Pragmatic about showers being good for flowers, members of the Garden Club of Indian River County made the most of the soggy weekend, showcasing the beauty of Mother Nature as interpreted by talented floral designers and horticulturalists at its semi-annual Standard Flower Show Staged in a Public Building.
The theme of this year’s show, chaired by Faye Este, was Turn of the Century Gardens to Groves at the Hallstrom Farmstead, presenting 44 gorgeous designs staged throughout the historic home in 11 classes, four entries per class.
Visitors also tip-toed through the raindrops to two outdoor tented areas – one with hundreds of superb horticulture exhibits emphasizing the beauty of Florida fauna, and the other with photography and educational exhibits.
“Faye thought she wanted to do a citrus-related show, so the Hallstrom House fit right with that theme,” said staging chairman Marsha Woods. Woods is also a docent at the Historic Landmark property, which was willed to the Historical Society of Indian River County by Ruth Hallstrom, an active, 25-year member of the Garden Club. Her father, Axel Hallstrom, built the magnificently maintained 1918 home, transitioning the farmstead from its initial pineapple crop to citrus groves.
“A couple of months ago Faye went through the house to decide where the entries would be,” said Woods, explaining the process of deciding the layout for the home’s interpretive floral tour. “We had the house open and designers would decide where they wanted to be; it was first come, first served.”
National Garden Club judges had the difficult task of determining first, second, third and honorable mention in each class, with various other awards decided on by the committee, designers, District X Judges Council and the Garden Club president.
The tour began in the entry hall, where fragrant blossoms welcomed attendees as the family would have done on an Easter Sunday afternoon, before moving in to the parlor, where bountiful arrangements marked the transition from pineapples to citrus.
The spacious dining room housed designs suggestive of a Scandinavian bounty, as well as charming miniatures along the mantelpiece, depicting a hot cup of tea on an early spring morning. The delightful kitchen held small abstracts at “Auntie” Johanna’s (Axel’s sister) kitchen table and unusual underwater designs stop her wood-burning stove and painted Hoosier cabinet.
Upstairs, Auntie Johanna’s bedroom provided the backdrop for some striking framed abstracts and the sunny front room – where the family played cards and Ruth painted – presented additional pleasing designs. The creative line designs in Axel’s bedroom depicted their love of world travel and the graceful traditional line designs in Ruth’s bedroom took their inspiration from her love of family and community.
“I think the arrangements are lovely,” said artist Doraté Muller, wandering the house with friends. “It’s a feast for the eyes.”
The Garden Club, a member of the National Garden Clubs, Deep South Region and Florida Federation of Garden Clubs, is dedicated to maintaining the charm of the community through beautification projects and educating the public about protecting native plants and natural resources.
This past fall they funded the attractive landscaping gracing the front of Hallstrom House, designed by Garden Club member and landscape architect Robin Pelensky, and installed by DIGG Gardens. Funding is derived from GardenFest! – the sale of their annual Christmas ornaments depicting “city and state sites of historical interest” and the flower show.
