Village’s spring flower show is a flood of colour

Ewhurst Horticultural Society’s Spring Show had an outstanding selection of seasonal flowers and other attractions.

Unseasonally warm weather earlier in the year gave a head start to spring bulbs, but the recent cold weather and wind kept the society’s gardeners on their toes.

Visitors to the show, on Saturday April 13, saw stunning daffodils, floral art exhibits, photographs, home fare and children’s classes.

Horticultural judge, Barry Newman, said entries were to an ‘extremely high standard’.

The show held an auction where flower fanatics could bid for gorgeous bunches of daffodils and tulips as well as for some of the delicious homefare.

The horticultural cup winners were club president Richard Tabor, who won four cups; the John Bennett Perpetual Bowl for best exhibit, for his display of five different cultivars (this earned him the Daffodil Society bronze medal as well), the Margaret Hawes Cup, for most points in the daffodil open classes, the Greenfield Trophy for the best bloom in show (Claverley) and the SHF Merrist Wood Cup for the best daffodil in show (Gay Kybo).

Wendy Wesley won the Tabor Cup for the most points in the daffodil members’ classes and Alan Moody was awarded a Daffodil Society Diploma for his vase of three double daffodils.

The floral art category was split into classes called Easter Basket, Harmony and Let’s get cracking. The Cranleigh Cup for the most points in the floral art classes was awarded to Lyn Southgate.

In the home fare section, Marian Heathcote won the Rural Pies Cup for the most points in the section, while Alina Brewer won the Chairman’s Challenge £10 prize for her Simnel Cake.

The photographic entries were stunning, with four classes: winter garden, three photos on a theme in close-up, machine(s) and pet expressions.

Lesley Wood, show secretary, said: “There are certainly a couple of strong contenders for winning the Colin McMath trophy for most points in all three shows, so we shall observe with interest the results in the summer and autumn shows!”

This trophy is awarded at the AGM in November.

In the pre-school children’s class, there was some beautiful and very colourful finger painting of Easter chickens, split into three age categories.

Age two was won jointly by Mary-Kate and Flora, three won jointly by Lola, Benjamin and Oscar, and four by Lewis and Max. The judge was very complimentary of all the entries and every child won either a medal or a small cup.

Lesley added: “We are very grateful to all our entrants, to our judges and to our visitors during the afternoon. We look forward to welcoming you all to our Plant Sale on May 11 from 10am in the Village Hall, where you can pick up some wonderful plant bargains, and to our Summer Show on July 13 in the Village Hall.”