The Morsemere Garden Club celebrated its 90th anniversary by hosting a Standard Flower Show at Philipse Manor Hall in Yonkers on May 21st. The anniversary flower show, entitled “90 years of Growing”, featured design competitions, a horticulture competition, botanical arts and educational exhibits. The show was open to the public and featured a reception sponsored by the Friends of Philipse Manor Hall in commemoration of the many years of friendship, cooperation and collaboration between the two organizations.
The Morsemere Garden Club is a volunteer organization committed to stimulating interest in conservation, horticulture, artistic arrangement of plant material, and community service. Club activities have included floral arrangements displayed at the1939 New York World’s Fair; installation of a white marble birdbath at the Boyce Thompson Institute in 1951; plantings at the Yonkers Public Library, Yonkers City Hall, Untermyer Park, and other civic locations; holiday tray favors for residents of Yonkers nursing homes; annual Christmas decorations at Philipse Manor Hall; Christmas Wreaths for New York State Veteran Hospitals and the Yonkers Public Library; installation and dedication of a Blue Star marker and container garden on the Yonkers waterfront in tribute to those serving in the US Armed Forces; and scholarships for Yonkers public high school seniors interested in horticulture and environmental conservation.
The Morsemere Garden Club is a member of Federated Garden Clubs of New York State, Inc. and National Garden Clubs, Inc., which encourage members to hold flower shows as a way to stimulate interest in horticulture and floral design, provide a creative and expressive outlet for club members, and convey the objectives of the FGNYS and NGC to the local community. Flower shows educate and inform club members and the general public about new cultivars in horticulture, what trees, shrubs and plants grow well locally, and design trends for the home.
In the horticulture competition Beth Fitzgerald received an Award of Merit and the Horticulture Excellence Award. Roseline Morandin was awarded an Award of Merit and an Arboreal Award.
First place for Botanical Arts Artistic Crafts were awarded to Shannon Daugherty and Pat Capolino. Eleanor Daugherty and Beth Fitzgerald received second place awards while Ann Guy-Horvath and Carole Herrion received third place awards.
The design competition consisted of five categories. Awards for Underwater design were given to Shannon Daugherty, Beth Fitzgerald and Ann Guy-Horvath.
The first place Petite design award was awarded to Yvonne Lynn, who also won the Marcella Saladino Award for Miniature Designs . Marie Peluso, Ann Guy-Horvath and Roseline Morandin were the additional winners.
Shannon Daugherty was awarded the Design Excellence and Designer’s Choice Awards in the Cascade category. Additional winners were Yvonne Lynn, Susan Blanchard and Kay Fennell.
In the Breakfast Tray for One design category Kathy Kaplan received the first place award, as well as the Teresita Mulia New Exhibitor Award. Additional awards went to Mary Vecchione, Laurie O’Donnell and Pat Capolino.
Awards for Functional Table design were won by Susan Blanchard, Marge Delaney Kathy Ennis and Sandra Maloney.
