Bountiful blossoms burgeon show

The Hill City Evergreen Garden Club flower show blossomed with entries this year. The bountiful blossoms with a country fair theme featured annuals, perennials, container gardens, wildflowers and even beautiful place setting entries.

And while the garden club consists of over 40 adult members it’s the younger generation that truly brings smiles to all who attend the show. Eleven-year-old Grace Daiss created an intricate container garden with a camping theme.

“We go camping a lot. We’ve gone a bunch this summer so I thought I’d do something we do,” Daiss said.

Daiss’  creation utilized all succulent plants. The display featured a camper and a campfire as well as a hammock made of popsicle sticks and fabric. Her “fairies” had beaded heads and bodies made of silk flowers.

“It’s fun to put together,” said Daiss. “The end result is cool too.”

And while Daiss may disassemble the garden after the show is over, the plants she uses will be used in other arrangements or designs for next year. One of her plants used in a container last year was entered again this year, but  as a large hanging basket. 

Natasha Winter, 15, has been coming to the flower show as long as she can remember. She got interested in gardening when the garden club did a presentation at the library using recycled materials. Her first plant was acquired at the flower show years ago; she now has “quite a few” in her room.

Winter was one of several children who created container gardens at the show this year. She chose to make hers out of a variegated spider plant.

“I have some spider plants at home,” said Winter. “But I don’t have any variegated ones.” 

Winter enjoys miniature gardens a lot.

“They’re probably my favorite,” she said.

As for gardening itself she thinks it’s a lot of fun.

Inspiration for garden creations can come from many places. Kathryn Cleaveland begins her process with the container and fills it with  “whatever flowers happen to look good that day.” Her “Pretty in Pink and Purple” entry began with her granddaughter’s boots.

Elle Larsen was inspired to create her formal place setting arrangement when she saw a birch planter at a local store.

“I was looking for something that started with a ‘B.’ I love Birch trees. The idea grew from there,” she said.

The Evergreen Garden Club provides valuable resources for local gardeners and those interested in gardening. The group offers seminars in the winter that are open to the public. Topics range from bee keeping to what types of trees grow in the area. The club also cares for three city gardens and the gardens at Crazy Horse. Many of the gardens or plantings around Hill City are looked after by garden club members.

The club has existed since 1978. It has one fundraising event all year, the annual wreath making sale, which garden club member Merlene Broer  calls a “phenomenal project.”

Fresh greens and pinecones are gathered and ribbons are used to create over 200 wreaths the club sells in a preordered fashion.

The Evergreen Garden Club meets once a month, usually on the third Wednesday of the Month.