When it’s Strawberry Festival season in Lebanon, the town is filled with exciting events in which families gather, play and cheer.
Part of the festival is the annual flower show, which provides a quiet retreat from the commotion.
Visitors stroll leisurely through the room in the IOOF Hall, 20 E. Ash St., admiring colorful blooms and creative displays, and chat with garden enthusiasts.
This year the Lebanon Garden Club’s Standard Flower Show featured 104 horticulture entries for the 108th Lebanon Strawberry Festival, and included quilt and art entries.
While the club presents a standardized show with predetermined ribbons and rosettes, it added three special awards: Committee Chairman’s Choice, Strawberry Festival Committee’s Choice, and Strawberry Queen’s Choice.
Queen Maddie Norris arrived with the Strawberry Court to look at the flowers. Norris’ pick for the Queen’s Choice award went to Dena Williams for her “Coral Sunset” peony.
“I like big, fluffy flowers, and I think it looks happy,” Norris said. “It’s a happy flower.”
Horticulture, design, and special exhibit garden entrants are judged by a select panel of judges. Quilt and art entrants earn rosettes based on a “People’s Choice” vote.
Snipping the choicest picks from one’s garden to enter in a flower show may not seem like something the average person might enjoy, but for those who do, the rewards can be surprising.
Joli Root, district director of the garden clubs, said she didn’t give flower shows much thought at first, but one day she found a large lupine in her garden. Root entered it in a show and won a first place ribbon.
Root said her neighbor entered some roses for her first attempt in a flower show this year, and she ended up winning several ribbons.
“Now she’s excited about next year,” Root said.
Sometimes a flower design can have an interesting story behind it. For an “Under the Stars” design category from this year’s event, Jerry Steckler used a piece of trash to win first place.
The story goes like this: A man accidentally ran over a tomato cage with his tractor. His wife kept the crumpled-up wire, and later loaned it to her friend, Steckler, to use in the flower show. Now a blue ribbon adorns the recycled design.
Strawberry Festival
Flower Show Winners
Quilt, People’s Choice
“The Wedding Gift,” made by Donna Clarke, quilted by Carol McGlauflin
Division I: Horticulture
Section A, Roses
Class 1, Hybrid Tea-white: Julie Miller
Class 2, Floribunda: Linda Boyd
Class 4, Polyanthus: Lynne Neuman
Class 5, Peace Rose: Sharon Swoverland
Class 6, Miniature
One bloom-white: Sylvia Wood
One spray-pink: Sylvia Wood
Class 7, English Rose: Linda Boyd, Wendy Nilsen, Charlotte Mueller
Class 8, Any other rose: Carol Rudy (2), Lynne Neuman, Charlotte Mueller (2)
Section B, Perennials
Class 9, Peony
Pink: Sharon Swoverland
Red: Wendy Nilsen
White: Charlotte Mueller
Variegated: Joli Root
Coral: Linda Boyd
Class 11, Delphinium
Blue: Carol McGlauflin
Lavender: Sylvia Wood
Class 12, Lupine: Sylvia Wood
Class 13, Viola: Charlotte Mueller
Class 14, Sweet William: Sylvia Wood
Class 15, Oriental Poppy: Charlotte Mueller
Class 16, Iceland Poppy: Sylvia Wood
Class 19, Orchid: Sylvia Wood
Class 20, Any other: Joli Wood
Section C, Iris
Class 21, Bearded: Charlotte Mueller
Class 22, Spuria: Betty McGown
Class 23, Dutch: Lynne Neuman
Class 25, Any other Iris: Karen Stallman
Section D, Lily
Class 26, Small: Linda Boyd
Class 27, Asiatic: Linda Boyd
Section E, Biennials
Class 29, Snapdragon: Ailene Eby
Class 30, Foxglove: Renata Stanko
Class 31, Pansy: Charlotte Mueller
Section F, Annual
Class 33, Small: Lynne Neuman
Section G,
Flowering Shrubs and Trees
Class 36, Mock Orange: Joli Root
Class 37, Any other: Karen Stallman
Section H, Vines
Class 38, Clematis: Charlotte Mueller
Section I, Herbs-Annuals or Perennials
Class 40, Container grown plant-Single variety: Charlotte Mueller
Class 41, Cut herb: Karen Stallman
Section K, Succulent/Sedums
Class 44, Planted containers-Large: Linda Boyd
Section L, House Plants
Class 45, Planted containers-Flowering: Sylvia Wood
Division III: Special Exhibits (Youth Horticulture)
Section A, Juniors
Class 4, Dish Gardens: Zane Schlundt
Section B, Intermediate
Class 6, Pansies: Jack Williams
Class 8, Dish Gardens: Jack Williams
Horticulture Awards
Section A, Roses
Rosette awarded to Sharon Swoverland for her Peace Rose
Section B, Perennials
Rosette awarded to Linda Boyd for her Coral Peony
Section C, Iris
Rosette awarded to Charlotte Mueller for her Bearded Iris
Section D, Lilies
Rosette awarded to Linda Boyd for her Asiatic Lily
Section E, Biennials
Rosette awarded to Renata Stanko for her Foxglove
Section F, Annual
Rosette awarded to Lynne Neuman for her Love-in-the-Mist
Sweepstakes
Rosette awarded to Charlotte Mueller for most horticulture blue ribbons
Strawberry Fair
Queen’s Choice Rosette
Linda Boyd for her Coral Peony