by design FLORAL DESIGN COMMITTEE
FALL 20181
BY DESIGN – FALL 2018
COVER GIRL
Floral Design Committee Lisa Snowden Chairman Amelia Crumbley Vice Chairman Editor, By Design
Wendy Mahoney Russell
The Garden Club of Wilmington, Zone V Best in Show and Harriet DeWaele Puckett Award
Wave of the Future
Julie Spear Coordinator Floral Design Workshops
GCA Flower Show at Zone V Meeting hosted by Carrie T. Watson Garden Club Class: Ebb & Flow - A futuristic design Citation: Wonderment of artistic expertise. Wow!!
Roberta DuBeshter Coordinator Floral Design Study Group Robin Hardman Assistant Coordinator Floral Design Study Group
I wrestled with creating the illusion of fluidity and some semblance of realism. I used sheets of sycamore bark as the plant material because they had a natural form that would mimic the appearance of water.
Mary Haggerty Copy Editor By Design
I soaked the pieces of bark in water, pressed them flat and applied the spray paint to the dull underside of the bark. I used complimentary hues with warm against cool colors. As the bark dried, each piece curled back into its natural form and gave the design needed depth.
Sara Ledbetter Layout Editor By Design Allison Romig Coordinator By Design Subscriptions Katie Downes Vice Chairman Awards
The layered strips of bark served to break down the forms the eye sees when looking at the surface of water. This was an attempt to recreate the distinct blocks of color we see and to capture the patterns of broken reflections and the refraction of the light on the surface of water.
Sally Obregon Treasurer Debbie Stockstill Ex-Officio WAFA Liaison Fleur Rueckert Executive Board Liaison
To my eye, the contrast of the clear vertical plexiglass tubes that made up the structure added to the appearance of moving, rippling water.
Pamela Green Zone Director Liaison
Wendy Russell
Missy Eliot Finance Committee Liaison
Subscriptions and Submissions If you would like to contribute ideas for articles, provide tips for “Random Resources,” submit your documented work for “Anatomy of a Design,” or share an entertaining tale for “A Funny Thing,” we would love to hear from you. Please contact us at ByDesignSubmissions@gmail.com. The By Design subscription form is available by going on the GCA website “Members Area” click “GCA Committee Pages” click “Floral Design” click “By Design” click “Subscribe to By Design in Print.” If you have questions, please contact us at ByDesign@gcamerica.org.
Anne Gerald Staff Administrator
Zone Representatives Bridget Bucknall, Zone I & II
Suzanne (Suky) Bracken, Zone III & IV Kathy Phillips, Zone V & VI Mary Moretz, Zone VII & VIII Margaret Wilson, Zone IX & X Barbara Hamachek, Zone XI & XII
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contents
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An introduction by Lisa Snowden, Floral Design Committee Chairman
A GCA Flower Show hosted by Sand Hills Garden Club, Zone VIII, at the Morris Museum of Art.
Zone VII and XII
By Line
A Southern Soujourn
FD 101 Workshops
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Are flowers the secret to happiness?
Mill Mountain Zone VII Flower Show
Enjoy a sneak preview of Daniel Santamaria’s floral artistry with an instructional article on one of his designs from our recent fall workshop. There will be more to come in following issues.
The Power of Flowers
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Gregor Lersch
In Houston with Master Floral Designer and Author
What’s the Buzzz?
FDSG Fall Workshop
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Anatomy of a Design Botanical Arts A Mermaid Purse
Floral Design Winners...... 15 Botanical Art Winners...... 20 #ByDesignFloralFavs......... 27 Random Resources............ 28 A Funny Thing.................... 30 Calendar............................. 32
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To say I love flowers, especially sunflowers, is an understatement. But not for the reasons you might think. Yellow is not my favorite color and sunflowers can be bulky and awkward to arrange. But these large brightly colored discs are the happiest of flowers and for me carry a very special meaning.
Who knows what unexpected pleasures and opportunities floral design may bring.
What began as a food source for my husband’s doves has over the years morphed into a series of family projects and adventures. Together with my SUV copilot mom, carloads of sunflowers were harvested and delivered to her ever-widening array of friends. My daughter and I rose early and once fully caffeinated sold them at the local farmer’s market. A neighbor’s granddaughter used them as a funding source for school tuition and books. Our field has served as a backdrop for bridal photographs, a yearbook cover, and a ribbon-cutting ceremony. We used sunflowers to decorate churches and retirement centers. Buckets have joyfully brightened our homes and those of our friends. What pleasures we have reaped from a field yellow of flowers. Flowers are a tremendous gift. They allow us to mark celebrations, to extend sympathy, to offer congratulations. They have the magical ability to provide physical and emotional pleasure and the transformative potential to turn any room into a special occasion. Not just ornamental, flowers energize the senses and arranging them can improve our well-being and that of others. They open doors giving us the chance to share the beauty and bounty of nature with a wide variety of people in a diverse array of venues. They lead us to places we have never even considered. As we launch the Floral Design Committee and continue publishing By Design, we invite all of you to join with us in reaping the joys of nature, in learning the art of floral design, and in experiencing the power and fun that flowers offer. We encourage you to expand your knowledge, to share your talents, and to be active ambassadors of nature’s beauty. Together we can plant the seeds for a bountiful future.
