There was a large turnout for the December meeting at Bridges when the Society welcomed the return of Elizabeth Graham, a National Demonstrator, with her theme “Christmas Wishes”

She opened her demonstration by showing all present how she uses copper mesh now instead of oasis. This is part of the standard move away from plastics and attempting to avoid washing the “dust” of oasis down the drains and into the streams, rivers and seas and oceans.

The first display was based on a birch bark bucket, inside of which was a bowl and a coil of copper mesh. The base foliage was an archway consisting of three curved stems of cornus.

Into this were inserted trailing stems of ivy; fir; ruscus; smooth leaved holly and pine, A flowing arrangement of cream gerberas and white roses completed a beautiful design.

Second: An old wooden candle box lined with a plastic box and a roll of copper mesh. Elizabeth explained that the proportion of mesh to container is double: ie 8” bowl:16” rolled mesh. If a stick is inserted horizontally through the created tube of mesh this can then be suspended on the ends of the inner bowl.

A horizontal arrangement was based on trailing stems of ivy, western hemlock, spruce, Golden King holly and sprays of other varieties of holly which grown in Elizabeth’s garden: stems of aucuba completed the foliage to which were added dark red bloom carnations and Naomi dark red roses together with very large gold sprayed fir cones.

Third: A double tripod of hazel sticks, carefully tied together with string was placed over a cylindrical glass vase. This provided the support for vertical stems over a grid of copper mesh. A tall stem of Silver Queen holly was complemented with a single stem of white cymbidium; gypsophila; white eustoma (previously known as Lizianthus) and white roses.

Fourth: Two bottle carriers were filled with jam jars filled with a variety of cut sticks to size; twigs etc. Into this were inserted a variety of “fillings” – roses; green orchids; spruce foliage; hedgehog holly; iris foetidissima; alstromeria. The computations of this design are endless and eco friendly.

Last: A very tall majestic, traditional arrangement on a metal stand. Vertical stems of red dogwood; eleagnus; different varieties of holly; more cornus stems, spruce, western hemlock and fatsia leaves provided a solid base in a traditional black urn filled with copper mesh (to size) and to which were added dried blooms of hydrangea sprayed with OASIS Cranberry red which gave a very rich result. Pink cymbidiums and dark red bloom carnations. An interesting inclusion were stems of a dark red scabius called “Raspberry Scoop”.

The Chairman Tineke Deuss invited Hilary Garn to give a Vote of Thanks; all the arrangements were raffled off and many retired for festive refreshments.

The next open meeting of Monmouth Floral Society will be held at Bridges Community Centre on Wednesday, 12th March when Julie Sparkes will demonstrate “Colour my world”. Doors open 1.45 and all visitors are welcome.