With winter's “last hurrah” still in evidence in the Boothbay region, two members of the Boothbay Region Garden Club did their best to bring a breath of spring to St. Andrews Village on April 6 with a live flower arranging demonstration. The event, which spotlighted the talents of Debbie Graves and Abbie Shaw, followed by refreshments, was open to the community at large as well as Village residents.

Graves, who is part of the creative workforce at Boothbay Region Greenhouses, worked her magic with a variety of succulents that she arranged in a pretty spring basket while giving valuable advice on how to care for the living bundle.

Shaw, on the other hand, took on the challenge of arranging a collection of cut flowers and complimentary greenery while talking about how the mix of colors, textures and the height ratio of flowers to vessel can all come together to produce a pleasing effect. Shaw also explained how the strategic cutting back of wilted blooms can extend the life of the arrangement since some flowers will last longer than others. Shaw did all the flower arranging for the Occidental Grill in Washington, D.C. for two years and has a 25-year history of flower arranging on mega yachts.

The arrangements are on display at The Village for the enjoyment of residents, staff and visitors. Shaw will maintain the arrangements which she estimates will last through Easter. She commented that “as a Garden Club member, this type of volunteering is a pleasure for me.”

The Boothbay Region Garden Club encourages this kind of community outreach among its membership and always welcomes new members into the group. BRGC is affiliated with NGC (National Garden Clubs Inc.) and is a member of the GCFM (Garden Club Federation of Maine). For more information on upcoming events and activities check out the BRGC website at http://www.boothbayregiongardenclub.org