Lisa Snowden Chairman, Floral Design Committee
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THE OF
FLOWERS Maybe the hippies in the 60’s were onto something! Could the “secret to happy” be so simple as a flower? Can giving, receiving and growing flowers instantly bring us joy? Can a simple bouquet on our kitchen counter perk up our entire day?
outside of our homes. Think about the occasions – large and small – when you have had flowers in your home. People tend to gather around them; they make us more receptive, relaxed and engaged. You don’t need to set off a flower bomb in your
“Common sense tells us they do,” says Jeanette HavilandJones, lead researcher for a ten-month study on flowers at Rutgers. She states, “Now, science shows that not only do flowers make us happier than we know, but they also have strong positive effects on our emotional well-being.” If you are too stressed, busy or in crisis mode, turn to your buds – your flowering buds. We may think we need to change our schedules, slow down a fast-paced lifestyle or start a new exercise regime
home, a welcoming bouquet in our entry, a single flower in a guest room, a floral centerpiece in our dining room are the simple pleasures that attract family and friends. Hospitality professionals are ‘in the know’ about the power of flowers! There is a good reason why you see beautiful flowers in hotel lobbies across the globe, they welcome and relax travelers. Flowers in restaurants help patrons slow down and enjoy a good meal, shopping venues entice consumers with appealing window displays and notice all the floral designs on the sets of every television talk show.
to relieve stress; but according to the Rutgers study, nature has provided us with a healthy and natural way to de-stress. And what about inspiring conversations? Did you know that flowers are scientifically proven to help make connections and increase contact with family and friends? A study from Harvard University Medical School by Dr. Nancy Etcoff focused on the “home ecology” of flowers. Giving flowers as a gift, to honor an occasion or in a public setting opens up conversations
Are flowers the secret to a better mood all day long? Dr. Etcoff explains in her study, “the morning blahs, it turns out, is a real phenomenon, with positive moods – happiness, friendliness and warmth – manifesting later in the day.” So, get a head start in the morning by putting some blooms next to the coffee maker. The positive vibes you send out all day long, because YOU are ‘grooving’ through the day, affects those around you. So, what are you waiting for? Grab a bouquet and enjoy the power of flowers.
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GREGOR Master Floral Designer and Author in Houston German Master Florist Gregor Lersch was the fall speaker at The Garden Club of Houston’s Wallace Lecture at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston. Gregor is dedicated first and foremost to the promotion of natural flora, whether it is fresh or dried. He created unique structures and his designs included indigenous plant material from club members’ gardens. The biennial lecture is free and open to the public. Recognized as the Master of all Master Florists, he is one of the few people looked to internationally for bringing new trends and design evolution to the global floral design industry. Gregor has traveled the world teaching and sharing the beauty of skilled floral artistry in over thirty-two countries. He has been awarded numerous gold and silver medals. He speaks six languages fluently and is the author of more than thirty design books.
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LERSCH
The dangling branch at the left side balances the glass columns in a horizontal design that appears to float.
Wire armature is attached to the glass over scotch tape to protect the containers. “It’s like having on a belt and suspenders; very secure.”
Interesting design with a mixture of up and down tension created by bidirectional placement of plant material.
Stringing pods from a common rain tree gives motion and subtle color through clever manipulation of the pods into a linear form.
Tubes are filled with water and then the caps are glued on. Flowers are inserted into tubes only about an inch, so that water is available as they drink. Stem is glued to cap to prevent leakage when upside down. Tube and stem are then wrapped with paper covered wire for decorative purposes.
This is a marvel in woven textures and swirling lines creating energy and motion with diverse plant material in fiery colors.
CONTRIBUTORS: CAROLE BAILEY, GAY ESTES, RUTHIE KELLEY AND INGRID KELLY
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This design is typical Gregor Lersch with his linear design full of manipulated textural material and native and florist plants. Intriguing and complex.
Votive candles top this delicate structured tower of compatible tones of diverse floral material contrasted with the architectural structure of the twigs. The form repetition of the Norfolk pine cones, the wheat, and the ginger provide color harmony.
Rhythm within rhythm twining through the upright stakes; woven with wool yarn, flowers, leaves, and cane.
A dramatic horizontal design with complex free form textures and blush colors contrasting with pristine white roses.
Lovely berries and flowers are nestled into a rustic base of mosses and twigs creating a contrast in textures and palette. 8
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It is all about detail, detail, detail: close up views of the intricate and intriguing components that define the artistry of
GREGOR LERSCH
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Who says flower shows have to be in the spring? With temperatures dropping, creative juices were running in Augusta, Georgia, when Sand Hills Garden Club, Zone VIII, hosted A Southern Sojourn. The Morris Museum of Art was a perfect setting for the GCA Flower Show held in late October. Located on the Riverwalk in downtown Augusta, the Morris Museum is the oldest museum in the country that is dedicated to the art and artists of the American South. Its collection of nearly 5,000 works of art dates from the Federal Period to the present. Lead by co-chairs Lynda Blanchard and Mary Moretz, Sand Hills members planned for over eighteen months to make the show a success. The Floral Design division offered five classes with designs interpreting works from the museum’s permanent collection. Exhibitors could select from galleries of Late Twentieth Century, Impressionistic, Regionalism, and Landscape paintings. The fifth class was staged around an exhibit of studio glass. Artistic designs drew visitors through the galleries and lead them into a floral maze of southern culture. Best in Show at A Southern Sojourn was designed by Kathy Powell of Peachtree Garden Club of Atlanta. Her curved branches, painted a hazy blue color to match the coveralls that the subject was wearing, were shaped to represent the curvature of the elderly gentleman’s back in the sensitive painting, The Last Fall. The Puckett Award was given for the appropriately named painting, Abstraction. Nancy Jamison, of Cherokee Garden Club, also in Atlanta, used unusual Heliconias and careful editing in inspiration for her nonrepresentational painting. She also won first in her class. Diane Festa and Mary Doffermyer, from Peachtree Garden Club, won the Munger with their traditional southern mass arrangement in a bark container to complement the rustic barn subject in their painting, Cotton Barn in Beech Island, S.C. The Baylor Award and a first place went to Kelly Hagler of Sand Hills Garden Club, which hosted the show. The moody painting of Bayou Teche was brought to life with dark bark, mixed foliage and blush roses to accent the lights and darks of the painting.
