Valley Garden Club will hold its next meeting on Thursday, September 11. That meeting will be a tour and lunch at the Frick Art and Historical Center in Pittsburgh.

Last Updated on Friday, 29 August 2014 19:14

News from the Valley Garden Club

Cecil Verkleeren, of Belle Vernon, shown here with her six horticulture awards and her award-winning Elephant's Ear. This plant earned her the Award of Horticultural Excellence.

Valley Garden Club staged a patriotic-themed Standard Flower Show, titled "Red, White and Bloom," on July 10 at the Monessen Public Library. The show featured over 120 horticulture specimens grown by Club members and 36 floral designs.

A Standard Flower Show is one that meets all the requirements established by National Garden Clubs, Inc. It has three divisions: Horticulture, Design, and Special Exhibits. The purpose is educational, especially to stimulate interest in horticulture. The show was judged by a panel of nine judges, accredited by the Garden Club Federation of Pennsylvania.

Members vied for nine top awards in the Horticulture Division; five in the Design Division and two Special Exhibit Awards.

Cecil Verkleeren took top honors in the Horticulture Division, winning three Awards of Merit for Perennials, Bulbs and Herbs; the Arboreal Award; and Award of Horticultural Excellence. Scoring the most points overall for her horticultural specimens also earned her the Sweepstakes Award for Horticulture.

Flo Fagan won an Award of Merit for Vegetables and Sue Ann Edwards took the Grower's Choice Award for a container plant.

In floral design, Angela Raitano took three top awards including Design Excellence. She also won the Sweepstakes Award for Design, having scored the most points in that Division. Mary Jane Martucci won the Table Artistry Award.

Angela Raitano also won the Garden Club of Pennsylvania Conservation Silver Award for her special exhibit honoring the American Armed Forces. Grace Martin won the Educational Award for her exhibit on the American Chestnut Tree.

The Club was also awarded the Garden Club of Pennsylvania Staging Award; the staging was designed by Club President Janice Yeaton.

For more information on Valley Garden Club, contact Pam Gregor at 724-930-7151.