It was a very different meeting this month entitled ‘Fun, Friendship and Flowers’. The aim was to  encourage as many members as possible to take part.

Almost fifty members participated in a ‘hands on’ practical session. The completed arrangements were so varied that it was difficult to realise that everyone had been provided with the same container, midelino sticks, five flowers and some broad leaf foliage. These were supplemented with up to three items of the members’ own choice – twisted willow, extra foliage or flowers, aluminium wire, sisal and butterflies to name a few! The colourful and attractive designs on the stage at the end of the evening really showcased the expertise and talent within the club.

There was also the opportunity to watch demonstrations by members Sheila and Hazel. They produced a pedestal arrangement and church windowsill design using a wide variety of flowers and  foliage (mostly from their own gardens) as well as providing lots of practical tips along the way.

There was also social time to enjoy refreshments and a chat and the committee are grateful for the effort taken to complete a questionnaire; the results of which will inform us as we plan for the development and future of the society.

Thank you to everyone who showed enthusiasm during the evening and to those who worked hard   to organise the event.

A few photos below  give a flavour of the evening.

We welcomed Joyce to BFAS on April 1^st .  The foliage, almost all from her own garden, provided a wonderful variety of colour and texture as background to the designs in   her  Pic ‘n ’Mix demonstration. I’m sure many of us were inspired to be more adventurous with the foliage we grow and use.

The first arrangement was in a picnic basket. The foliage in this design was from her garden and included   cupressa, sundance choisya, juniper and cristata ‘The King’. The flowers were   peach carnations, spray chrysanthemums picking up the colour of the basket , mini gerberas and roses.  The smaller accompanying design had us reminiscing about pic ‘n’ mix sweets which Joyce had kindly placed at the base for our enjoyment.

The next three arrangements were bold statement containers:  two metal structures and a snake basket. Green balls and black bamboo were used to enhance the metal containers. The  focus of the second arrangement was longiflorum lilies and palms with green carnations, conifer and senecio. The third design was a vibrant arrangement of pink gerberas and anthuriums.  The shape of the design was further enhanced by trimmed trachy palm leaves, variegated box and hypericum with phormium leaves   providing height. Eucalyptus bark gave an interesting texture to the design in the snake basket  together with  contorted willow, phormium  and nadina  domestica. Spray carnations and  orchids were stunning against this foliage.

A parallel arrangement between two pieces of   stylised ladder sculptured wood used Cotoneaster and  dracaena leaves with aliums, tulips and red anthuriums. Paddy’s Pride formed the basis of the final design with stems of cornus   providing  height.The green and white design used green carnations, avalanche roses, Anastasia chrysanthemums, green anthuriums and gypsophila. This arrangement was displayed within a wooden framework which Joyce acknowledged was the handiwork of her husband.

‘Fun with Flowers’ was a phrase Joyce used on several occasions and her enjoyment in floral  art  was reflected throughout her demonstration.

A few photographs  are below with apologies that I forgot to remove the (wrong) date from the pictures.

Daphne introduced herself as a glassaholic and the wonderful array of containers she used in her ‘Georgeous Glass demonstration certainly confirmed her love of the material. The vases in varying shapes, sizes, colour and origin were a small part of her ever growing collection.

Her first arrangement was in a beautiful turquoise blue container with frilled edges. Eucalyptus, euonymus, epimedium and pussy willow formed a wonderful background for this white design using tulips, anemones, giant chincherinchee and alstromeria.

The second design, a Hogarth curve, in a beautiful dusky pink candlestick style container was vibrant in colour using cerise carnations, eustoma ,pink gerbera, pink roses and wax flower with viburnum tinus, arbutus  and Berry Marmalade heuchera foliage.  The third design, a long, low arrangement in Daphne’s ‘flying saucer’ container was designed as an all-round arrangement using ‘Cream Wave’ phormiums, yellow roses and tulips. The smooth leaves of the acuba and the wrinkled pittisporum  gave contrast of texture.

The next container reminded us of the peeling layers of an onion and included curled, plain and cream striped aspidistra leaves, choisya, and fatsia as foliage. Leucadendron formed the central point of the design with greenish carnations spiralling around it. Anastasia chrysanthemums completed the arrangement.

The red stems of prunus luctanica (Portuguese bay), together with cotoneaster, arbutus and fatsia formed the basis of the fifth design which was in a black and white vase similar in shape to a Yard of Ale glass. Red leucadendron, scarlet carnations, spray roses, red parrot tulips and scarlet gerberas completed a stunning arrangement.

An L shaped design was the final arrangement which picked up the pink tints in the glass container. ‘Red Devil’ phormium leaves (with rolled ends), skimmia and bergenia leaves provided the foil for pink lisianthus, roses(with a hint of pink), mini pink gerberas, mini amaryllis and pink anthuriums to add a touch of drama.

