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The Dade City flower show draws visitors to its artistic displays and arrangements.
By MICHELLE JONES
© St. Petersburg Times, published April 15, 2000
DADE CITY -- Darlene Bamberger decided to use her lunch hour Friday to accomplish two things: visit the historic courthouse and view flower arrangements.
She did both in one stop.
'I love flowers and I love the courthouse," she said.
Friday was the first day of the two-day flower show presented by the Dade City Garden Club. Arrangements, exhibits and a plant sale are at the courthouse. Horticultural displays, with the theme of 'gardens through the years," are at the center.
'These are so pretty, they are just beautiful," said Bamberger as she looked at the miniatures that were on display in the county administrator's office. 'I would never think they would have something so tiny."
Her favorite was by Kathy Nawlin, who received honorable mention for her arrangement that featured St. Paulia onantha, leather leaf fern and native grass seeds on a Christmas ornament.
Best of the miniature class went to Bernadette Seme for her design in the miniature category. She had caspia, double violet and St. Paulia alyssum with an antique photo of a bride in her arrangement.
In each room of the courthouse and the second floor commissioner's chambers, floral arrangements, table exhibits and educational displays brought bright flourishes of color to the refurbished building originally built in 1909.
Joan Pryor won top honors for her educational exhibit on A new approach to wild flowers.
In May, license plates featuring wildflowers will be available with vehicle registration renewals.
'Garden clubs throughout the state worked five years to get this tag," said Pat Carver, the publicity chairman and a former president of the garden club. 'Profits from the sale of the plate will fund research on wildflower seeds so we can use Florida seeds instead of Texas seeds."
The show's theme is New Beginnings 2000.
'It is so appropriate for the first show of the centennial year to be able to use the old courthouse," Carver said.
Showcasing the courthouse and demonstrating the club's appreciation for its restoration were two of the goals of this year's show.
'Our courthouse is indeed the "jewel' of our downtown," said Catherine Henrich, chairman of the flower show.
Entries were down from last year's show.
Carver said the lack of recent rain has definitely affected the entries.
'They are not as grand and there are not as many," she said. 'My begonia blossoms were half the size and wouldn't hold their petals."
A steady rain fell on the first day of the show, the first rain after many days of drought. The welcome rain didn't seem to dampen the enthusiasm of the visitors.
Bamberger said she was amazed at the creativity of the different settings in the commissioner's chambers.
Carver won the top award for her table artistry in the weight watchers diet class. Her table design featured anthurium, heliconia and bird of paradise.
Sheila Seme used vegetables and fruit in her table setting. Asparagus spears, mint, broccoli, bells of Ireland, radishes and kumquats with a vine set off a yellow, green and bright gold table setting.
Betsy Puterbaugh won a blue ribbon for her Boogie Woogie swing design where she used ginger, ginger leaves and vines in a container designed by Sue Pryor.
'I wanted it to jump out and dance," said Puterbaugh of her creation. 'I named it twist and shout."
Carver said it certainly came alive, especially with the yellow background that set if off.
-- Michelle Jones covers central Pasco community news. She can be reached at (813) 226-3459. Her e-mail address is jones@sptimes.com.
The Dade City Garden Club's two-day flower show continues today from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Pasco County Courthouse on Meridian Avenue and at the Garden Center on Fifth Street in Dade City.