LADYBUG SAYS... GARDEN CLUBS COUNCIL READIES FOR JUNE 1 SHOW

When members of the Cape Girardeau Council of Garden Clubs won the coveted blue ribbon for the best flower show in Missouri in 1990 at their state convention this spring, they were determined to repeat their achievement and planned their 1991 show.

This year's show, whose theme is Hollywood, will be held Saturday, June 1, from 1 to 5 p.m., at Riverview Center, 1134 North Main street, through the courtesy of the Downtown Merchants Association, and the sponsorship of the garden clubs making up the Council.

All persons love and appreciate beautiful flower arrangements and horticultural specimens, but not everyone can grow or arrange them, and here is an opportunity for viewing and appreciating both.

The artistic design division includes such intriguing movie titles as Breakfast at Tiffany's, Picnic, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, Gone With the Wind, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, 2001 Space Odyssey, Dance with Wolves and The Wizard of Oz.

There is a special classification open to those who have never won a blue ribbon entitled A Star Is Born.

How Green Was My Valley is the title of the horticulture division, the educational class is The Man Who Knew Too Much with section on Butterflies and another on Summer Bulbs, and for juniors, 14 years and under, there are two classes in the artistic designs, E.T., and Mickey and Donald, with one entry permitted each exhibitor in each class and the work must be that of the exhibitor.

Entries are open to all amateur gardeners and arrangers. Some must be pre-registered, artistic entries with Juanita Abbott, and horticultural by May 29 with Carol Levy. Entries must be passed by the classification committee and in place for judging by 9:30 a.m. the morning of the show.

Plant material must be in accordance with specific schedule requirements, with no artificial or silk flowers, fruit or foliage permitted in this category. All dried materials may be treated; background, if used in niches, may be of exhibitor's choice. Accessories are permitted.

There are three classifications of table arrangements, Breakfast at Tiffany's, Picnic and Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?

Some artistic design sections have limited entries. Many awards will be given when merited, including Tri-Color, Award of Distinction, Creative Award, Sweepstakes Awards, Award of Merit, Award of Horticulture Excellence, Arboreal Award, Junior Achievement Award and Educational Award.

Judging from the abundance of the blooms and the quality of the flowers this spring, How Green Was My Valley, the horticulture section, should be outstanding.

There are classes of hybrid tea, floribunda and grandiflora roses of one stem each, and all disbudded. There is a fourth class for any other rose.

The section for perennials and biennials include peony (paeonia), columbine (aquiligia), pinks and Sweet William (dianthus), bleeding heart (decentra), daylily (hemeracallis), Poppy (papovu), chrysanthemums, shasta daisy or painted daisy, decorative leaves and any other that does not fall into the above classifications.

Arboreal included specimens of evergreen and decidious plants.

There is a maximum of a 10-inch pot for container grown plant. These include foliage plants, flowering plants in bloom, propagated by exhibitor from seed or cutting, a single crown African violet, cacti and succulents and ferns.

A special division is for any horticulture specimen propagated by exhibitor from seed or by cutting.

Butterflies and Summer Bulbs are the titles under the educational section, and The Greatest Show on Earth is the title of the National and State display.

Mrs. Byron Foust and Mrs. Edward Crites are general co-chairmen of the Hollywood Show. Mrs. J. Ronald Fischer is in charge of the schedule. Other garden clubbers working on the show are Mrs. Ron Wikel, Mrs. Lynn Westrich, Mrs. G.H. Abbott, Mrs. Bob Levy, Mrs. Barry Davis, Mrs. C.W. Suedekum, Mrs. Jams Garner, Mrs. Wm. Kuss, Mrs. Jim Robison, Mrs. Gayla Gunter, Mrs. Ron Shumate, Mrs. Tyrone Thomson, Mrs. Julian Howes, Mrs. Frank Stuart, Mrs. Carl Blanchard and Mrs. Gale Heise.

The main project of the Cape Girardeau Council of Garden Clubs is for the support of the Rose Display Garden in Capaha Park. Through their annual plant sale and the flower show they support the Garden, along with the work of the five garden clubs.

If you cannot attend the Flower Show to help support the Garden, would you make a contribution for this civic project?