The Kelowna Garden Club Flower Show at Guisachan on Saturday was a success with numbers down a bit from the heat but the quality of the many entries superb. I can hold out my chest a bit after the judging came in because for the first time ever I won a blue ribbon for entering my Magnolia grandiflora blossom. Not only was it the winner in the Open Class but I won the big ribbon for the whole category.
Thank you judges for your great wisdom. Lol. Anyway it is always nice to be recognized but I can tell you I’ve had fun entering the show on a few other occasions when I didn’t win and it was almost as fun.
While I was at the show I gave my, what is now becoming, traditional walk and talk in the garden. It is a chance for me to recall some childhood memories and also test my brain on plant names.
During the walk I passed out the first announcement of the planned trip next May to the Chelsea Flower Show in London England. This will be a gardener’s trip of a lifetime and on the 15th of July I will be doing a presentation at Byland’s Nurseries describing the trip and delving out all the information you need to make plans.
This is going to be so much fun and my friend Mark Flanagan who just happens to be a head gardener for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, is so excited to be able to give us a personalized tour. We will see several gardens as we travel north through England and I’m hoping to be able to end up at the birthplace of golf at St. Andrews in Scotland.
Please join me for the presentation on July 15 at Byland’s Nurseries in West Kelowna. Call Maria at Marlin Travel 250-768-6875. RSVP requested please.
This Saturday morning on the Garden Show radio show I will have as my guest Susanna Acheampong who is the entomologist for the B.C. Ministry of Agriculture. She will be discussing the latest information on the spotted wing drosophila and other seasonal pest problems in the garden. She is very knowledgeable and I am often calling her to get answers to questions from listeners and clients. And here you thought I knew everything, didn’t you.
Also on the show will be an old friend of mine and to some Kelowna residents a familiar voice. John Tanner who was a popular DJ for CKOV in the early ‘60s is going to add his golden voice to Saturday’s show. John, as many of you know, went on to become one of the iconic voices on Vancouver radio for stations such as C-Fun and CKNW. He now manages the Planetarium in English Bay and I’m looking forward to asking him if there is any truth behind planting a garden by the moon phases.
I do want to leave you with a timely tip and that is to use your water wisely. With this hot weather please monitor your water use so you can limit the waste of this valuable resource.
