An ice storm at the beginning of the flower show week and a major snow storm toward the end didn’t deter our visitors. PHS announced that they enjoyed a 10 percent increase in visitors over last year and more than 15,000 people joined the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society by the end of the show. That’s amazing! What is more amazing is that The Gardeners captured the Margaret Buckley Zantzinger award for the garden club with the most points in Competitive Classes
I think we all recognize the significant contribution that Deb Donaldson made in the horticulture category amassing points toward this club award. She entered hundreds of plants winning many many ribbons.
There were others like Barbara Geltosky who had many plants that she nurtured, groomed, and made ready to enter in horticulture for the second judging, but the ice storm proved too much and she couldn’t get to the show in time.
So many volunteer hours were spent at the show in different capacities. I know that Wyn Coghlan was a co-chair of horticulture clerks, Sidney Spahr was a small niche advisor, Anne Kellett was vice chair of signs, Barbara Sartorius was vice chair of jewelry and then there were all the other volunteers in our club who helped in so many areas of the show. Another important volunteer that I wanted to give a little more space was Jane Moore who was vice chair of documents.
I asked Jane what she did exactly and here is what she said, “I am now Chair of Show Documents. We handle all of the ribbons and the rosettes for the show award winners. All of the judging paperwork (everything that’s judged in the flower show) comes to us and we check the results for accuracy and process the paperwork for the chairs of points, publicity and trophies and make sure that the appropriate clerks or chairs receive the rosettes for their class winners. I also keep a record of the major award winners as the results come in for Sam Lemheney, Chief of the Flower Show, so he can announce the major winners at a press conference on the first Friday afternoon. It’s a fast-paced,’ pay attention to what you’re doing’ job and I have enjoyed being the Vice Chair for the past 2 years.”
Last, but not least, kudos go to Carolyn Quinn and her co-chair Keith Straw for our club entry. Here is what Carolyn said about the exhibit, “Keith and I served as co-chairs. The topic was Leading Ladies and we choose Grace Kelly during the time she was Princess Grace with setting in Monaco. Our committee included Lyn, Jane and Dora. Dora and Keith were the main designers
Now aren’t you proud to be a member of The Gardeners!
Below is a recap of points and ribbons won by our members who participated in the show:
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Floral Categories
“Walk of Fame and Leading Ladies”—7 points (Club Entry) (HM)
Carolyn Quinn, Keith Straw (co-chairs), Jane Moore, Dora Rogers and Lyn Marinchak
“Movie Poster: Westerns”—–9 points (3rd )
Holly Amsterdam and Gretchen Riley
“Special Effects—Sound”—-12 points (2nd )
Wyn Coghlan
Sidney Spahr
“Hollywood Hats”—–9 points (3rd)
Pat Fernandez
“Special Effects—Lighting”—12 points (2nd )
“Final Cut–High Definition”—-9 points (3rd )
Eileen Longacre
“Arm Candy”—–7 points (HM)
Dora Rogers
“Double Take – Beam Me Up”—7 points (3rd )
Sidney Spahr
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Horticulture
Connie Stelzenmuller—-11 points (3rd and HM)
Deb Donaldson-—2,695.00 points
Hamilton Greenhouse award as runner up for horticultural sweepstakes
Four Philadelphia Cactus and Succulent Society rosettes for best of day cactus and/or succulent
55 first place ribbons
115 second place ribbons
87 third place ribbons (one not recorded by PFS is in this count but not their database or reflected in the points listed above)
61 Honorable mention ribbons
Barbara Geltosky–11 points (3rd)
MAR