We were delighted to welcome Louisa back to Bedford this month.   Louisa used a wide variety of flowers and foliage with  beautiful colour combinations  to create six lovely designs in  very different and interesting containers. The six arrangements  produced ten raffle prizes so there were many happy members who went home delighted with,  to quote a winner ,  ‘  a very manageable’  beautiful arrangement. 

 Louisa’s  expertise as a National Teacher was evident as she included  lots of tips throughout the demonstration. She also told us of the origins, history, legends and meanings of  many  of the flowers – do you know the significance of the number of red roses included in a bouquet and the age of the oldest  growing rose?

Thank you Louisa for an enjoyable evening and  for allowing us to use pictures of your designs.

Our  May ‘ In house’ evening   continued our usual celebrations of national events. This year members were asked to produce a parallel design which, in some way, linked to  the 80^th anniversary of VE Day .  At the end of the evening the stage looked wonderful with beautiful designs. They were all very different, showcasing the talent we have amongst our members – the pictures below give just an example of what was produced.

After the practical session we enjoyed a bring and share supper kindly provided by  members and  we attempted to complete quizzes and other puzzles!  Importantly we  also had more time than usual to chat and socialise with other members. ‘ A lovely relaxed evening – thank you’ was a comment from one member as she left.

Thanks go to everyone who helped with the organisation of a very successful evening but most of all to all  members for their enthusiasm and creativity.

 There was a great variety of   foliage  ( all foraged or dried and some manipulated ) included in Linda Seabrook’s ‘Green Finger Flower Arranger’ demonstration. Supplemented by  flowers in lovely colour combinations, designs  included  arrangements  which  were either in or representing a wheelbarrow, a watering can, a window box and a bird bath. Linda also gave us lots of tips relevant to both flower arranging and gardening – thank you for an enjoyable evening.

It is always a great pleasure to welcome Gill McGregor to Bedford. It had been a beautiful Spring day and that   happy atmosphere continued into the evening when  Gill presented ‘Sensationally Spring’; culminating in a stage full of wonderful designs using Spring colours. As usual,  Gill amazed us with her leaf manipulation which she used both as mechanics and to enhance her arrangements. Together with numerous tips and interesting stories it was a great start to our 2025 floral year- thank you. The pictures give just a flavour of her demonstration.

We started our Christmas celebrations and ended our 2024 programme  with Beverley Artis presenting her ‘Christmas at Tiffany’s’ demonstration. Beautiful designs and flowers, ( many of which could be replicated  or adapted for home), lots of tips and an entertaining commentary. Thank you Beverley  and for agreeing we could share pictures. Thank you too  to all members who contributed to the charity tombola and for all their commitment and help throughout the year. Best wishes to everyone  for Christmas and for a happy and healthy New Year. See you in 2025!

We had a lovely but different meeting this month when our very talented club members turned the stage into a floral frenzy. We attempted two arrangements; a seasonal one  involving a wine glass and a candle and  the other, inspired from a recent demonstration,  using two wreath rings and a margarine tub. Lots of creative and beautiful flowers plus coffee and home made cakes to help the evening along. Thank you to everyone for their creativity and enthusiasm and to those who helped organise the evening.

A big thank you to everyone  who negotiated the bad weather and the flooded roads to come to the Open Evening this month. The atmosphere in the Hall was so much more cheerful than outside as Sarah Fenton presented  ‘Let’s Go………’. Her  lovely designs took us round the garden, on a picnic,  to the theatre,   the seaside, a fireworks display   and to flower club. Sarah used a wide variety of flowers and foliage and the colour combinations throughout were beautiful and sometimes unexpected. Throughout,  she kept us entertained and the stage looked spectacular at the end of the demonstration. Thank you, Sarah for  a very enjoyable evening and for allowing us to share  photographs of your designs.

Thank you to the team from BFAS – Sue, Jenny C, Sandra, Jenny H, Margaret and Nicki- who arranged our lovely exhibit Harvest/Food  at the Area Flower Festival ‘Abundant Blessings’ in Hitchin. It was a very successful and beautiful event highlighting the talent in the Home Counties Area. Pictures of all exhibits are on www.flowerhomecounties.org and on www.stmaryshitchin.com

Jackie Page visited us for the first time this month. Her skills as a national teacher as well as an area demonstrator certainly shone through as she presented ‘Connections’ – five beautiful, very different designs all connected to various aspects of her life from childhood memories to her teaching and floristry careers. The five designs produced twelve raffle prizes so there were many happy members at the end of the evening! The pictures below give just a flavour of Jackie’s  arrangements – thank you for an enjoyable evening.

We welcomed Christine Long to our meeting this month. Her demonstration’s intriguing title ‘ Loosely Round the Solar System’ resulted in six arrangements representing colours or features associated with planets. The picture below gives just a flavour of one of the designs which also introduced many of us to the kaaps flower which is a member of the protea family.

A couple of days later, several of us enjoyed an afternoon ( with tea and cakes!) in Audrey’s (President of NAFAS Home Counties) beautiful garden in Kings Langley. The money raised at the event will go towards the Area Flower Festival in Hitchin on 20th -22nd September.