Daphne provided us with a most enjoyable evening producing six lovely designs – all equally desirable as raffle prizes.  Each design was a different shape and colour combination and included a variety of foliage which most of us have in the garden –  and all enhanced by her Georgeous Glass containers.

Thank you and well done to Lyn J and Doreen W  for entering a BFAS tree in the Christmas Tree Festival at St Pauls.

The lights inside the church from the sixty- one trees made it very difficult to take photographs which do justice to our tree but just a couple are included.

A Christmas feel welcomed members and friends to our final meeting of 2013. Thank you to everyone who provided and bought items  at  the plant stall (with holly, evergreens, pine and wreaths) and the Christmas parcels stall. Both of these raised additional money for our charity Leukaemia Research Bedford Branch. The sales table again was attractive and well stocked with a wide variety of general and seasonal items

We were pleased to welcome one of our own members, Julie Woods, with her demonstration ‘Let the Festivities Begin’. The six arrangements were very different in colour, shape and design but all were enhanced by the inclusion of a wide variety of foliage and by the use of Christmas glitter, baubles  and  decorations.

The first design included aspidistra leaves, arbutus, variegated hedera and loops of bound steel grass as a background for ornithigolam flowers and lime centred  gerberinas.  A beautiful arrangement on a posy pad.

 Red carnations, merlot spray chrysanthemums and poinsettia  provided the colour for The Santa arrangement which also used birch twigs, elaeagnus, holly and yew, with bergenia leaves providing a quiet area for the eyes to rest. Santa was given a cracker as were several members of the audience who shared the jokes with us. The next design, for a table centre, used virburnum bodnantense, rubus tricolor, bay, holly and fern. The colours of the spray roses, Singapore orchids and lilies complemented the glass container filled with baubles and  beads.       

The next design had us looking forward to planning holidays in warmer climes but also reminded us of the spices we use over the festive season. Julie used a wonderful structure of her own design, which was decorated with apples, oranges, peppers and cinnamon to display pincushion proteas, spray roses  and celosia with palm,  gilded fatsia, choisya and monstera foliage. Carols and Nativity were the inspiration for the fifth arrangement in two baskets linked by woven phormium leaves.  Amongst the foliage of cycas leaves, spindleberry, fatsia and euonymous, the beautifully coloured Gabriel anthuriums, large speciality chrysanthemums and cymbidium provided a  wonderful contrast to the previous design.

The final arrangement used an aluminium trough container decorated with cones, reminding us of winter Christmas scenes. The varied and colourful foliage included rhamnus, curly leaved hedera, variegated viburnum tinus, contorted willow and arum itallcum.  Together with snowy (cotton wool) twigs and silver leaves, it was a lovely display even before Julie added avalanche roses, brassica, longiflorum lilies and gypsophila.

 Julie completed the final touches to her  stunning  stage display as Aled Jones sang Walking in the Air. An inspiring evening  ensured everyone left the meeting feeling  ready for the preparations and the celebrations ahead.

On Saturday November 14 several members and friends attended a Christmas Workshop led by Lesley Sturdy at Kempston Church Hall.

Lesley  demonstrated three designs of  table decorations and door hangings after  which  members could experiment with their own ideas on one or all of the arrangements. She also  brought a couple of other  completed designs to inspire us using a variety of different materials.

A wide variation  of arrangements were produced from the initial ideas and everyone had a very enjoyable day and were delighted to be able to take home finished designs which can be modified or replicated for Christmas.

With many thanks to Lesley Sturdy for a stimulating , enjoyable and helpful day and to Ann G for organising it.

A Blooming Good Read was the theme of the evening as we welcomed Gill Shanks on November 5^th.

The first design was based on My Life with Flowers and was a tribute to Julia Clements who promoted flower arranging worldwide. The focal point was arum itallicum pictum together with privet, pink lilies, roses and gerbera.

A quote from Flowers in the Attic by Virginia Andrews provided a very different type of design; a seed collage.

A NAFAS publication Leaf Techniques Part One was the inspiration for the next green and white arrangement which included knotted iris leaves, curled bergenia leaves and aspidistra leaves. The main flowers were alstromeria, freesia and white ranunculus.

The fourth arrangement was influenced by the TV programme Changing Rooms and Laurence LLewelyn-Bowen’s book Design Rules. Two circles using felt, string and decorative wire in orange and burgundy gave a focus for a design incorporating vertical lines of orange lilies and burgundy roses with fern, viburnum tinus, rubus tricolour and pyracantha. The design was completed using an orchid and  orange peppers.                          .

The design based on the popular novel The Kashmir Shawl by Rosie Thomas used viburnum tinus, agapanthus, carnations, roses and gypsophilia depicting the mountains, lakes and sky of India described in the book.  

Back to NAFAS and The Flower Arranger for the next arrangement which included variegated hedera, cotoneaster, choisya and ruscus together with yellow chrysanthemums, gerbera and spray roses.

