Events & Entertainment, Verwood | Posted on March 19th, 2025 | return to news
Big turnout for Verwood flower show
With 250 entries, The Verwood and District Horticultural Society’s 78th annual Spring Show was a big success.
The Verwood and District Horticultural Society’s 78th annual Spring Show saw over 250 entries from 77 entrants.
Michael Latham took the VDHS cup for Best Exhibit in Daffodils with a beautiful variety, Mount Hood, with white petals and a primrose ombre-effect trumpet. Michael also took the cup for Most Points in Flowers and Plants, and Norman Castro won Best Exhibit for a beautiful orchid. The flower arranging trophy for Most Points in the section was awarded to Diane Ponting, while Doreen Norton took the Best Exhibit prize with a modern take on ‘Twists and Turns’.
Flowers were not the only impressive entries on the show day. The handicraft classes were well represented with Sue Coleman taking the Best Exhibit prize for a minute threaded-bead view of a rabbit burrow. The Homecraft category was won by Laura Jerome. The photography section was won by Clare Gribbin for a stunning shot of a girl selling woven crafts in the Far East.
In the children’s categories there were fruit and vegetable monsters, miniature masterpieces, and signature bake shortbread. One particularly fun class was for blown eggs decorated as famous people or characters, where Mr Tickle and Egg (sic) Sheeran were marginally beaten by a model of Mirabelle from ‘Encanto’, winning Tilly Greensmith the Best Exhibit.
A colouring competition also drew lots of entries with six overall winners: Reggie Dippen, Finley Judd and Tabitha Greensmith winning the 3–7 age group, and Imogen White, Elsie Lee, and Polly Metcalfe winning the 8–11 category.
The main event was a scarecrow competition which asked entrants to build a character from a book in celebration of World Book Day. Eleven entries saw a diverse set of characters — including Mary Poppins, Winnie the Witch, Paddington Bear, Mr Tumnus, Moses, and Little Red Riding Hood — submitted by clubs, schools, church groups, families and individuals.
A People’s Choice vote by visitors to the show claimed Verwood First School’s Reception class the winners with their take on Julia Donaldson’s Stick Man. The runner-up position was taken by the Elmer family from Edmondsham who entered a very impressive, crocheted Harry Potter.
VDHS chairman, Ollie Greensmith, said: “Congratulations to the winners and all those who made time to enter something into the show. We really appreciate everyone who brings an entry for the show benches, and those who come along to support it.”
The committee would also like to thank all the local businesses for their generous sponsorship of the 2025 shows.
Visitor numbers were up considerably on last year.
The next monthly meeting will feature a talk from Butterfly Conservation’s Stephen Brown who will talk about “Gardening for Butterflies” on Thursday 3 April at 7.30pm in the Verwood Memorial Hall. If you’re interested in joining the VDHS, please contact Ollie on 07508 577114 or visit the website www.verwoodhorticulturalsociety.co.uk for more information.
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