By Melanie Patterson

The North Jefferson News



Area gardeners are kicking off spring with the 57th Annual North End Council of Garden Clubs Flower Show.

Six area garden clubs make up the council: Blue Star Garden Club, Cheerful Gardeners, Dixie Gardeners, Garden Dale Garden Club, Magnolia Garden Club and Twin Oaks Garden Club.

Betty Thompson is the flower show chairman, with Margie Thomas as cochairman.

It’s fun for all the garden clubs to come together,” said Patricia Avers, secretary of Blue Star Garden Club

The theme this year is “Take a Stroll through the Mardi Gras Gardens.”

The flower show will feature dozens of horticulture exhibits and arrangements.

Anyone in the community can enter a horticulture exhibit. There is no fee to enter.

Horticulture exhibits must be at the Gardendale Civic Center between 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. on April 17. Judging begins at noon.

“There will be all kinds of plants that are grown in our area,” said Avers.

Only garden club members may enter arrangements.

Horticulture exhibits and arrangements will be judged by 18 judges from around the state who use the rules of the National Garden Clubs, Inc., according to Avers.

The top awards include:

• Award of Horticulture Excellence, for the finest exhibit in the horticulture division

• Five Awards of Merit, for the categories of iris, wildflowers, foliage, flowering container-grown plants, and rhododendron and azaleas.

• Arboreal Award, which has two sections: Flower entries and shrubs, and ornamental evergreen shrubs

Akers said there will be at least 124 classes of plants represented at the flower show.

“I enjoy the creativity of people,” Akers said. “It just amazes me every year.”

This year’s show will have an emphasis on education.

“We’re focusing on things we hope people can really use,” Akers said. There will be handouts on conservation, caring for butterflies, drought-tolerant plants, plants that bloom at night and more.

Area youth also get to participate. The youth division will include arrangements and posters.

In addition, there will be a plant sale, much of which features cuttings and rootings of garden club members’ own plants.

“It gives you a chance to get plants at a good price,” said Akers.

For the first time, there will also be magazines and flower pots for sale at this year’s show.

The Flower Show is scheduled for April 17, 2-7 p.m., and April 18, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Gardendale Civic Center Exhibition Hall.

For more information, call Betty Thompson at 631-3255 or Margie Thomas at 631-6992.