Wareham Garden Club member Robin Murphy was recently awarded second place for her floral design at the international floral festival, Canada Blooms. Murphy was was invited by the Garden Club of Toronto to represent the United States.

“It was an incredible experience,” Murphy said. “It was a tremendous honor to be invited to enter and I was very pleased to receive the silver. Each design was of very high caliber and very creative."

Canada Blooms showcases floral and landscape designs, products and services in the world, drawing thousands of volunteers, visitors, and participants each year. Nine contestants were chosen to represent their respective countries in the selective competition.

The participants were tasked with designing a garden arrangement based on the word “speculative," as defined by Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary as "involving a high risk of loss."

To Murphy, “risk” conjured ideas of Wall Street and the Stock Market, she said. She immediately got to work, spending several months planning a floral design that incorporated grids, angles, and roses.

At the competition, the contestants were given four hours to execute their designs.

“The whole experience was a tremendous undertaking that took months of planning and preparation, but was such a wonderful experience,” she said.

With her award-winning floral design talents, it is had to believe Murphy started gardening for the first time 20 years ago when she moved to Wareham and joined the Garden Club.

“I wanted to meet people. It was a way to get involved and learn about gardening,” Murphy said, explaining she how she wanted to landscape her property after construction of her new home was completed.

Murphy's interest in planting and floral design grew after joining the Garden Club, she said. She was elected to a two-year term as president of the organization in 1996. SHe is also active in southeast district of the Garden Federal of Massachusetts.

Before discovering floral design, Robin was an adult education educator for more than 25 years. She taught sewing and needle arts and worked for fabric stores and sewing machine dealers.

Murphy is now a floral designer by trade. For nearly 10 years she has traveled to speak at design programs and garden club workshops, even going as far as Bermuda to share her expertise.

“I never thought [getting involved with floral design] would take me to places like Canada Blooms or Bermuda,” she said. “There’s a lot going on in the world of gardening!”