THE demonstrator at the February meeting of the Ross Flower Club was Alwyn Page and her title was 'Surprise surprise'. Alwyn is renowned for re-using items in an unusual and pleasing way. She often uses large, pretty tins which have been used for sweets or biscuits, then lined with plastic and filled with oasis. Alwyn's first design was a little Spring garden. She used contorted hazel with catkins, white and blue hyacinths/ winter

flowering honeysuckle, genista and dried mimosa to fill in. Tulips, long

stemmed freesia, small blue iris and fresh blue statis, all these Spring flowers plus some tiny daffodils made a lovely design. Small, pretty gift carrier bags were used for arrangements to celebrate new babies, one pink and one blue. She used peachpink roses with matching carnations and gypsophila for the girl. The one for a boy was mainly made up of yellow roses with white carnations and blue freesia. Both arrangements were topped off with tiny teddy bears with the appropriate coloured ribbon. Using a very plain pot wrapped in pink wrapping paper to make a prettier container, Alwyn used bamboo, dyed, dried teazle, eryngium, tulips and pale pink gerbera combined to make a pleasing design. A glass vase shaped like a huge champagne cocktail glass was filled with yellow chrysanthemums and masses of yellow foliage. Yellow roses and carnations all combined to make a lovely bubbly effect. A few long catkins were placed to soften the edge of the glass. In the middle of the vase bear grass threaded with crystal

beads enhanced the effervescent effect. Last but not least a very large red pot was used to produce a very dramatic arrangement. She gave the pot a frill of fatsia leaves, then red daisy chrysanthemums, red carnations, orange lilies and sprays of rustus were used to give the arrangement height. Throughout her demonstration Alwyn gave her audience many useful tips on flower conditioning, arrangement and suitability for purpose.