Good times in the gardens

Toledo Botanical Garden was the scene last weekend for the 42nd annual Crosby Festival of the Arts presented by The Andersons.

The gala preview party bloomed with excitement Friday night. It was a chance to get first dibs on the art.

Gadding about in the crowd of 800 who paid $75 apiece was Mimi Creutz, chairman of the board of TBG. Joy Hyman, looking great, flitted by. Also looking radiant was Liz Ference. Dick Meyers, who assisted with the new TBG lighting with funds from the Stranahan Foundation, was there, too.

Cindy Felver, left, of Dayton, and Kathy Funderburg of Bryan, Ohio, at the Crosby Festival of the Arts.

Robert Zollweg sold five pieces in the first hour of the party. When those pieces were not there for the Saturday judging, he joked, "Hmm, a check in the hand or a chance at an award?"

Dorothy Price bought a piece from the Neptune Hot Glass booth. Pieces made by the owners, Berry Davis and Colette Fortin, when they visited the Toledo Museum of Art Glass Pavilion went like hotcakes at the show.

Ditto for Gustave "Fritz" Wolff, celebrating his fifth year at the show. He intrigued folks with his pottery - onion soup bowls complete with a recipe, and more.

Carol and Bob Fox, Bill and Diane Kitson, Jim and Kristy Hoffman, Ben and Peggy Brown, Theresa Shultz, Lynn Duty, Pam and Bill Davis, Tom and Donna Dawson, Trent and Lori Smith, Debbie and Randy Ernsthausen, Sara Jane and Bill DeHoff, Kim and Mike Kastner, Tom McHugh, Karen and Ralph DeNune, John MacKay and Cindy Rerucha, Kathryn and George Fell, Joyce Rimmelin, Sandra Hylant, Marlene and Tom Uhler, Mike and Carol Anderson, and Margaret and Carl Hedlund were just a few of the party-goers.

The annual Garden Club Forum Flower Show was in the conference room. Among the awardees was Nancy Robon, who was tickled pink over her two first-place ribbons for her lilies and one Award of Merit.

The Friday night net is about $40,000, part of the weekend goal of $150,000, which is expected to be exceeded, but the totals are not in yet.

THE FRIENDS of Toledo Day Nursery's 12th annual In Another Garden Tour June 16 in the historic neighborhood of Westmoreland was a great success, with about $20,000 raised from the tour, and a lot of fun for about 600 people who toured the 12 gardens of the lovely neighborhood.

A preview party was Thursday night at the home of Tim Valko and Jim Moore, where the wow factor came into play. The Renaissance Italian country villa was built of limestone in 1939. The formal gardens hidden behind iron gates were just part of the scene - a reflecting pond with a water fountain was actually a swimming pool.

A doghouse in one corner by architect M. Ducket looked more the size of a doggie hotel. Odin, the black lab who is used to the comforts of the beautifully decorated mansion, has never stepped one paw inside.

More than 100 guests sampled gourmet edibles. Enjoying the scene were Mike George, new Toledo Day Nursery board president, there with his wife, Karen; Louise and Bill Barkan, Betty and Glenn Sherman, Rosalie and Chuck Hinde, Barbara and Alan Konop, Sue Lovett, Konni Bostleman, Jano and Bob Nolette, Susan and Paul Sieben, Prudy and Spence Stone, and Lois and Jim Whiteman.

Silent auction packages donated by Friends board members raised $2,400. The total party proceeds, about $7,000, support early education of at-risk children, said Mrs. Robon, Friends president. Party chairman was Cecile Bennett.

LILIAS FOLAN, host of the PBS television series Lilias! Yoga and You, will be in Toledo Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, it was announced at the annual meeting of the Yoga Teachers of Northwest Ohio June 10 at Gianno's at the Inn. Kathie Jaskolski, the new president, is delighted that the organization is hosting her visit. April Harrison, Jenn McCullough, Shirley Joseph and Mike Zerner were honored for their past leadership. For information on the Lilias Folan sessions, contact Mrs. Joseph at 419-536-3166.