By Dagmar Fors Karppi
It’s always nice to celebrate a success and Locust Valley Garden Club (LVGC) members did that as they attended the 100th anniversary luncheon of the Port Washington Garden Club at the North Hempstead Country Club. The club was founded on March 21, 1924 by six women to encourage the love of gardening. That included creating garden spots in Port Washington, as well as providing weekly, fresh bouquets to be displayed at the Port Washington Library.
Sean Becket of S. F. Falconers Florist of Port Washington was the featured speaker. His presentation was a unique take on the history of floral design starting with the 1920s to the present.
Becket explained that in the ‘20s, there wasn’t the floral industry we take for granted today, which supplies us blooms from around the world. Those first bouquets were created with flowers from local gardens.
One of the first bouquet he created included delphiniums, camelias and yellow roses.
“People loved roses, even before they were hybridized,” he said.
He added hyacinths, white snap dragons and Calla lilies. Becket topped the arrangement with very ‘20s elements: feathers including peacock feathers, and swaths of pearls.
“World War II found America creating suburbia, with a growing middle class, and floral design became foremost.” His next creation harkened to Jackie Kennedy, using a fuchsia vase and stressed the mixing of colors: red roses, daisies, eucalyptus, goldenrod and lilies.
In the ‘60s and ‘70s roses kept their place in designs. In the ‘70s sunflowers appeared on the market and while people thought they were a fad, he said, “they had staying power and are still popular.”
In the ‘80s, Nancy Reagan loved roses in her signature Nancy Reagan red. To that design, he added peonies and white roses into the vase.
In 2000, a new item arrived to shape bouquets, Holly Chapple holders. They allowed making free-form bouquets using a “plastic pillow”, hidden floating at the top of the vase.
The LVGC is planning a flower show on Aug. 20. The club meets the third Wednesday of the month, at 10 p.m. in the Community Room of the Locust Valley Library, where
they held their first meetings in 1947. New members are welcome.
The donation of $15 includes the program and buffet lunch. For information please contact President Dean Yoder at dyinteriors@yahool.com.
Dagmar Fors Karppi is associated with the Locust Valley Garden Club