By Gay Estes, Garden Club of Houston and Mary Moretz, Sand Hills Garden Club
Photography by Linder Suthers, Trustees’ Garden Club, Savannah, Ga
Kathy Powell
Peachtree Garden Club Best in Show Class 3: Time and Place Citation: An intensely, emotional response to the painting.
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Nancy Jamison
Cherokee Garden Club Harriet Dewaele Puckett Award Class 1: Setting the Stage Citation: Beautiful Interpretation
Diane Festa and Mary Doffermyer
Peachtree Garden Club Dorothy Vietor Munger Award Class 1: Setting the Stage Citation: Absolutely Beautiful
Kelly Hagler
Sandhill Garden Club Sandra Baylor Novice Award Class IV: Going Outside Citation: Well done! You are out of the box, wow!
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The co-chairs of our Zone VII Meeting and Flower Show, Martha Anderson and Fayetta Weaver began assigning jobs for our show “What’s the Buzz in the Blue Ridge?” about two years ago. The show’s name reflects our pride in our beautiful locale in the Blue Ridge Mountains and our interest in sustainability and conservation, focusing on pollination. I was thinking about my job writing the Floral Design Division of the Schedule when I received a request from Fayetta asking if we could make the show Oasis free. Fayetta (Weaver) is very conservation minded in all that she does. She received the 2016 Zone Conservation Award and chaired the GCA Conservation Committee 2011-2013. When I told Fayetta, “Sure, we can do that.” I was not entirely sure how this would work out. Of course, flowers were arranged before anyone knew about floral foam, but that was awhile ago. Maybe we had become lazy as arrangers. Oasis made arranging so easy. Many of our garden club members had been discussing the likely negative environmental impact of floral foam. The information we were finding was contradictory. I don’t believe there have been any official studies published on the environmental impact. Undeniably, floral foam is made of plastic, it is not organic and not biodegradable. Smithers-Oasis has a new enhanced biodegradability floral foam that will break down into “methane, CO2 and organic matter” if placed in a “biologically active landfill condition.” The problem is, to the best of my knowledge, we don’t have that kind of landfill anywhere near our area. The total “Ah ha” moment for me was when I soaked a brick of Oasis overnight in a white basin, after I plucked the brick out to use in an arrangement, the remaining water was filled with wet oasis particles. Was I going to wash these micro-plastics down the drain? Would they end up in the ocean with the other micro-plastics? When I practiced the arrangements on the schedule without using floral foam, I found that it really was not so hard. My creativity and innovation were challenged. When looking back at past GCA show arrangements, I realized that the dreaded foam was not widely used anyway. Yeah, we can do this! by Barbara Pace Mill Mountain Garden Club
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Catherine Bolton
Garden Club of Alexandria Best In Show & Sandra Baylor Novice Award Class 1: The Taubman Museum Citation: The restraint of all elements of the design and crativity of woven material gives high impact.
Beth Burrus
Garden Club of Norfolk Dorothy Vietor Munger Class I: The Taubman Musuem Citation: Play on light gives luminescense to the design, plant material is out of proportion.
Jana Dowds
Glenview Garden Club First in Class Class 3: The Roanoke Star
Eleanor Thompson & Barbra Love
The French Broad River Garden Club Foundation First in Class Class 2: The 611 Steam Train Citation: Right on Track!
Photography by Kathryn Feldman and Winifred Ballenger of Mill Mountain Garden Club BY DESIGN – FALL 2018
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Fox Ritchay
Glenview Garden Club, Zone VII Botanical Art Creativity Award Class: Bee and Bloom Brooch Citation: A buzz with the bee from bloom to the hive.
Julie Boxley June Booth
Peyton Wells
The Tuckahoe Garden Club Best in Show/Needlework Class: Needlepoint of Pollinators Citation: Dynamic pull into the world of pollinators and their plants.
Virginia Beach Garden Club Best in Show Class: Floral Hair Clasp Citation: We want that bee in our hair!
Mill Mountain Garden Club GCA Novice Award in Botanical Art Class: Pollinator Phone Case Citation: A textural sensation.
Zone VII Floral Design Award Winners Barbara Spaulding Cramer Zone Floral Design Education Award: Marie Thomas, The Augusta Garden Club Zone Floral Design Achievement Award: Sarah Belle Parrott, Mill Mountain Garden Club
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and the winners are... Diana French
The Lenox Garden Club
Scenes of Summer GCA Flower Show, hosted by Garden Club of Dublin Class: Afternoon Thunderstorm Citation: Electrifying bolt of energy!
Jeannie Poore
Piscataqua Garden Club, Zone I
Alchemy The Magic of Nature GCA Flower Show at Zone I Meeting hosted by Milton Garden Club Class: Alchemy Citation: Masterful composition.
Kathleen Solberg
Garden Club of Darien, Zone II BIS and Harriet D. Puckett Award
Iconic Stlye - A Design Legacy GCA Flower Show at the Zone II Meeting hosted by New Canaan Garden Club Class: Glass - An underwater design Citation: You say so much with so little.
Susan Murray
Allyn’s Creek Garden Club, Zone III BIS and Sandra Baylor Novice Award
What’s Brewing...? GCA Flower Show at Zone III Meeting hosted by Lake and Valley Garden Club Class: Ninety-Nine Bottles of Beer on the Wall - A design staged in a white niche Citation: Sophisticated synergistic design with well executed complimentary components.
Best in Show
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Dorothy Vietor Munger Award Donna Bender
Akron Garden Club, Zone X Art Blooms - GCA Flower Show hosted by Akron Garden Club, Zone X Class: Akron Juxtaposed - A monochromatic mass design to complement Wall Drawing Citation: Superb rhymthic modern line mass.
