Big blooms and blue ribbons at county fair flower show
Courtesy of Pat Lawrence
Hillsboro Garden Club
The Katherine Granger Floral Hall offered a spectacular array of dahlias at the Highland County Fair's Monday Flower Show with over 200 specimens of the flower favorite in sizes ranging from tiny one inch blooms to the explosive 10-inch platter entries.
Mark Neil of Cincinnati took home Best of Show honors, as well as blue ribbons for largest and smallest blooms. Judy Moore's arrangement of pink dahlias in curled metal was recognized as Best Artistic Design and Larry Moore took the ribbon for 2nd Best Artistic Design. Anna Neil won the award for Best Novice. Dick Westfall of Marysville, Ohio judged the show.
Wednesday's show featured the specimens and designs of Junior gardeners and non- garden club members as well as artistic niches by Garden Club members. Best of Show in Horticulture went to eighth-grader Lana Grover, who also took home Best of Show in Artistic Design for her big apple “This is for you” presentation.
Four-year old Aubrey Baldwin won second Best of Show for her imaginative Mickey Mouse design as well as best Red Carpet pose by a winner overall.
Judy Moore won Best of Show for her inspirational design with a ceramic Madonna. Pat Lawrence took top honors for the two artistic niches.
On Friday, Hillsboro Garden Club members competed for ribbons in five classes of artistic arrangements with Childhood Memories as the theme.
Rose Marie Cowdrey received the Best of Show Ribbon for her “Trip to the Zoo” arrangement and Carol Gorby took second Best of Show for her “Treehouse” design. Pat Lawrence took a blue ribbon for her inspirational design featuring “Those Pearly Gates,” Larry Moore took home a blue ribbon for his underwater design, Nancy Baldwin took second for her underwater creation and Rose Marie Cowdrey took first in the “Merry Go Round” circular design.
In Horticulture, Larry Moore's red Kenora Wildfire dahlia won Best of Show; Pat Lawrence had second Best of Show with a compact succulent, variegated peperomia. Teresa Cudkowicz took home multiple blue ribbons for her African Violets.
Myrna Cordray from Pickaway County, a Master Judge of the Ohio Association of Garden Clubs, handled the judging for the Wednesday and Friday shows.
The Dahlia show is possible thanks to the deeply appreciated support of private sponsors: Ford Excavating, NAPA Auto Parts, Wilkin Heating and Air Conditioning, Ohio Asphalt and Limestone, Ponderosa Steakhouse, Details Salon and Day Spa, Magulac Tire Service, H&R Block and West Main Street Café. The decorative mums surrounding the fountain during the show came from Prickett Run Farms near Bainbridge.
The Hillsboro Garden Club hosts three flower shows each year during the Fair and meets monthly at the Floral Hall from March through November. This year, the Garden Club celebrated its 85th year of promoting the love of gardening in our community.