The Trad Pad

Pentecost
Beth Griffith, Jill Somers & Victor Wendt.
Sponsored by St Paul’s Cathedral Flower Guild.

Last night, Shelley and I went to the opening of In Paradiso. In Paradiso is an exhibition of religious floral art at St Agnes’s Church, 114 Booran Road, Glen Huntly. The exhibition will continue daily until Wednesday 31 August. There will be a demonstration of church flower arranging by Peter Bennett and Nigel Wright on Monday night, 29 August. Enrol by phoning 9571 3932.

The work is a delight and is a fine tribute to the skills and talent of the artists.

The exhibition was officially opened by Lady Potter (Primrose), widow of Sir Ian Potter.

The exhibition was by invitation.

Three of the exhibits are from St Agnes - by Peter Bennett, Elizabeth and Iain Gilbert, and the Vicar himself, Fr Nigel Wright.

The other six churches represented are St John’s, Bentleigh; St Andrew’s, Brighton; St John’s, Camberwell; St Peter’s, Eastern Hill; St John the Evangelist, Flinders; and last, but not least, St Paul’s Cathedral, Melbourne.

Christmass, Ken Whelan, St Andrew’s Brighton
Advent Flowers,
Gwen Wilson,
St John’s Bentleigh

Pentecost
John Barren, St John the Evangelist Flinders
I am the vine..
Margaret Kelly & Lyn Beaumont
Sponsored by The Vestry of St John’s Camberwell

Liz Prideaux
St Peter’s Eastern Hill
Sponsored by Flowers Vesette, Fitzroy

The exhibits below are from St Agnes’s:

Easter - St Agnes’s Day - Flowers for a wedding
Peter Bennett - Nigel Wright - Elizabeth & Iain Gilbert

This week time has been scarce as I have done my monthly job of editing St Thomas’s monthly newsletter, Crossroads. Getting to the top of my to do list is The Herb Assessment. This is the state of death and survival among the herbs. The Basil has gone - frosted out of existence. The Rocket is bolting and making a lovely display of white flowers prior to seeding. The three varieties of Sage are looking pitiful. The Marjoram and Oregano are doing OK and the Garlic Chives are mysterious but the Mint and the Italian Parsley are exuberant. Somewhere underneath them is the Pennyroyal holding its own and beside them all a struggling Thyme.
In the vege garden, the traditional Parsley planted with the Silver Beet is doing well. I think the pot of Red Onions is OK - but please can someone tell me how to tell when things that grow under the ground like Garlic, Onions and Potatoes are ready for harvest.

To-day is the Feast of the Transfiguration. It brings to me the message of how much our world needs to be transfigured - from war to peace; from destructivity to creativity; from ugliness to beauty. This is why I have included a photograph of a fruit tree in blossom in my back yard. It is being transfigured from winter barrenness to spring glory and then will come fruitfulness. It also occurs to me what Transfiguration could mean for us in the southern hemisphere. In the northern hemisphere, Easter - the Feast of the Resurrection - comes along with the full impact of a northern spring which is missing from southern celebrations. What an impact might occur could we of the south feel if we made a major event of Transfiguration.

In the backyard, between the house and the bungalow there are three deep pink camellia bushes blossoming madly.

There is a magnolia tree which is magnificent.

The official spring date of 1 September is not here yet - but Spring seems to be. The wintry garden is all a-blossom.

The camellias are a-dancing in their pretty pink skirts.

They are joined by their joyful cousins, the azaleas.