The Seedling Garden Club’s Spring Flower Show-A Pine Tree Festival Event was held on Saturday, April 27,2024 and Sunday April 28,2024. Using the theme "Our World as a Canvas" the show was staged in the Sudie A. Fulford Learning Center located on the East Georgia State College campus. The event was sponsored by The Seedling Garden Club in cooperation with the Swainsboro Kiwanis Club with participation by the Glad Garden Club.
Kay Peacock served as general chairman of this year's event with Lucille Braswell serving as co-chairman. Martha Cobb wrote the great flower show schedule. Out of town judges were entertained with a luncheon served in the beautiful Rotunda of the Luck Gambrell building. Nancy Lisenby served as hostess for the club. The show was open to the public with free admission.
Division 1-Horticulture: "Planting Our World", Division 111-Youth,"Young Eyes on Our Canvas", Division IV Education, "Seeing our World as a Canvas" and Division V -"Botanical Arts Exhibits" Under division 111- youth-a new flower show section was added for Youth Horticulture-"Youth Planting our Canvas". These were open to the public. Horticulture entries totaled 133 with 4 youth horticulture entries. Entries in horticulture were eligible for NGC Award of Horticulture Excellence.
Top awards presented in horticulture division were Growers Choice- Wanda Scarboro. Award of Merit-Nancy Lisenby, Sylvia Durden, Wanda Scarboro. Arboreal Award went to Wanda Scarboro and Betty Waller. Award of Horticultural Excellence, Wanda Scarboro. Wanda Scarboro won the NGC Sweepstakes Award for receiving the greatest number of blue ribbons in the Horticulture Division. In the Youth Horticulture section Keagan Freeman won the NGC Youth Horticulture Award.
Division 11-Design "Designing my Canvas"-section A: "My Floral Canvas" eligible for Designer's Choice Award. Class 1 "My Imagined Canvas" a creative design staged using a white pedestal. 1st place Susan Stephenson, 2nd Judy McWhorter, 3rd Wanda Scarboro HM Amber Albritton. Class 2 "My Outdoor Canvas" a romantic functional alfresco table for 2. lst. Paula Karrh, 2nd Kay Peacock, 3rd Lucille Braswell, HM Cheryl Goodman. Class 3. "My Modern Canvas" a line/mass design staged on a table. lst Yonna Bailey, 2nd Dianna Malone, 3rd Kay Peacock, HM Amber Albritton.
Section B: "My Petite Canvas" eligible for the Petite Award. Class 4. "My Swirly Canvas" a petite design staged on an upside-down wine glass. 1st Nancy Lisenby, 2nd Linda Dekle, 3rd Crystal Thompson, HM Amber Albritton. Class 5. "My Emerging Canvas" staged on a wooden cube. 1st Dianna Malone, 2nd Wanda Ellis, 3rd Ann Peebles, 4th Dess Smith. Class 6. "My Pop Canvas" a petite design inspired by the style of Pop Art staged on a table. 1st Martha Cobb, 2nd Nancy Lisenby, 3rd Cheryl Goodman, HM Amber Albritton.
Division 111- Youth “Young Eyes on Our Canvas". These designs were produced on a poster board using leaves, petals, flowers, and/or dried material to represent a picture of an animal, pollinator, or large flower. Class 1."Animals on Canvas" all entries won a blue ribbon. Keagan Freeman, Leanna Scarboro and Ameliah Alton. Keagan Freeman won NGC Youth Award. class 2. "Pollinators on Canvas." All entries won a blue-ribbon Abi Torpy and Johnna Candey. Abi Torpy won NGC Youth Award. Class 3, "Flowers on Canvas". 1st. Kylee Hostilo, 2nd. R. Stapleton, 3rd. Raelee Hutcheson. 4th. Joanna Woodward. Kylee Hostilo won NGC Youth Award.
Division IV-Education-"Seeing Our World as a Canvas". Section A. "Protecting Our Canvas". Exhibit 1. "Protecting Our Canvas of Pollinators". Dianna Malone. This also won NGC Educational Award. Exhibit 2. "Bees Paint Our World". The East Georgia College Beekeeping Group shows a hive of live bees and provides information about protecting the bee population. Paul Cerpovicz, East Georgia State College Beekeeping Club. This exhibit was presented an Award of Appreciation.
Division V. Botanical Arts Exhibits. "Finding a New Canvas". Section A. Exhibits inspired by Botanical arts. This division was by invitation and was not to be judged. In the Botanical Arts Exhibits Amber Albritton was awarded an Award of Appreciation.
In other Education exhibits (these were not to be judged) but were given "Award of Appreciation". Kim Youmans displayed a beautiful painting of a sunflower that he had done. East Georgia Garden Club did a great display on herbs they grow at the college and ECI Art Dept. had a most interesting display of painted gourds done by students.
Top awards presented in the Design Division, voted on by the panel of judges; Designers Choice. Susan Stephenson. the Petite Award- Nancy Lisenby. In the youth division the NGC Youth Award went to Keagan Freeman, Abi Torpy and Kylee Hostilo. Top award in Education went to Dianna Malone. Flower Show Award was presented to Amber Albritton for all her displays of artistic talent.
Local Awards. These awards were voted on by the entire panel of judges." Pine Tree Festival Design" awarded to Susan Stephenson and the "Joyce Harrison Memorial Design Award" went to Paula Karrh.
The purpose of the Seedling Garden Club's flower show if threefold: 1. to set standards of artistic and horticulture excellence; 2. to broaden knowledge of horticulture, flower arrangement, conservation and other related areas and 3. to share the beauty of a show with fellow club members and the public.
Flower shows combine artistic vision, horticultural mastery, engineering and sophisticated craftsmanship to create a brief but brilliant display of beauty in time.
It takes time and effort from many volunteers to organize a flower show. From the chair to the division committees, the passes of the judges to the entrants-each individual contributes to the final experience for visitors.
Seedling wishes to thank all that came to the flower show. Special guest of the show was Joni Thompson, Oleander District Director, from Sylvania. It was a beautiful show and East Georgia State College is just the perfect place to have such an event. We wish to thank Melanie Freeman and Casey Fountain of East Georgia State College for all their help in setting up this event. We could not have had such an event without their help. This was a great kick off for the Pine Tree Festival.
