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Flower enthusiasts warm up to the season at Fellows show
By Elise Franco
YOUNGSTOWN
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Beverly Italiano, volunteer coordinator and receptionist for Fellows Riverside Gardens, discusses the types of horticulture entries in Saturday and Sunday’s spring flower show.
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An entry in the Garden Forum of Greater Youngstown's spring flower show.
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An entry in the Garden Forum of Greater Youngstown's spring flower show.
Spring was in the air inside the D.D. and Velma Davis Education & Visitor Center this weekend despite the winterlike temperatures outside.
The Garden Forum of Greater Youngstown’s spring flower show Saturday and Sunday provided the venue where horticulture enthusiasts and casual gardeners alike could show off some of their best floral entries inside Fellows Riverside Gardens.
Beverly Italiano, volunteer coordinator and receptionist at the gardens, said the annual flower show was especially successful because unusually warm weather in March and April caused some flowers to spring up early.
“We’re lucky we had so many entries,” she said. “The early, warm weather brought the buds up.”
Though Italiano said she didn’t know the exact number of entries, the inside of the Davis center was filled with everything from daffodils to lilacs to tulips to the more-exotic bleeding heart and “summer snowflake.”
“The horticulture displays are an example of what you grow in your home garden,” she said. “It displays the beauty of the flower itself.”
Italiano said a second category, design displays, also drew in quite a few entries, especially the miniature displays.
“We had quite a selection of dried and fresh miniatures this year,” she said. “When you do this kind of stuff, it has to be perfect when it’s brought in.”
Lorraine Alexander and her husband, Tom, drove up from Columbus to check out this year’s show.
“I think it’s wonderful and gorgeous,” she said. “The mini daffodils are my favorite because of the detail and beauty they can have in such a small flower.”
Alexandria Copich of Liberty said she stopped by the Davis center Sunday to visit a glass-blowing exhibit, and the flowers caught her eye.
“It’s a great exhibit, very interesting,” she said. “I’m glad to see the garden clubs are still popular and appreciated.”
Italiano said these flower shows not only give growers the opportunity to show off their hard work, but they help teach.
“People can come in and learn about the different types of flowers and different ways to arrange them,” she said. “It’s really a learning tool.”
The next flower show at Fellows Riverside Gardens will be from 1 to 5 p.m. May 15 and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 16.