WHAT a wonderful demonstration Gretchen White gave to members at the March meeting of Crediton Flower Club.

Gretchen, from Teignmouth, has been demonstrating for seven years and had the inspiration for her title “Glorious Gardens” from gardens which were especially memorable to her.

The arbour in the white garden at Sissinghurst Castle deemed to be very popular which Gretchen portrayed beautifully using mainly silvery foliage, helichrysum, senecio and ivy with flowers being white lisianthus and white and pink lilies - such a clever interpretation.

Her next garden was Great Dixter in Sussex and she remembers well the wild flower meadow and herbaceous borders. Gretchen chose to create a very natural continental-style using purple/pink stocks, tulips and orange gerberas - certainly a blaze of colour.

During the short time that Gretchen has been living in Devon she has discovered and fallen in love with Coleton Fishacre, especially the water garden which was depicted by a beautiful arrangement using an abundance of foliage with blue iris, white arum lilies and renunculars for colour. The scene was set with Flora the dog.

For the next garden Gretchen explained that the Abbey Rose garden near Romsey is mainly parkland with a walled rose garden and for this she displayed bergenias, pittosporum, abulia, roses and very pretty magenta hellebores in a large urn which looked spectacular.

For the finale “Highgrove Park” she used a very large piece of driftwood in an “all green” design and for the flowers she chose anastasia chrysanths, lilies and pussy willow together with foliage of rhododendron, bay and fatsia.

Gretchen’s arrangements were stunning and certainly displayed her great talent and skill in flower arranging.

The next meeting will take place at the Boniface Centre on Thursday, April 14 at 7.15pm and will be a workshop by Sarah Pepper entitled “Nature’s Jewels”. Visitors and new members are welcome.

ET