There was a high turnout for the June meeting of the society to welcome Michael Bowyer MBE from Salisbury; National Demonstrator, Judge at Chelsea, Malvern, Tatton and Badminton, and flower arranger came with his theme “Summer Beauty”. Michael was also one of the designers for the recent flower festival in Salisbury Cathedral where he was in charge of flowers for 15 years.

First arrangement: A 3D printed black shaped vase with a glass liner was the base for a free arrangement of 2 pink hydrangea heads, stems of rogersia, dried poppy heads, stripped stems of lime and ferns plus acanthus heads and aliums. A spray of Bowl of Beauty peonies and border clematis completed the design.

Second: Summer in the home: Nine small glass bottles were each filled with a stem of apple mint; sweet pea, sweet william, heuchera flower and leaves, border clematis, a green carnation, brodia (renamed stratelia) a stem of astrantia and iris sibirica.

Third: Meadow style: a palette shaped dish with a base of small dense foliage to which were added dried poppy heads, sweet william, hemlock, grasses, euphorbia, nigella seed heads, tulip seed heads, red veined sorrel, heuchera, perennial flowering clover, ornithogalum sochi, cornflowers, poppies and ox-eye daisies, red panda grasses and pittosporum completed the design.

Fourth: Gardens: A large urn style bowl with wire netting inserted formed the base for this very traditional design with stems of ramnus; phoenix palm, canterbury bells, apple mint, phlomis italica, lupins, purple skyliner (rambling rose), James Galway a pink climbing rtose, Sarah Bernhardt peonies completed this fabulous display.

Fifth: An ordinary cache pot from a charity shop or from a supermarket with the plant removed was the base for this design filled with oasis. Stems of hebe around the base. Tall stems of a lovely lilac xanth Gilbert Leigh, pink Ptomac antirrinhums, a head of white hydrangea broken into smaller pieces, dark heuchera leaves, cut palm leaves with white gerberas and green carnations completed this simple but very stylish design.

Sixth: Sunset: A large wire circle of wall art with several water tubes attached into which were inserted a stems of cut palm, candelabra ivy stems, yellow kniphofia, red roses, yellow roses, yellow, orange and red gerberas, orange zinnias.

Seventh: Driftwood: a large base with two pieces of driftwood clamped to it and two dishes of oasis filled the spaces. Stems of variegated forsythia, golden euonymous, stems of trailing ivy, stems of gingko, grisellinia, hostas, pink hydrangeas, ferns, lilac bloom xanths, aliums, pink gerberas, peach roses (Miss Piggy), canterbury bells and green carnations.

This was Michael’s last design and concluded a most enjoyable and amusing afternoon from a highly talented and experienced demonstrator. Helen Fawcett gave a Vote of Thanks and then the designs were raffled off; after which members enjoyed afternoon refreshments.

The next meeting is on Wednesday, 8th July at Royal British Legion Club, St. James St when members will demonstrate their skills followed by afternoon tea. All visitors and members are welcome. Doors open 1.45.