SWAN DIVE

SWAN DIVE

Photos © by Leonard Shapiro

Her Majesty The Queen holds the title of Seigneur of the Swans. Her participation includes the Royal Swan Upping each July. Meanwhile, at the 56th annual Daffodil Show at Buchanan Hall in Upperville on April 12, a swan upping of a different sort took place.

Competition heats up for what is known as the Inter-Club class, which this year was called “Birds of a Feather-Swan Dive,” a waterfall design. According to the rules, “entries are to be exhibited on an ivory pedestal 42 inches high with a 12 inch X 12 inch top ON THE STAGE. Pedestal provided. Base of the entry not to exceed the top of the pedestal. Entry to measure not more than 24 inches in width. To be viewed from all sides. No height limit.”

Margaret Littleton with Betty Ann Trible with swan feather, blue ribbon and trophy.

For the uninitiated, such a display involves many decisions and discussions. What type of container will be used? What sort of plant material will be used? And, most important who will execute the design? In the case of the Piedmont Garden Club, it’s safe to say the decision was unanimous. Betty Ann Trible, a creative floral arranging wiz, would step up. Committee members met as the arrangement was put together. Sandwiches and treats from The Red Truck Bakery were served.

One member of the group asked that the final display should include one or two swan feathers. “After all,” she noted, “some other entries might think a swan dive is like a belly flop off the high dive.”

Many thanks to Ben Rogers, long-time farm manager at Heronwood in Upperville. He provided the feathers he found around the ponds on Heronwood’s 18-hole golf course.

Betty Ann Trible’s finished Swan Dive from the Piedmont Garden Club for the Inter-club competition at the Daffodil Show.

On the big day of the competition, Betty Ann drove the finished Swan Dive to Buchanan Hall and put it in place on the stage. She headed off to pre-show luncheon when her cell phone went off. It was an official from the Daffodil Show.

The breaking news went something like: “Inexplicably your arrangement hit the floor of the stage and shattered.” Horrors. “But,” the caller said, “the good news…it happened after the judges had awarded this Swan Dive the blue ribbon.”

Said Betty Ann, “I’m planning to buy a lottery ticket.”

Details: https://www.royalswan.co.uk