Last updated at 11:44, Thursday, 05 July 2012

FORTY members of Whitehaven Flower Club enjoyed a trip to Prince Charles’s beautiful gardens at Highgrove House, Gloucestershire, a highlight of the club’s golden anniversary year.

ROYAL APPOINTMENT: Members of the Whitehaven Flower Club on their outing to the gardens at Highgrove, the Prince of Wales’ country home in Gloucestershire

The garden is divided into sections by yew hedging which takes the 12 full-time and two part-time gardeners six weeks to cut, using power tools. The wild flower meadow was in full bloom and very colourful.

The group admired all the statues, pots, structures and buildings which have been given to the Prince of Wales as gifts, and some of which have inspired planting schemes. There is a sanctuary, too, which Prince Charles alone has access to and uses for contemplation.

Princes William and Harry’s impressive tree house can also be seen.

Access to Highgrove House is not allowed but the exterior can be viewed, with its colourful climbers adorning the walls. Scented plants are planted nearby so that when it is warm and the windows open, their perfume enters the house. Each aspect of the house features a different garden style.

There are many individual gardens, including an arboretum, a walled kitchen garden and the famous stumpery which is cool and shady and planted with ferns. The guided garden tour takes two hours; visitors are not allowed to wander around on their own.

The Highgrove visit was preceded by a stop-off at Stratford on Avon, a tour of the Cotswold villages, Bourton-on-the-Water and overnight accommodation at Studley Castle Hotel in Warwickshire.

AT our regular meeting, Vivienne Postlethwaite welcomed speaker Diane Fair from Chester, whose theme was ‘In the midst of summer’.

She cheered us up in the auditorium with her fabulous flowers, but outside it was anything but summer. Her first container was a basket made from driftwood collected in Spey Bay before it was subject to a conservation order.

Diane also had some lime green constructions and had put spheres at the bottom. The second colour she had included was turquoise. Felting and midilino sticks were threaded onto wire rings – it is a good way to create movement in a design.

Loofah baskets were also included in the arrangements, and the flowers used were blue delphiniums, anastasia chrysanths and some beautiful blue hydrangeas. Sea holly and prada carnations were also used.

We saw some fabulous containers – some had been brought back from a Bruges coach trip. Wool was used in the craftwork as a different medium. She told us that when she uses lilies she always takes all the leaves off.

Diane did a golden construction incorporated into twigs because it was our golden anniversary.

A memorial service had been held for Julia Clements on what would have been her 105th birthday which Diane attended. Julia had spread the word of NAFAS and flower arranging all over the world.

Diane’s final design was done in all green, and she had used this theme at her niece’s wedding. Flowers used were green roses, anastasia chrysanths, midorri, anthuriums and dianthus known as green tricks. Two nice green roses, one Emerald, a new variety, and Green Fashion.

In 2014 the North is hosting a special event for the emerald anniversary in which Diane will be involved.

We had a fabulous evening from a very talented arranger and the stage was an array of many colours and wonderful different constructions. Lots of us were very inspired to have a go at some different craft work.

The club’s next outing, a day trip to Southport, takes place on July 13. There are a few places left – contact Audrey Postlethwaite on 019467 23373.

First published at 11:11, Thursday, 05 July 2012
Published by http://www.whitehavennews.co.uk