Patti Kelly
Knoxville Garden Club, Zone IX Lumination - GCA Flower Show at Zone IX Meeting hosted by Knoxville Garden Club Class: Mystic Mountains - An underwater design Citation: Munger majesty with appreciation for degree of difficulty required to achieve crystal clarity.
Susan Winter and Colleen Mahoney
South County Garden Club of R.I., Zone II
Iconic Stlye - A Design Legacy GCA Flower Show at the Zone II Meeting hosted by New Canaan Garden Club Class: Canvas (niche) - A design, inspired by the painting provided, Citation: Exquisite color sophistication!
Emmie Avery
Garden Club of Lookout Mountain, Zone IX
The Lookout Mountain Club - GCA Flower Show hosted by Garden Club of Lookout Mountain, Zone IX Class: The Grand Entrance - A traditional mass design Citation: Exquisite fresh plant material results in a design of outstanding beauty.
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Kimberley Devlin-Brytz
Piscataqua Garden Club Scenes of Summer - GCA Flower Show hosted by Garden Club of Dublin Dorothy Vietor Munger Award Class: Hidden in the Morning Mist Citation: A beauty. A very creative immaculate design no longer hidden by the morning mist.
Wendy Cushman and Carole Rice
Bedford Garden Club, Zone III
What’s Brewing...? GCA Flower Show at Zone III Meeting hosted by Lake and Valley Garden Club Class: On Draft - A mass design Citation: The combination of color and texture creates an outstanding design.
Margaret Head and Mary Evelyn McKee
Red Mountain Garden Club, Zone VIII City Color, GCA Flower Show hosted by Little Garden Club of Birmingham and Red Mountain Garden Club Class: Some Like It Hot Citation:Varied plant material, colors and textures - and a brave choice of colored container!
Tami Pringle and Ashley Ramirez
Lake Geneva Garden Club, Zone XI Best in Show and Munger Award Regatta on Geneva Lake - GCA Flower Show hosted by Lake Geneva Garden Club, Zone XI Class: Know your Knots - A design inspired by sailing knots. Use of rope is permitted. Citation: Worthy of First Place Trophy
and the winners are... BY DESIGN – FALL 2018
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Paula Crockard
Red Mountain Garden Club, Zone VIII City Color - GCA Flower Show hosted by Little Garden Club of Birmingham and Red Mountain Garden Club Class: Some Like It Hot Citation:Your choice of plant material is red hot! Creative container and placement of heliconia.
Ann Breard
The Monroe Garden Study League, Zone IX Lumination - GCA Flower Show at Zone IX Meeting hosted by Knoxville Garden Club Class: Flickering Firefly Citation: All properties of the Puckett present!
Marilyn Beuttenmuller and Mary Pressly
Garden Club of Palm Beach, Zone VIII
Parks, Pines & Preservation GCA Flower Show at Zone VIII Meeting, hosted by Trustees’ Garden Club Class: Fragrant Garden Citation: Unique skillful creative response to schedule
Marguerite Tremelin
Akron Garden Club, Zone X Art Blooms - GCA Flower Show hosted by Akron Garden Club, Zone X Class: Akron Conceived Citation: Powerful and striking interpretation.
Pam Russo
Rumson Garden Club, Zone IV Puckett and Best in Show
Greetings from the Jersey Shore GCA Flower Show at Zone IV Meeting hosted by Rumson Garden Club Class: Wildwood Citation: Creativity taken to another level.
Harriet DeWaele Puckett Creativity Award 18
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Joyce Gulden
Rumson Garden Club, Zone IV
Greetings from the Jersey Shore - GCA Flower Show at Zone IV Meeting hosted by Rumson Garden Club Class: Little Silver Citation: Scale of sophisticated and delicate textures produce a design exceeding novice expectations.
Dolly McKenna
Garden Club of Dublin, Zone I
Scenes of Summer GCA Flower Show hosted by Garden Club of Dublin, Zone I Class: Walking in the Sunshine Citation: W ell met challenge using exquisite colors, textures and forms.
Holly Porter
The Providence Club of PA, Zone V Wave of the Future - GCA Flower Show at Zone V Meeting hosted by Carrie T. Watson Garden Club Class: White Caps Judges’ Citation: Captivating White Caps on the Move
Alice Nichols
Perennial Planters, Zone II Iconic Stlye - A Design Legacy - GCA Flower Show at the Zone II Meeting, hosted by New Canaan Garden Club Class: Brick Citation: Congratulations - You're on your way!
Fern MacMillan
Akron Garden Club, Zone X Art Blooms - GCA Flower Show hosted by Akron Garden Club, Zone X Class: Akron Transfixed Citation: Transfixed by pristine plant material, excellent placement and extraordinary line.
Sara Murphy
Green Tree Garden Club, Zone XI Baylor and Harriet Dewaele Puckett
Regatta on Geneva Lake GCA Flower Show hosted by Lake Geneva Garden Club, Zone XI Class: Man Overboard Citation: A whimsical concept beautifully executed in every detail.
Sandra Baylor Novice Floral Design Award BY DESIGN – FALL 2018
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Botanical Arts Winners
Jennifer Figge
Chestnut Hill Garden Club, Zone I GCA Novice Award in Botanical Arts
Leslie Purple
Wissahickon Garden Club Best In Show in Botanical Arts
Alchemy The Magic of Nature GCA Flower Show at Zone I Meeting hosted by Milton Garden Club Class: Transformation Citation: Texture and line create an exemplary design of distinction.
Cottages: Smart and Small 2018 Newport Flower Show Class: Travellers Citation: An exquisite beautiful balanced brooch in perfect scale and proportion. Showstopper.
Karen Lucas
Country Garden Club, Zone X Botanical Arts Creativity Award A Way with Flowers - GCA Flower Show hosted by Country Garden Club, Zone X Class: The Girl With The Pearl Earring Citation: Edgy and avant-garde for the free spirited wearer. Radically different... but effective.
