Members of the Tweed and District Horticultural Society were creative at the October meeting as they made fall arrangements using a pie pumpkin as the container.
Fortunately, there had not been a frost, so members brought in bundles of greenery, ornamental grasses, hosta leaves, dahlias, sunflowers, autumn joy blossoms, rudbeckia and other flowers from their gardens. The tables were filled with a lovely variety of flowers to be used in the arrangements. The pumpkin and oasis were supplied and Jess, Joan and Charles kindly cleaned out the pumpkins for everyone.
As she made an arrangement, member, Linda Holmes gave tips to help the members as they each made their own arrangement….
-use floral foam as it provides lot of moisture to enhance the lifespan and vibrancy of the flowers and greenery
-soak the foam by placing it in water and allow the foam to soak up the water like a sponge….do not press down on the foam
-use greenery around the opening of the pumpkin and if your foam extends over the opening, the greenery will hide it; the lid of the pumpkin can be used as part of the arrangement-attach in place by using a wooden skewer
-start by using some taller grasses or flowers and then add the shorter ones to fill in
-add a bit of water every few days to keep the foam moist
After the demo, the members selected their greenery and flowers and started creating. Comment like…” Oh I like that idea.” “That looks great, I think I will add it to my arrangement.” “Wow, your arrangement is fabulous!” …could be heard as the evening progressed.
Special thanks to Linda for her guidance throughout the workshop. Her “students” were thrilled with their arrangements. A group photo of the participants and their pumpkin arrangements completed the fun filled evening!
UPCOMING EVENTS:
October 25…Tweed and District Horticultural Society will be hosting the District 3 Ontario Horticultural Societies.
November 4…Valerie Sills of Rawdonrim Acres will demonstrate floral arrangements for Christmas. The Annual General Meeting will be held. The Financial Report of the past year will be presented for approval. The Executive for 2026 will be introduced.