Flower Show: Thank You, Volunteers, Donors, Patrons

by Nancy Brennick, flower show chair

The success of the CHS flower show exhibit would not have been possible without our volunteer crew. On behalf of the Board of Directors and CHS members, I thank committee members for their hours of toil and their commitment when the weather forced scheduling changes and family matters and jobs required juggling. 

Thanks to Joan Stubenrauch, our able guardian of forcing, plants, plant-list maker and sale organizer; Kevin Wilcox, horticulturist of Farmington Valley Nursery in Avon, who constantly shows us yet another thing he can do; Cathy Testa, “commando” of the CHS show hosts and speaker facilitators; Nancy Shipman, a mentor in the true spirit of CHS; Bob Shipman, who can wear any hat we toss on him; designer Deb Kent, who saw what needed to be done and did it; Alice Willard, who offered encouragement and plant plotting; Elaine Widmer for her signage, feedback and brainstorming; Lynn Cavo, who said, “I can do more and I have a big station wagon!”;  Donna Eriksen, our go-to helper in Litchfield; Faith and Bill Geist, who transported plants; Keri Milne and Pat Murawski, who were a breath of fresh air; horticulturalist Elizabeth Morin, who keeps us connected to Cheshire growers; Fairlee Latawic, our meals-on-wheels chef; and Alli Schubert, my niece who came from Boston to put the polish on our props.

Also, Steve Silk for his design vision and hours of consult and whose efforts on behalf of CHS we respect tremendously; David Smith, who with broken ribs managed his usual magical bulb display, and Cheryl Whalen of White Flower Farm, who became our “garden angel” in the WFF greenhouses; David Hayes for the loan of his sculpture "Screen," which completed the perspective of our display; Bonnie McLachlan, CHS office administrator extraordinaire; spouses, including Ken Stubenrauch, Dick Kuzmak, John Bergeron and Tom Widmer; the 75 volunteer hosts and speaker facilitators, whose congeniality represented CHS well; the many other members and friends who gave their time to make our show display a winner; and the following donors and partners.

Donors

Cedar Mountain Stone & Mulch, Newington

Kevin Wilcox, Farmington Valley Nursery, Avon

TK & Brown's Flowers, Bloomfield and Rocky Hill

Moore’s Sawmill, Bloomfield

White Flower Farm, Morris

Glastonbury High School VOAG

Richard P. Kuzmak, Esq.

Partners

Broken Arrow Nursery, Hamden

The Plant Group, Franklin

Prides Corner Farm, Lebanon

PC Richard & Son

T&D Growers, Cheshire 

                                                

Capturing the Magic: It's Flower Show Time in Connecticut

View fine art and flowers at the CHS exhibit

Show photos: Kevin Wilcox

The 2011 Connecticut flower show is underway, and CHS Flower Show Chair Nancy Brennick and her tireless team of volunteers has created a stunning exhibit that inspires visitors to "capture the magic" of CHS membership.

The CHS exhibit won the American Horticultural Society's prestigious environmental award.  The judges said the display demonstrates skillful design that incorporates principles of environmental stewardship.

The jewel amid the plants is a painted steel sculpture by renowned American sculptor and CHS member David Hayes of Coventry, Conn.

"Amazing how it almost dances -- and how cool yet organic -- almost in flight -- the metallic blades look juxtaposed against all the welcome lushness of a springtime to come,"  The Hartford Courant's Nancy Schoeffler wrote in her blog.

David created the abstract piece, Screen Sculpture, from welded steel and drew his inspiration as he always does from the shapes found in nature. The sculpture stands just under four feet tall, and is 26 inches wide and 13 inches deep.

He  loaned the piece to the CHS exhibit after Nancy Brennick and her colleagues found their design lacking and approached him for ideas.

“We are thrilled that this famous master sculptor agreed to work with us,” said Nancy, who the society's vice president. “This elegant sculpture provides the perfect focal point for our display of more than 600 spring-flowering bulbs, 200 perennials and 35 shrubs and trees. The matte gray blades contrast with the lightness of the plants in a stunning way, enhancing their attributes.”

David's work has been seen in more than 300 exhibitions worldwide and in more than 100 institutional collections, including the Museum of Modern Art and the Guggenheim Museum in New York, and the National Museum of American Art in Washington, D.C.

He was born in Hartford and earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Notre Dame and his master’s of fine arts degree from Indiana University. He received a post-doctoral Fulbright award and a Guggenheim Fellowship. He is a recipient of the Logan Prize for Sculpture and an award from the National Institute of Arts and Letters. In 2007, he received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Albertus Magnus College in New Haven. Read more about David and his work.

CHS has been a premier exhibitor in the landscape section of the Connecticut Flower and Garden Show for more than 30 years. The society invites visitors to embrace the show theme and "Capture the Magic" by becoming CHS members and growing, learning and traveling with the nonprofit, volunteer organization.

The flower show runs through Sunday, Feb. 27, at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford. Show hours are 10 a.m.-8 p.m. through Saturday, and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on Sunday. Visit ctflowershow. 

'Capture the Magic': Behind the Scenes

Here are just a few of the many CHS members and friends who volunteered their time, elbow grease and creativity to build the CHS exhibit at the 2011 flower show. Photos by Steve Silk, except where noted.

Flower Show Chair Nancy Brennick

Bob Shipman & Deborah Kent

Kevin Wilcox

Fairlee Latawic & Kevin 

Photo: K. Wilcox

Steve Silk, conducting

Fairlee (left) & Nancy Shipman

Photo: K. Wilcox