What do “I Claudius”, “Mary Poppins”, and “The Little Engine That Could” have in common?
They were all published in 1934 and were featured in the Books in Bloom Festival at the Acton Memorial Library December 5-7, 2024.
Read our story of Books in Bloom and look forward to our next Flower Show at the Acton Memorial Library in the Fall of 2025.
The Acton Garden Club capped off its year-long celebration of “90 Years of Service to the Community” with a public floral design show, Books in Bloom. The opening night reception featured designers discussing their floral interpretations of classic books including Madeline, Mary Poppins, The Little Engine that Could, Our Town, The Joy of Cooking, The Hobbit, Tender is the Night, I Claudius, and How to Win Friends and Influence People.
The displays were accompanied by the designers’ written “statements of intent” to provide context and insight into their design choices and creative process.The full set of designer’s statements and photographs of all the exhibits are archived in the AGC Books in Bloom Event Profile. For the I Claudius floral arrangement pictured above, designer Diane Krasnick wrote: “For my floral display, I searched for material that might evoke unease or suspicion to one familiar with the language of flowers. Throughout history, many blossoms have held surprising and opposing associations. For example, the yellow rose is often assumed to be a gesture of friendship but is also symbolic of jealousy and greed. Similarly, the marigold seems cheerful but is also a recognized marker of cruelty and grief. Perennial favorites, the snapdragon and carnation, have been used to communicate disdain and rejection. I have incorporated a mix of these surprising flowers with fillers of olive branch, local hemlock, and rosemary for remembrance.”
Of The Little Engine that Could, designer Mimi Flanary wrote, “I chose this book as it was one of my favorites to read to my children when they were young. I love the message ‘I THINK I CAN!!!!’ Such a positive outlook to have about all things.”
Designer Thelma Shoneman described how her book’s title, The Sign of the Twisted Candles, inspired her arrangement: “The word ‘Twisted’ in the title … was the key inspiration… In the arrangement, twisted Kiwi vine surrounds the flowers which represent the candle in a unique ceramic candle holder adorned with twists.”
The children’s classic Madeline was depicted by a collaborative team of Heather Makris, Jessica Chase, and Karen Martin. Their intent statement focused on colors: “The subtle colors of berries and flowers, blue, white and red, are the colors of the French flag. The 12 girls are represented as flowers, and little Madeline is different, not just because she is special but she has red hair. The caretaker is represented as a tall flowing flower. The different greens and flowers recall the many formal gardens in Paris. Perhaps the towering green ferns remind you of another famous Paris landmark?”
Ann Marie Testarmata is the Acton Garden Club’s correspondent to the Acton Exchange. Cathy Fochtman is a member of Acton Garden Club and was Acton’s Recreation Director from 2006 to 2019. She teaches classes about horticulture and floral design. She has a certificate in Horticultural Therapy from Horticultural Therapy Institute, Inc., and was recently promoted to Accredited Flower Show Judge by National Garden Clubs, Inc.
