Recent hailstorms that pummeled flower beds and gardens won’t put a damper on a decades-old flower festival this weekend.
Christ Church Millarville Ladies Guild is moving forward with its annual Flower Festival July 23 and 24.
The 120-year-old church, grounds and cemetery will be decorated with bouquets, flowerpots and hanging baskets donated by church members and area residents. Christ Church is located five kilometres east of the Millarville Race Track on Highway 549.
“This year there has been a lot of hail in the area so I don’t know what we are going to do about outside flowers,” said Cathie Scatterty, co-president of the ladies guild. “Some in our area have nothing and some have replanted and we are hoping to get enough pots.”
Scatterty said the guild might cut sage bushes or use grasses to help decorate the grounds and that they may have fewer flowers for the cones they place on each grave site.
“We have to be creative,” she said. “There is not really much we can do. We just have to hope for the best.”
The mild winter and spring caused perennials to pop up several weeks early, giving hope to many gardeners in the area, said Scatterty.
“It’s been a funny year because we had flowers blooming in June that shouldn’t be blooming until the end of July,” she said. “The weather has been a factor the whole year.”
This isn’t the first time Mother Nature put a crutch in the Christ Church Millarville Ladies Guild Flower Festival.
“One year we got everything set up on the Friday night and there was a terrible storm and we were there at seven the next morning trying to put fresh flower out because the hail had hit through the night,” she said.
This is the 54th year the church guild, Millarville Horticultural Society and community members have been taking flowers from their yards, gardens and fields to decorate the church and grounds, said Scatterty.
“It’s pretty impressive that it’s been going this long,” she said.
“It’s just a tradition that the ladies started in our area and people seem to enjoy doing it. It brings people together in the community.”
Barb Haslam, guild treasurer, said one of her jobs is to contact seniors group across the region to inform them about the festival.
“It’s nice to get those groups out,” she said. “Some had an affiliation with the church in the past and some enjoy the outings.”
The next few days will be spent gathering flowers. The church and grounds will be decorated the evening of July 22, Haslam said.
“It’s such a community event,” she said. “We get a lot of help from people in the Millarville area, particularly the Millarville Horticultural club that helps with the decorating. It’s a good way to interact with the community and also to show off our church.”
One of the highlights of the event is a tea in the wheelchair accessible church hall on July 23 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. featuring scones, homemade strawberry jam and whipped cream. The cost is $6 and $3 for youngsters ages six and under and jam will be available for sale.
Money raised at the tea - a major fundraiser for the guild - helps to cover the cost of looking after the church, assisting families in need and supporting local charities. A church service will be held on July 24 at 11:30 a.m.
