04 October 2022
We were determined to have a Wildflower show this year after two, Show free years due to the global pandemic. Planning for our Show starts early in the New Year. This time we were still subject to COVID 19 restrictions, so planning was problematic. We had no idea whether folk would be willing to venture out even if this were allowed. And if freedom of movement were restored in time for the Show, whether there would be limits on the numbers allowed to attend.
All this made Show time a very risky prospect for us. We are a small Society staffed entirely by unpaid volunteers. With extremely limited financial backing a high cost, low attendance Show would spell financial disaster for us. This time we knew we had to plan for a smaller scaleShow, and this meant a move to a lower cost, lower risk venue. Fortunately, the Darling Museum and Swartland Municipality stepped up and provided us with a venue that satisfied our basic needs.
Unfortunately, one of our major partners, responsible for entertainment and the market pulled out of this year’s Show at an extremely late stage which left us a little light in this area. We learned an important lesson here; that will never happen to us again.So, to those of you who were disappointed in our market area we apologise; we know we must and can do better next year.
Having said this, it is the wildflowers that are and always will be, the Stars of our Show. They are unequivocally our number one priority. And by showcasing our wildflowers at this event we raise funds for the conservation and education projects we run throughout the year. So, if it is markets that are your number one priority, we reluctantly recommend that you pass us up and carry on to the market that best satisfies your needs and desires!
Finally, it is Mother Nature and her seasons together with local weather conditions that determine the scale of the displays that we can build. Our flower picking teams can only pick the flowers that are in bloom two days prior to the Show. So put simply, availability drives the outcome and our flower pickers put in the same effort whether the flowers are prolific or sporadic.
So, big thank you from us for coming to support us this year. We are building back from COVID, and we aim to grow and improve the next Show using the experience we gained this year. And to anyone who was disappointed this time we are sorry. But thank you for coming anyway and thank you for your feedback; we will put it to good use!
Society and community members are invited to attend the Darling Wildflower Show Post Show meeting on 13 October 2022 at 6pm at the Darling Museum where we will discuss the highlights, negatives, lessons learned and suggestions of the 2023 Darling Wildflower Show on 15 to 17 September.
