For the joy of gardening: St. John women mark last year at flower exhibit

Carol Hannas and Kay Smith could be called St. John Community Fair’s flower girls.

The two women have been working together for more than 20 years at the St. John Community Fair.

“We’ve been in cahoots for many years in the flower department,” Hannas said.

Hannas said after the St. John-Endicott FFA members bring in the display shelves from storage, the women clean them and then position them in the Community Building, getting them ready for the hundreds of exhibits that are displayed during the fair.

The women then hang up educational posters and get each section ready for entries.

Smith said that children and adults have plants, specimen blooms, arrangements and, something new last year, vegetable critters.

Hannas said on Wednesday that before the fair officially opens, several activities are held in the Community Building.

Students descend on the building to decorate cupcakes, create vegetable critters, and do flower arrangements, Smith said.

“At least 30 kids do the same activity all at one time,” Smith said. “It’s just chaos.”

Specimen blooms and arrangements arrive Thursday morning and judging is Thursday afternoon. This year’s judges are from Rosalia, Moscow and Soap Lake.

“They put in a long afternoon,” Smith said.

Although the number of entries vary from year to year depending on the weather, the women agreed the entries number in the hundreds.

“When the judging is through and to see the young kids’ faces as they see the ribbons, even the adults, that’s the best part,” Hannas said.

“It goes downhill after that,” Hannas said as both women laughed.

But they stopped laughing and became a bit more serious.

“This is our last year,” Hannas said. “It’s time to have new interest and new ideas.”

What will they miss the most?

“I’ll miss her,” Smith said. “I don’t know what we’re going to do but we’ll do something together.”

“I’ll miss her too,” Hannas said. “I’ll miss seeing all the people excited to see what they come in with.”

Both women said they appreciate all the help from Country Cousins Garden Club members.

“We couldn’t do this without the garden club,” they said together.