Garden Club winners shine
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Janet Underwood was one of three members to take home the Sweepstakes Award, while Shifflett shows the hat design for which she won third place among her awards. - Tammy Cheek
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Long-time club member Julia Shiflett - Tammy Cheek
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Judy James took home several awards from Dixie Highway Garden Club’s 2021 National Garden Club Standard Flower Show - Tammy Cheek
Dixie Highway Garden Club invited members and the public “Into Wonderland,” with a Alice In Wonderland-inspired 2021 National Garden Club Standard Flower Show, which the club presented in the West Knoxville home of Julia Shiflett Thursday, Sept. 9.
With most of the members entering their designs and horticulture exhibits, the show had 139 entries, said Linda Ford, who co-chaired the show with Connie Wallace.
“Everybody has worked so hard in everything,” she added, noting 12 judges from the National Garden Club Accredited Flower Show Judges stepped up to decide the winners.
“It’s just been a wonderful show,” Shiflett said.
Rose Moseley, the show publicity chair, said members “put their talents, ingenuity and creativity out there to come up with these amazing entries.
“It’s amazing how every (entry) related to the theme,” Moseley added. “Each is so individualistic.”
Floral designs depicted aspects of the book, from the Mad Hatter’s hat designs to teapots and invitations, among many others.
In the Horticulture Division, Shiflett won the Award of Horticulture Excellence, the Award of Merit for her elephant ear and rose and Growers Choice Award for her elephant ear.
Janet Underwood, who wrote the show’s schedule with Yvonne Coulson, explained, “All plant material must be cut or container grown, must be grown by the individual exhibitor for the required length of time and must be correctly named according to its binomial name or currently accepted scientific designation.”
The Award of Merit for all cut non-woody specimens, including vines, also went to Wallace for her basil.
The Growers Choice Award for all container-grown plants (single planting) went to Kay Stokley for her orchid entry; Donna Brown, hosta; Catherine Bell, hibiscus; Ann Fritts, sedum; and Coulson, rabbit’s foot fern.
In the Design Division for floral, Judy James won the Award of Design Excellence for “Functional Table” design. She also won the Designer’s Choice, a sectional award, and first place in the 4-inch Petite Design.
Underwood said the Petite Sections Awards were offered to Most Outstanding Petite Design in a show of otherwise full-sized designs. Ann Fritts won first place for her 6-inch petite design, and Laura McElroy won first place for her 8-inch design.
In the Botanical Arts Division’s Artistic Crafts class, Glenda Mabry won first place for her hat design, Fritts won first place for her teapot design and Ruth Ann Fowler placed first for her invitation design.
First-place awards in the Photography Division went to: Katherine Lasater, Gardens or Sculptures in a Garden Category; Underwood for her photo of a grasshopper in the Animals or Insects category and photo of a butterfly in the Bee, Birds & Butterflies category; and Ford for her photo of a hydrangea in the Single or Cluster Flower category.
The Educational Top Exhibitor Award went to Coulson.
“This exhibit is a retrospective of Alice in Wonderland, written by Lewis Carroll, with characters and items featured from his book,” Underwood said.
The Sweepstakes Award, which was given by the club for the top number of blue ribbon winners, went to Wallace in Horticulture, James in Design and Underwood for Botanical Arts.
“I’m in shock,” said James, a Farragut resident who has been in the show for about six years. “This is the first time I’ve ever placed in a show.”