Kathy Reed
Akron Garden Club, Zone X GCA Novice Award in Botanical Arts Art Blooms - GCA Flower Show hosted by Akron Garden Club, Zone X Class: Gertude’s Morning Room Citation: A magical and whimsical design.
Sarah Boynton
Cohasset Garden Club, Zone I Best in Show Botanical Arts & Botanical Arts Creativity Award
Alchemy The Magic of Nature GCA Flower Show at Zone I Meeting hosted by Milton Garden Club Class: Transformation - A brooch Citation: The creativity and craftsmanship of this brooch is trans-formative! 20
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Marsha Cannon
The Garden Club of Jackson, Zone IX Best in Show Botanical Arts Lumination - GCA Flower Show at Zone IX Meeting hosted by Knoxville Garden Club Class: Woodland Necklace Citation: We are illuminated by your floral masterpiece.
Debby Bauman
Akron Garden Club, Zone X Botanical Arts Creativity Award Iconic Stlye - A Design Legacy - GCA Flower Show at the Zone II Meeting, hosted by New Canaan Garden Club Class: Mrs. F.A. Seiberling’s Art Deco Necklace
Janice Panoff
South County Garden Club of R.I., Zone II Best in Show Botanical Arts
Iconic Stlye - A Design Legacy GCA Flower Show at the Zone II Meeting hosted by New Canaan Garden Club Class: Fauna - A necklace incorporating a butterfly(s) Citation: Worthy of a Tiffany window
Tina Tynes
Red Mountain Garden Club, Zone VIII Best in Show Botanical Arts & Botanical Arts Creativity Award City Color, hosted by Little GC of Birmingham and Red Mountain GC Class: Ball… What Necklace Should She Wear? Citation: Sapphires are always in style.
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of a botanical arts design
ANATOMY
Class requirements - Create a mermaid’s evening bag not to exceed 10” in any dimension. Viewed from three sides. First, I found this branch of Harry Lauder’s Walking Stick (Fig. 1) and was inspired to use it as both a base and handle for my purse because it looked like an octopus leg. Next, I chose a dried, upright elephant ear leaf (Fig. 2). It reminded me of a paper nautilus shell. The pistachios shown were about the right size and resembled barnacles. Turning to the internet for ideas, I searched “beaded evening bags” and soon realized I was interested in asymmetrical designs, varying the scale and color of beads, and including some small metallic-looking beads for shimmer. My next step was to find out how purses open and close, hinge or snap, tie or fold. Armed with fresh ideas, craft supplies, and botanical selections I was ready to start. When I found my handle, I fashioned my version of papier-mâchè for the body of the purse. I used recycled wine shipping cardboard that I tore and manipulated by either flattening or curving the material (Fig. 3) and reassembling with a glue gun. The branches were left longer than needed to give me design and functionality options. I finally started sawing branches to conform to the entry rules for the 10” size restriction and rechecked this periodically! It was the first time I had ever used a Dremel saw! At that point, I began rethinking how I was actually going to use that paper nautilus. I knew I needed one or two other large components to balance its size. A few other underwater animals came to mind that could be created with my supplies (Fig. 4), such as sea anemones, barnacles, starfish, coral, and pearls. 22
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Mermaid Purse Stella Ryan
Rumson Garden Club, Zone IV Botanical Arts Best in Show and Creativity Award
Greetings from the Jersey Shore GCA Flower Show at Zone IV Meeting May 30-31, 2018
Fig. 1 Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Next, the work of crafting the latches and hooks began for both sides of the top. It is an important aspect of botanical art to make a piece appear functional as well as beautiful. While on a trip to visit family in Los Angeles, I hunted for eucalyptus seeds to become suckers for the octopus legs (Fig. 5). I saw the seeds used while watching an online study video by Sarah Boynton, a botanical art wizard! I applied them to the handle and foot of the purse thinking about how an octopus would move its legs. At that point, I began painting an assortment of different sized beans, peas, and seeds with fingernail polish. I hot glued them to the heads of pins secured in styrofoam and applied several coats of polish for an extra richness of color. Coriander seeds, adhered in a bunch, were easily painted with Testor’s gold enamel. I wanted different shades for my pearls and tried using macadamia nuts for their generous size. There was so much oil when I sanded them with fine grit sandpaper that I was concerned the fingernail polish would not stick, but after 2-3 coats, they looked beautiful! Next, I decided to give the papier-mâchè body a coat of turquoise acrylic paint in case any part peeked through the pearls. All peas and beans were painted before being applied, except for the tiniest chia seeds. Those were attached by covering a small area with Elmer’s glue, sprinkling seeds in place, and were the last to be painted (Fig. 6). I worked from the largest attached components to the smallest, clustering pearls and beads in free form aquatic shapes. In keeping with the underwater composition, I maintained a cool blue-green color palette. Stella Ryan Rumson Garden Club
Fig. 4 Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Craft Supplies: wine-shipping cardboard straight pins styrofoam hot glue gun Dremel saw fingernail polish acrylic paint Testor’s enamel paint small grit sandpaper
KEY CARD Aleurites fordii tung nut Alocasia odora upright elephant ear Asplenium nidus bird’s nest fern Celosia cristata coxcomb Cicer arietinum chickpea/garbanzo Coriandrum sativum coriander seed Corylus avellana Harry Lauder’s Walking Stick Cucurbita pepo pumpkin seed Cymbidium sp. miniature orchid Eucalyptus camaldulensis eucalyptus seed Glycine max yellow soybean Helianthus annuus sunflower seedhead
Helianthus annuus Illicium verum Macadamia ternifolia Pimenta dioica Pistacia vera Quercus coccinea Salvia hispanica Senecio mandraliscae Senecio serpens Setaria italica Vigna radiata
sunflower seedhead star anise macadamia nut allspice berry pistachio nut scarlet oak acorn black chia seed succulent blue chalk sticks succulent blue chalk sticks hulled foxtail millet mung bean BY DESIGN – FALL 2018
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Zone XII FD101 Workshop PIEDMONT GARDEN CLUB HOSTS VERY SUCCESSFUL FD 101 WORKSHOP
