The Society was pleased to welcome Alwyn Page from Chepstow for her teaching demonstration featuring summer flowers.

First: A green bowl with an inner bowl filled with water and some chicken wire to which was added mixed foliage of arbutus, hypericum and a bunch of coral roses.

Second: A long tray with five ordinary jam jars wrapped in silver organza. Each jar had different foliage, e.g. pittosporum “silver queen”: osmanthus rosemarinus: variegated forsythia: seneccio: rosemary and each jar had different flowers, e.g. agapanthus: blue iris: blue salvia: hosta flowers and stachys. Alwyn suggested this as a Christmas table piece and using organza of festive colours together with seasonal foliage.

Third: A clay pot with an inner bowl with a half block of oasis to support some sticks of twisted willow. A base of trimmed fatsia leaves, aucuba, phormiums twisted into loops and some grasses was then completed with three small sunflowers.

Fourth: An oval green metal bulb container with a Peace lily house plant on one side and a half block of oasis beside it with mixed foliage of variegated myrtle, mint and marjoram, rosemary.

This would be good on an outside table together with a lemon candle to deter flying insects.

Fifth: A dark green antique pottery bowl filled with a block of Agrawool (not much in favour with anyone but is an alternative to the plastic oasis blocks).

This was then filled with mixed foliage of garrya eliptica, stephanandra, physocarpus, ballota, osmanthus and choisya. This was a particularly striking way of demonstrating a foliage only design.

Lastly: A large hand tied bouquet. Alwyn gave tips on how to create a hand tie, particularly if you have small hands and the finished result with pink lilies; cream alstromerias, bright pink and orange gerberas, grasses, dark pink roses and mauve spray chrysanths with a clever positioning of three large hosta leaves at the base was glorious.

Kath Rees invited Ceri McDonald to give a vote of thanks.

All the arrangements were raffled off and everyone retired for tea, cake and a summer catch up.

The next Open Meeting is at Bridges on Wednesday, September 13 when the demonstrator will be Sarah Fenton from Telford with her theme “A Floral Delight”.

Doors open at 1.45 and all visitors are very welcome.