The View Royal Garden club is presenting its first judged show and plant sale of the year.
“Early April is always a suspenseful time for entries as so much depends on what the weather has been like,” said the club’s president Ann Fox.
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Nature has a way of raining on petals or blowing stems in a curve – or insects find them irresistible, she said.
The judges, who are gardeners themselves, look for an ideal bloom, writing notes explaining what they liked or reasons it didn’t place higher, although, Fox added, they take nature into account when awarding a ribbon. “The air is tense as we pick our best specimens,” she added.
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The show has two rooms: one with plants for sale with no entry fee, and across the hall, in a room bursting with colourful plants, are exhibits, with a $5 entry fee, some tea and a chance to win one of six door prizes.
“The day before the show we gather possible entries, clean them off, give them a good drink of water and fill out entry forms,” Fox said.
The event is on April 6 from 1 to 3 p.m. at Esquimalt United Church, Wheeley Hall, 500 Admirals Rd. (entrance off Lyall Street).
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