On October 10, 2018, the Piedmont Garden Club hosted a very successful FD 101 workshop. The twenty participants included members from the Woodside-Atherton, Orinda and Piedmont Garden Club. Margy Pengilly and Susan Seidel were the Zone XII instructors for the day. Modern Line Design was studied in the morning using the educational materials from the 101 syllabus. The participants then put into practice what they had learned. The results were spectacular. The afternoon session focused on Modern Mass Design. The abundance of gorgeous floral material was enjoyed by all as well as the addition of colorful variegated peppers in this design. This well thought out program developed to teach flower arranging skills to GCA members throughout the country has proven to be a program that ensures knowledge and success. How better to illustrate this but from the comments of the participants themselves:
“Thorough, well organized and FUN workshop” “Learned lots in an environment made for learning” “Felt at ease and very, very well supported” “Well thought out and beautifully conducted” “Perfect day all around” “Run well with all the supplies we needed, in the amounts we needed and so fun and informative” “I wanted to be inspired, and I was” “Wonderful, informative, and fun day”
by Margy Pengilly and Susan Seidel Zone XII FD Workshop Instructors 24
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Zone VII FD101 Workshop JULIE SPEAR GIVES FLORAL DESIGN LESSONS TO PADUCAH GARDEN CLUB The sun shone brightly on Thursday, October 18, as Paducah Garden Club welcomed Julie Spear, the GCA Coordinator of Floral Design Workshops. While Julie has led many workshops and holds a long list of Best in Shows and floral design recognition, she was quick to remind us that floral design is not about winning a blue ribbon. Her mantra is to enjoy the beauty of the flowers and “let your mind be like water.” In other words, if you hit an obstacle, just go with the flow. Twenty-four PGC members participated. Each person received the new GCA Floral Design Workshop 101 syllabus, a black cube container, a bucket of yellow roses, purple carnations, green spider mums, galax leaves, aspidistra leaves, and Anaheim peppers. After watching Julie’s cheerful show-and-tell, it wasn’t long before the room was full of twenty-four beautiful modern mass arrangements! Julie continued the workshop by demonstrating easy ways to arrange with leaf manipulation, leftover carnation stems and anything with a different texture. Her favorite phrase is, “You have to get your hand on the ball” and work with the flowers. The fun continued at the October program in the home of Gail Ransler as Julie demonstrated a multitude of floral designs, from simple place card holders out of tiny pumpkins to beautiful low arrangements for dinner parties and Christmas entertaining. Her finale was sharing with us one of her Best in Shows in which she transformed the container from a ceramic head of a woman to a lady at the beauty parlor! It was quite a show. With all of her enthusiasm, there was no doubt that Paducah Garden Club members were inspired to step out of the box and create for our homes and friends. Julie also reminded members that when we enter a flower show, just remember, “Sometimes you are the bug and sometimes you are the windshield…. Enjoy!” Sid Hancock Paducah Garden Club, Zone VII
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FDSG Fall Workshop
with Daniel Santamaria
Azalea Wreath Design Step by Step: Supplies: 15 inch Oasis wreath with plastic tray bottom Glass circular bowl or riser to elevate wreath Reeds 96 inch length 7.0 mm round, cut to 32 inch length
Instructions:
Start with a dry Oasis wreath and place on glass riser. Cut a few sticks in irregular lengths with blunt ends measuring about one inch longer than the inside diameter of the foam. Insert ends at an angle into foam making sure you don’t go all the way through the foam. Lengths used were between 5 inches to 11.5 inches. Add some sticks to the outside of the oasis ring. Keep inside and outside cane at same level, next to the bottom of he ring. All sticks do not have to be pushed into the foam. Lay some sticks on top of other sticks, securing with the bind wire. Trim frame sticks to make balanced round frame, or shape as desired. Wetting the foam after all sticks are inserted will secure the sticks and keep flowers fresh. Cover the foam with cut azalea pieces, using all parts of the azalea. Place azalea pieces in radial groups. Save one section of the Oasis wreath without azalea to add chrysanthemums using a pave technique. If adding callas, always cut a calla straight across the stem to keep the strength of the stem for inserting into foam. If using orchids for accent, use a small tube for water to keep them hydrated. Insert a few blades of Lilly grass curved around the top of the circle. Remove leaves from the smilax and lay the vine artistically on the top of the design. Finish design by placing additional single flowers throughout the design. Add interest to the design by elevating one section of the form with flowers. Options: Prior to wetting foam, the sticks can be spray painted if desired. Design can be adapted for the holidays using leaves, holly, pine cones, nuts, etc. Contributors: Carole Bailey, Barbara Hamachek, Martha McClellan, Debbie Stockstill 26
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Resource: Frank’s Cane & Rush Supply California, phone 714-847-0707
By Design Floral Favs
some of our favorites from social media who to follow if you’re not already Daniel Santamaria
Preston Bailey
Klaus Wagener
Gregor Lersch
Pim van den Akker
Hitomi Gilliam
Neill Strain
Francoise Weeks
Hideyuki Niwa
Jeff Leatham
Hanneke Frankema
Daniel Ost
Dmitry Turcan
Paula Pryke
Lewis Miller
Tony Marklew
Send us your favorites - ByDesign@gcamerica.org BY DESIGN – FALL 2018
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random resources From Readers . For Readers . By Readers
