The number of exhibits at the 75th annual Provincial Horticultural Show may have been slightly down because of the less than stellar weather this summer, but the entries were of excellent quality.
Kamsack Horticultural Club president, Cindy Koreluik, said the judges were pleased overall with the quality of the exhibits on display at the OCC Hall.
“We had a strong showing from our junior class competitors,” Koreluik said. “This is very good as the young ones are the future of the Club.”
A total of 399 entries in 15 classes from a total of 26 exhibitors, including five junior exhibitors, comprised the displays for the judges. They were: Bonny Lundberg of Saskatoon, and Allan Daku of Kennedy.
“It was a trying year for gardeners because the weather was not the best during the growing season,” said Karen Pfeifer, exhibitor. “Some of the usual large exhibitors were unable to be here because they were completely hailed out. The crop quality suffered because of lack of moisture at the beginning of the season. The weather was just not conducive to the show.”
In the 15 categories of exhibits, 51 were houseplants and outdoor plants; 106, cut flowers; 32 flower arranging and floral art; 15, fruit; 66, vegetables; 57, junior exhibits; 60, concoctions, creations, photography and quilts, and 12 horticultural society members “theme pots.”
“We are finding a growing interest of exhibitors in the ‘concoctions, creations, photography and quilts’ category,” said Koreluik. “This category includes jams, jellies, pickles, canned fruit, wine, baking, craft items, photography and quilting. The newer society members find this category quite interesting and are entering exhibits in this class.
“We had out-of-town exhibitors from Assiniboia and Yorkton. Some of our usual exhibitors had experienced frost, late planting and an overall poor growing season, so that impacted the number of entries,” she said.
Organizers were pleased with the number of spectators that passed through the doors to admire the exhibits. Maureen Blight who lives north of Danbury had no exhibits in the show this year, but she had an enjoyable time checking out the displays, saying she was most interested in the vegetable displays and the qualities the judges were looking for.
“I would like to get ideas for showing,” she said. “I may exhibit next year, and I am getting some tips on what varieties are popular and how to record entries for the show.”
Grayson Dix, a third year exhibitor in the junior category, enjoys gardening with his mother Beth Dix, also an exhibitor, and he recounted how much fun he had “drowning the potato bugs,” this summer.
The grand aggregate winner of the show was Eleanor Lenderbeck of Roblin, while Vicky Koreluik came in second and Cindy Koreluik, third.
In house plants, Denise Hellegards was first; Eleanor Lenderbeck second, and Vicky Koreluik, third; annuals: Vicky Koreluik, Eleanor Lenderbeck and Cindy Koreluik; perennials: Eleanor Lenderbeck, Patty Witzko and Marie Hudye and Betty Dix tied for third spot; lillies: Eleanor Lenderbeck, Natalie King and Patty Witzko and Lise Rochefort tied for third; dahlias: Cindy Koreluik, Eleanor Lenderbeck and Phyllis Hanson; roses: Eleanor Lenderbeck, Marie Hudye and Margie Popoff; gladioli: Eleanor Lenderbeck and Vicky Koreluik; floral art: Debbie Hayward of Yorkton, Eleanor Lenderbeck, and Alona Zeibin of Yorkton; fruit: Cindy Koreluik, Phyllis Hanson of Assiniboia, and Vicky Koreluik; vegetables: Cindy Koreluik, Vicky Koreluik, and Phyllis Hanson; junior flowers: Grayson Dix, Taylor Thurlow, and Harper Hayden; junior fruit and vegetables: Taylor Thurlow, Meesha Romaniuk and Riley and Grayson Dix tied for third; concoctions, creations, photography and quilts: Karen Pfeifer, Vicky Koreluik, and Keith Hayward, and in the society members themed horticultural pot, featuring the vista paradise petunia, first was Cindy Koreluik; second was Sonia Hordichuk, and third, Phyllis McKave.
Plaques were awarded to the following individuals: Eleanor Lenderbeck for lilies; Cindy Koreluik for dahlias; Eleanor Lenderbeck for gladioli; Cindy Koreluik for vegetables, and Eleanor Lenderbeck for annual flowers.
Right after judging for the show concluded, the SHA (Saskatchewan Horticultural Association) held one of its three meetings, attended by all board members from across the province, at the OCC Hall. The SHA holds three meetings annually, and in addition to the one in Kamsack, annually held in August, there is a spring meeting in Saskatoon and an October meeting in Tisdale.
“We would like to acknowledge all of the junior exhibitors for the quality of their entries, and the donors who contributed to the rainbow auction,” concluded Koreluik.