The final green design was a tribute to Dublin  and Maeve Binchy’s novels particularly Tara Road.  A structure of felt and wool was incorporated in the arrangement which used fatsia, aspidistra, eucalyptus, cabbages, carnations, hydrangea and chrysanthemums.

These very varied arrangments produced a very attractive and much appreciated stage display at the end of the evening.

Gill’s resume of each book gave an interesting and additional dimension to the evening. She also reminded us of several flower arranging techniques and principles including the mnemonic Big Pink Stones Roll Constantly Down Hill for the need to incorporate Balance, Proportion, Scale, Contrast Dominance and Harmony into our designs.

On October 1^st we welcomed Michael Bowyer, national demonstrator, to our well attended Open Meeting.

The atmosphere before the meeting was expectant and sociable with lovely refreshments available and the chance to buy from well stocked produce and plant stalls with the sales tableincluding many new items. Thank you to members who contributed items for the stalls and also  helped to  raise funds for our charity.

Michael’s  ‘Autumn Splendour’ presentation produced a stunning stage display and together with his informative and humorous commentary, which was accompanied by music, ensured everyone had a very enjoyable evening.

His first arrangement in typical autumn colours and surrounded by pumpkins and fir cones used viburnum, Chinese lanterns and spindleberry together with sunflowers and carnations.

Michael’s  ‘Polo’ design was a complete contrast to the first with manipulated aspidistra leaves, dracaena and anthuriums.

A parallel style was used for his third design with sulphur heart,  hedera,  philadelphus and forsythia forming the base for  perennial gentians, nerines, Aqua roses, mini kinzi gerbera and poppy seed heads. As Michael put the finishing touches to his design we listened to Edmund Hockridge singing ‘I Leave My Heart in An English Garden’

 The winner of the next  design needed a large car to transport it home! It included gladioli, Japanese bog plant, miscanthus, pittisporum, sedum, cabbages, gerbera, Avalanche roses, antirrhinums, and cream carnations – to name a few!  A stunning arrangement which provided a magnificent centrepiece for the back of the stage.

The fifth arrangement was more retro in design ( accompanied by music from The Artist) and a contrast in colour (pinks and  mauves) and included artemisia, hydrangea, abelia grandiflora, statice, carnations, veronica and roses (Cool Waters and Memory Lane). The effect of the arrangement was further enhanced by the props included in the display.

Twisted dried argava  leaves formed the basic shape of the next design with fatsia leaves and Pistache anthuriums.

Back to autumn tints for the final design with copper beech, rose hips, red oak ,pink euonymus berries and Chinese lanterns forming the basis to display orange gladioli, orange lilies, chrysanthemums and carnations.

The inclusion of so many different types of  foliage and flowers was a real feature of the arrangements which were so varied in colour, texture and shape.  The standing ovation for Michael at the end of the evening signified the audience’s appreciation for his  skill, vision and presentation.

A few photographs below give a flavour of the evening but do not always do justice to the intricacies of the arrangements.

This month we welcomed Rekha Naidoo who presented  ‘A Taste of India’

Her designs all, in some way, represented the culture, flora, landscape or foliage of India together with the sparkle and embellishment we associate with Indian dress. Her commentary also gave us an interesting insight into Indian culture especially Indian weddings.

The first arrangement was a spice design. This incorporated cinnamon sticks, cardamom, bay leaves, clove balls, mintola and tamarind pods which provided a wonderful background for ginger flowers, heliconia and gloriosa lilies.

Red anthuriums and prada carnations for contrast were the main flowers in  a beautiful Paisley design container  made from gold wire with colourful Indian buttons.

The third arrangement represented the Indian sunshine which included yellow and orange roses embellished with gold twigs.

The bead design in a hot pink vase included Banyan foliage (the national tree of India)  with lisianthus, gerbera, veronica, zinnias, antirhinums and dahlias.

The monochromatic white design representing the Taj Mahal incorporated salal leaves, eucalyptus, hydrangea, white roses, stocks and gerbera embellished with white shiny beads,

The final large arrangement was The Bird design  where palm leaves, hebe, hosta and dracaena formed a background for strelitzia (which grow wild in India) and shamrock chrysanthemums. This time the arrangement was embellished with peacock feathers.

A really different,  interesting and enjoyable evening which resulted in a stunning display of arrangements.

‘

On August 6 we welcomed Terry Babbage, a trainee demonstrator  to present Odd Pots. His pots/containers were varied in design, size and material (including crushed paper,  metal – the duck and tap ,drift wood  and glass)

Terry’s retirement from the clothing industry, where colour had been a major focus of his work, gave him an opportunity to develop his interest in flower arranging.

The demonstration was different and interesting in that he produced five monochromatic designs (green, white, red, orange and pink) using a variety of flowers including roses, gerberas, carnations, chrysanthemums, anthuriums and eustoma.

Terry’s final arrangement  used a mixture of all the flowers he had used in his other designs: a real contrast to the previous five.

Everyone enjoyed his commentary – humorous, anecdotal, and informative. We wish him well in his demonstrator exams.