Fall greetings, as designers everywhere start planning for upcoming flower shows. Floral designers, let’s start with floral foam. Oasis now offers a biodegradable floral foam! Available in several varieties (Standard, Springtime, Instant, Deluxe, Advantage Plus, Micro Brick size, Cubes, and Designer Blocks), Oasis brand Floral Foam Maxlife Enhanced Biodegradability (1) is certified biodegradable within 567 days, according to the website description. Check with your florists or wholesalers or order online from oasisfloralproducts.com The Standard kind is sold 24 ($36.50), 36, or 48 per case. Shipping charges will vary according to the distributor nearest you. Another Oasis product that may be seen in upcoming flower shows is black colored Oasis blocks. Specifically, Oasis Foam Midnight (2), has similar properties as other forms of Oasis floral foam, and is black. The company suggests using this Midnight floral foam as a visible element in designs, and thus allowing for fewer flowers and foliage. There are numerous photos on the blog there from an AIFD Floral Designers Symposium, where Midnight was introduced. This is a new product, so check with your local florists and wholesalers. Mary Jo Strawbridge shared several of her favorite flower show necessities including her Seminole Floral Delivery System. Mary Jo says that years ago, she and Gaby Haab split the kit, and that after all this time, it is still going strong. The cost today is $279 for a whole set, but that now you can order half a set. Mary Jo suggests that a box of extra pins can be purchased separately, but that they are probably not necessary. Extra individual “blocks” might come in handy to fill in that pes28
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ky little space where you ran out of blocks. The website is seminoleds.com. Look for the Ultimate Delivery System Solution (3) that fits any vehicle. One kit contains 48 - 6” x 8” sections of plastic grid and one carton of plastic pins. There is a video to show how the system works. Mary Jo also shared her latest discovery, Pour On High Gloss Finish (4),which she used to create a wet look for her successful PHS entry this past spring. Envirotex Lite* is a water clear reactive polymer compound which cures to a glossy coating. Available at leading art, craft, hardware stores, and Amazon, amounts start at 4 ounce kits for under $10.00. From Bliss Clark came this unusual product seen at a GCA flower show: loofah (5). Geraldine Malone used a loofah in her Best in Show exhibit, and since loofah is plant material, it did not constitute an accessory and provided impressive contrast in texture. She reported that it was hard to cut, but when damped and pressed into the desired shapes, it dried and held through three days at the show. Bliss described, “loofah is so porous that it was nigh onto impossible to paint, but it did show some color when sprayed.” She encouraged readers not to ignore the linen and party rental emporia (6) when attempting functional tables for flower shows. The Garden Club of Michigan group has been blown away by the hugely expanded variety of table coverings available currently in their local party rentals store. And from Prunella, rumor has it that arthritis strength Tylenol (7) is the most effective remedy for achy fingers and heads when struggling with designs. Both Prunella and Bliss, howev-
er, suggest Hershey Kisses for energy and stress relief….especially the purple packaged Kisses (8) in dark chocolate. Martha McClellan adds Turmeric to that list. Touted as the Holy Powder in India, several brands of capsules are available. Some GCA members who attended the India WAFA seminar purchased Turmeric (9) there. For post-flower show duties, Roberta DuBester discovered a better way to clean glass test tubes. As she cleaned terra-cotta pots with Lime-AWay* (10) she added Lime-A-way to a bowl filled with water to cover her test tubes. After soaking overnight, the test tubes were clear! “I don’t even need to use a bottle brush…much more of a time saver for me.” Her rough measure estimate: one part Lime-A-Way to 6-8 parts boiling water. Roberta says to use a higher concentration if thicker crystalized particles remain in the tubes or if not cleaning them right away after use. Roberta added that her tubes are then sterilized by a run through the dishwasher. Lime-A-Way is available at all the usual stores and online. For photographers, Gay mentioned a wonderful website which, if you subscribe, comes often with tips on all manner of photo information from lighting tips to post production: Digital Photography School. It’s like a home workshop, and the sample pictures are worth a thousand words, adds Gay. Thank you to each faithful reader who submitted resources for this issue. This is your column! Martha McClellan
#2 #3
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#6
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#10 #9
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The Art of Transporting Botanical Art Carole Bailey, experienced in botanical arts, offered her method of transporting a botanical arts entry to a show. She finds a box large enough to hot glue a piece of styrofoam to the bottom of the box. Then, she crisscrosses narrow ribbons over the entry, securing them in place with long straight pins in the foam. She notes that pins can also be angled to wedge the design if it is too delicate to have ribbons touching it. Carole recommends always including a photograph of the finished entry, so the receiver will know if it has arrived in perfect condition. Put the materials card in a ziplock bag and inflate with air before closing. Then tape the materials bag to the side or top of the box, so it does not damage the card or the botanical piece. If mailing the entry, place this box cushioned inside another box. Include instructions for unpacking if the entry is tricky. Label both boxes so entry may be returned unharmed.
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a funny thing ...happened in Taos Tricia, Eric, and Fitzgerald Cat Stammberger spend their summer hours enjoying the beauty and serenity of their Taos home thriving there in the midst of gardens overflowing with perennials, annuals, wildflowers, shade plants, squash and gourds, fruit trees, and nearly one thousand Dahlia plants boasting a kaleidoscope of plate-sized wonders. Tricia is an accomplished floral designer, patient teacher, astute FD judge, and member of Founders Garden Club of Dallas. Eric is her greatest admirer and willing assistant. They graciously share their beloved gardens with friends and strangers alike. At the end of the last of what some might say had been a couple of hectic days, Tricia happily turned to Eric - “Wasn’t that terrific!”
