By Maddy Vitale
The 47
th annual Ocean City Flower Show is coming up and organizers are looking for some young talent to bloom.
The Garden Club of Ocean City, which stages the Flower Show, is calling on all children ages 3-14 to join in the Junior Division of the show, which runs from May 31 to June 2 at the Ocean City Music Pier. This year's theme is “Celebrating the Holidays.”
Everything is provided for the kids, and there is no cost to sign up. All parents or guardians and their children have to do is show up at the Music Pier on May 30 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. to create their best Easter-themed floral baskets.
The creations will be judged the following day and trophies and ribbons will be given out for the first, second and third place entries and honorable mention, said Kathy Wheatcroft, co-chair with Kay Reilly of the Flower Show subcommittee.
Organizers are seeking 36 children for the Junior Division.
“It is really a lot of fun to see the kids create their floral arrangements. We supply everything needed for the children, so they are all working off of a level playing field,” explained Wheatcroft, who is also the treasurer of the Ocean City Garden Club. “The kids all will have the same flowers, same container.”
Wheatcroft said the friendly competition gives children something different they can do to display their artistic talents.
She said over the last couple of years, children who enter the competition year after year are “aging out.”
“We used to easily fill the slots for the children. Last year we had 20 Junior Division entries,” Wheatcroft said. “It doesn’t make the exhibit look as nice. We want more kids to be involved because usually they stay. The hope is that they like it so much they become novices and stay with it.”
The idea of Easter-themed baskets competition after Easter is over may seem a bit late on the calendar, but Wheatcroft said not at all.
Attendees at the Ocean City Flower Show in 2017 took time to smell the elaborate displays.
It is clear, Wheatcroft said, that children love Easter and so do city officials, so it makes sense to have an Easter-themed competition at the Flower Show.
The Flower Show is really a city event with assistance from the Ocean City Garden Club. The city puts on a huge, successful Easter Promenade Stroll and Easter Egg Hunt over the holiday and thousands of kids participate.
For now, Wheatcroft said, there is not a definite list of flowers that will be used in the Junior Division competition. However, she has some pretty good ideas of what will be seriously considered.
“We are usually going with things easier to use with a stronger stem," she noted. "We will fill the Easter egg pails with oasis to stuff the flowers in. We will probably use carnations or daisies. The kids love baby’s breath. Mums may work too.”
She also has an idea about the color schemes. “This one should be really bright. I foresee a lot of yellows and pinks,” Wheatcroft said. “We will go with pastel flowers.”
In 2018, the theme was “Bouquets of New Jersey.” This year’s theme, “Celebrating the Holidays,” came during brainstorm sessions in meetings shortly after last year’s show, Wheatcroft explained.
She urged parents and guardians to sign their budding artists up for the competition. To view the flyer go to:
https://accessglobal.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/siteimports/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/OC-Flower-Show-Kids-Flyer-1.pdf
“It is really gratifying to watch the kids," Wheatcroft said. "They do a lot of art in school. The Flower Show sometimes gives them confidence because they make these arrangements on their own.”
Wheatcroft added that it is always fun to watch.
“The kids are so uninhibited when they make their arrangements,” she said. “The adults sweat it out, where the kids just enjoy what they are doing, which is great to see.”
For more information or to register a child in the Ocean City Flower Show Junior Division, call Lorraine Scott at 609-398-6281.
One of the winning entries in last year's floral competition for the Junior Division. (Courtesy Kathy Wheatcroft)
