THE penultimate demonstration of 2017 at Broughton Floral Club’s October meeting is one they shall not forget in a hurry.

Allison Finch linked her displays to books which she has read and enjoyed hence the title for the evening, ‘Well Read Volume 2’. She had last visited the club in August 2014 demonstrating ‘Well Read’. All arrangements except for the last had a miniature set alongside the main, filling the stage with a super display.

Starting with a willow lobster pot upturned, pittosporum sprigs at the base was a contrast for tall white gladiolus, yellow lilies, green carnations, Japanese anemones and white September flower stems. Allison placed a large fossil alongside the display together with a copy of Tracy Trevalian’s ‘Remarkable Creatures’.

A pink oval chocolate box was the base for the next delight of pittosporum Red Edge, pink germini and small pink spray roses which billowed out of the box. It was so simple, but what a delight. The display was inspired by Johanne Harris’s book ‘Chocolat’.

A Victorian feel from the novel ‘Falling Angels’ was the idea for a different arrangement based with a tall urn. A collar of maroon heuchera leaves, with polystichum ferns, longiflorum lilies, green carnations, pink bullet alliumns, lilac lisianthus and cream avalanche roses. To complete the display sparkly bits were added giving a bit of bling.

The penultimate display was set in a large dish. Fatsia and palm leaves at the base together with blue spruce stems and yellow cotinus all came to life with yellow lilies, huge yellow spider chrysanthemums and red roses. This display was inspired by the book ‘Geisha of Gion’.

The last display was ‘Shadow of a Moon’ by M M Kaye. Manipulated phormium leaves silvered with eucalyptus and senico grey eye sprigs, tamarisk, pink liatris white lilies, white Avalance roses and mauve lisianthus, were used. Completing the display was a half moon on a stick.

All displays were so different and as before the club will be seeing Alison in the future.

The next club’s meeting is on 1 November, which is their open evening. Should anybody wish to join them tickets are £10, so come along and see Emily Broomhead with her evening called ‘Touch of Gold’.