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Dear friends, I am just coming up for air. We survived the Taos Home & Garden Tour last Saturday. We had around 500 people and a few dogs tour the house & gardens. It was a fundraiser for the Taos Garden Club. Dogs were not allowed, but it was too hot to leave them in the car. I was usually the dog sitter. All went well except for a temporary parking gridlock. The police threatened to issue a ticket because the garden club had not applied for a parking permit. At one time we had 44 cars parked in our backyard. The dahlias were barely blooming, but we expected that. The rest of the garden was as perfect as Jerry and his crew of eleven could get it. I staged the house. Eric just found his favorite coffee cup, the ironing board might be lost forever, and I must remember to remove the last of the dishes hidden in the oven. Fitzgerald has almost recovered from being relegated to the closet for the day. He is pretty used to being the center of attention. I went to get him out of the closet to show him off, and he was nowhere to be found. A docent was in the master bedroom and swore no one had come near the closet door. I was on my hands and knees going through every corner of the closet - no cat. Just as I gave up the cat appeared with dirty paws. I will forever wonder where he had hidden and what he had gotten into. The real challenge came from me doing a floral design interpreting a Fechin painting at the Taos Art Museum the same day as the tour. The flower show veterans will appreciate the rest of the story. A young man on our gardener Jerry’s crew made a metal stand for me to attach a large Ikea nylon lampshade (the small one was not available online). The only flowers available in Taos are days old at the two grocery stores. I simply did not have time the week of the tour to drive the 1½ hours to Santa Fe. My only choice was to order flowers. I talked to the new Mayesh wholesale office in Houston. My new rep assured me FedEx could overnight flowers to this rural area. They did arrive on Thursday as promised, but the box was left on the front sidewalk. There were probably thirty people working around the garden and house but none in front. When the box was discovered the girls in the garden came in to help me condition the flowers. We are very lucky to have our own well, but in this third world country the electricity sometimes goes off for a while. If you have a well, you have a pump, but with no power, you have no water. The girls offered their drinking water, but we waited for the electricity to come back. I will never order delphiniums or snapdragons again. You all could have probably told me that was a mistake. I have to have this design at the museum on Friday afternoon. Then, the first thing happened, I flooded the bathroom because I forgot to turn off the water while soaking the Oasis in the sink. Six towels later I was ready to start again. The museum called and said it would probably be better to bring the design early Saturday morning because the museum is a house and might not be kept cool enough to keep flowers fresh. This is good news because I have helpers inside, outside, everywhere setting up for the tour the next day. On Saturday morning D-Day I carefully make up the bed. I had everything ready to take to the museum early. I had asked Jerry if the metal stand would fit in my car and he, as always, replied “no problem in the SUV.” Well, it would not fit by a fraction of an inch. I frantically called Jerry and he came racing down the mountain in his truck. The museum was frantic that I was not there. Imagine what the State Fair of Texas is like on opening day and you can kind of imagine what was going on around my house this morning. Jerry got the metal stand to the museum. I followed with flowers and lampshade. By now guests were already arriving. I threw the design together and had to get my car out of the no-parking zone blocking traffic. I hurriedly told the docent the white nylon was a lampshade. Raffle tickets were being sold for the thirteen floral designs in the museum. The garden tour was over at 4 pm but the museum did not close until 5 pm I hurried back to take pictures when only a small army was still at my house. Unfortunately they decided to have the raffle at 4 pm - all the designs were gone. I have no photos of any of the designs including mine. I am sure someone will send me photos. One last thing - the docent mistook my lampshade explanation to mean this was a lamp. I am surprised I have not heard from the recipient. I don’t know how to make a lamp!
Eric and I are now on vacation.
Tricia
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by design A publication of The Garden Club of America Volume XXXIII Number 1
409 Orchard Lane Fort Washington, PA 19034
F LOW E R S HOW C A L E N DA R March 2-10, 2019 Flower Power! PHS Philadelphia Flower Show Sanctioned Non-GCA Major Flower Show Hosted by Pennsylvania Horticultural Society https://theflowershow.com
April 25, 2018 Crowns, Gowns and Roses GCA Flower Show Hosted by The Gertrude Windsor Garden Club, Zone IX Mary Lauren Faulkner, marylauren@suddenlink.net and Jean Burroughs, tulipjean@yahoo.com
March 25-27, 2019 ¡Puro San Antonio! GCA Flower Show Hosted by Alamo Heights-Terrell Hills Garden Club, Zone IX Contact Susan Altgelt, saltgelt@sbcglobal.net and Barbara Sullivan, bvmsullivan@gmail.com
May 6-8, 2019 We Can Do It! GCA Flower Show Hosted by The Monroe Garden Study League, Zone IX Contact: Maré Brennan, mare.brennan@yahoo.com
April 8-11, 2019 Wonders of the Wetlands GCA Flower Show at Zone IX Meeting Hosted by Magnolia Garden Club, Zone IX Contact: Gina Crenshaw, crenshaw04@aol.com April 16-17, 2019 Florescence “Time” GCA Major Flower Show Hosted by River Oaks Garden Club and The Garden Club of Houston, Zone IX Contact: Carmen Knapp, sailby2@aol.com and Meg Tapp, megtapp@hotmail.com April 22-25, 2019 Gold Leaf GCA Flower Show at Zone VIII Meeting Hosted by Garden Club of Palm Beach, Zone VIII Contact: Lisa Bertles, LCPBertles@me.com and Leigh Failing, leighfailing@gmail.com 32
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May 7-9, 2019 The Myth of Persephone The Birth of the Seasons GCA Flower Show Hosted by Garden Club of Darien, Zone II Contact: Emily D’Andrea, edandrea922@gmail.com May 8-9, 2019 GCA Flower Show Hosted by LaDue Garden Club, Zone XI Contact: Linn Wells, linnup4265@gmail.com May 16-19, 2019 Hills Harbors Horizons GCA Flower Show at Annual Meeting, Zone 1 Contact Carrie Waterman, cwaterman@comcast.net May 30-June 1, 2019 Nature’s Poetry GCA Flower Show Hosted by Seattle Garden Club, Zone XII Contact: Suzette de Turenne, sdeturenne@comcast.net & Jenny Wyatt, wyattjen@comcast.net