Another Fillmore blooming success. A great variety of delightful flowers of every hue and color filled the main room of the Active Adult & Community Center last weekend. On display, gorgeous flowers of all kinds including bouquets and single stem entries. Youngsters of various ages also submitted floral masterpieces and works of art. As usual, there were lots of blue ribbons scattered about.

Except for intermissions during war times, the prestigious Fillmore Flower Show has roots dating back to the early 1900s. Through the years, hundreds of gardening enthusiasts, young and old, relished the opportunity to show off their gardening and creative skills in arranging displays, bouquets and single stemmed flowers.

Co-chairpersons Linda Nunes and Joanne King produce and coordinate this relished tradition. But it could not happen without a bevy of dedicated volunteers and dozens of gardeners competing for the grand prize. Planting, nurturing and presenting their championship flower is the goal. But will the flower bloom right at showtime? To the chagrin of many gardeners, their plants didn't check the calendar thus blooming too soon or not at all. C'est la vie.

As in every flower show, there is one grand champion: The Best of Show. While it might appear that judging such a grand display of so many beautiful flowers and arrangements is a judge's nightmare, they must do the deed. They did. By unanimous decision, this year's Best of Show was a fantastic dish garden produced by Carmen Zermeño. Zermeño's entry was no small feat. Besides the grasshopper, there are many intricate miniature plants assembled in a most artistic way as to amaze. For that reason, and others, it's the Best of Show.

Given the quantity of quality flowers in several classes, declaring blue ribbon winners was no small task. Obviously, Fillmore has no shortage of green thumbs. Also, no telling how much Miracle Grow was used in producing the prodigious flowers on display.

There isn't a year when a magnificent collection of beautiful flowers aren't on display at the flower Show. But aren't there any Fillmore men with green thumbs? And year after year, one wonders why never any petunias? Ever!

2017 Flower Show winners are:

Carmen Zermeno, Best of Show

Joanne King, Division I, single stem cut rose

Julie Latshaw, Division II, ruffled white

Carolyn Lasky, Division III, calla lily

Bene Ambrasid, Division IV, bouquet, white watsonia

Joanne King, Division V, floral arrangement, roses and alstroemeria

Lone Larson, Division VI, tiny pink roses

Amelia Aparicio, Division VII, potted plants

Carmen Zermeno, Division VIII, dish gardens

Brenna Larson & Anna Walls, Division IX, youth floral arrangement

Giselle Lozano, writer, & Sissy Valencia, illustrator, Division X, youth composition

Samantha Martinez, art winner

Congratulations to the blue-ribbon winners and to all the green thumbs that entered the results of their gardening efforts. Great flowers, great show and great gardeners all! Til next year, green thumbs up!