
“Congratulations to all the winners in all categories on the day; and thank you for supporting the show. The chairman and committee worked very hard to make it a success.”
The society committee were pleased to note that visitor numbers to the show were up on last year, with membership up 77 per cent in the same period. The society has been through a period of reinvigoration and is excited about the schedule of upcoming events and activities planned. They have already enjoyed a behind-the-scenes look at the Stewart’s nursery glasshouses last month, and will be visiting Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival in July. If you’re interested in joining the VDHS, please contact Ollie on 07508 577114 or visit their website verwoodhorticulturalsociety.co.uk for more information.
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