Preps and prizes at Ripley youth horticultural club meeting

Members of the Ripley "For Our Youth" junior horticultural club gathered Saturday, Sept. 23, to prepare entries for the Ripley-Huron Fall Fair and learn about the results of their efforts in the competitions they entered this year.

The weather was beautiful and leader Heather Newman took the oldest group outside to make gorgeous floral centrepieces.

Leaders Mary Rose Walden and Linda Jaynes (Grandma J.) divided the youngest group between making bugs out of egg cartons and doing leaf rubbings. The results were fabulous, and everyone had great hopes of winning prizes at the fair, which was held this past weekend, Sept. 29-30.

Walden announced the winners of the Ripley and District Horticultural Society's Flower Show: Alayna Middelkamp won first; Josie Middelkamp, second; Wade MacKay, third; and Harlow MacKay, fourth. Well done, everyone.

Alayna and Josie made an extra effort this year and entered the provincial competition. The Ontario Horticultural Association (OHA)’s 2017 conference, hosted by the York Region Horticultural Club District 5, was held from July 21-23 in Toronto.

Josie submitted four entries: a poem, a drought-tolerant plants flyer, a perfect-partners entry and her favourite herb recipe. She won first prize with the first three entries and second with the final entry. Alayna won second with her poem. Together, they entered a milkweed plant poster for which they won first prize. Congratulations, girls, you have done our Ripley club proud!

The junior club won first prize in the OHA Youth Club Activities Report category. Thanks to Walden who put together a journal of the club's activities and included many nice pictures.

Walden will be sorely missed as she will no longer be going on club outings with us, but will continue to be the club's link with the OHA. She was commended for all her hard work for the club and presented with a nice flower arrangement.

Under nail-biting tension, the results of the club's own club Growing Challenge, initiated by Grandma J., were announced:

Tallest sunflower was won by Alayna Middelkamp, 123 inches, with the Knoop sisters' sunflower in second at 115 inches, and in third and fourth, Natalie and Jaclyne Newman, with 91-inch and 56-inch sunflowers, respectively.

Longest zucchini was won by Tessa Neitzel, 43 centimetre (cm), Jaclyne Newman second with 38 cm, followed by Natalie Newman with 37 cm.

Largest pumpkin: Alayna Middelkamp with a 31-inch wide and 16-inch long pumpkin.

Largest potato: Josie Middelkamp with a 3.5-inch wide and 6.5-inch long potato. Most of the early potatoes had rotted.

Everyone was encouraged to ride on the Ripley and District Horticultural Society float in the fall fair parade.

The next and final meeting of 2017 for the youth club, will be held at the home of leader Tryntje Eisen where the club will have fun with pumpkins.