Last modified: Wednesday, February 27, 2008 3:28 PM EST The Flowers by the Station display pays tribute to Peter Rabbit. (Staff photo by TOM MAGUIRE) GO: Attleboro Arts Museum infuses annual flower show with literary theme BY JANETTE SEARS CORRESPONDENT ATTLEBORO - The worlds of nature and fiction have sprung into action this week at the Attleboro Arts Museum where the 12th Annual Flower Show continues through Sunday with the theme "Leafing Through Literature." FThe five-day show, which began Wednesday, features exhibits created by landscape and floral designers based on various literary themes through the use of plants, flowers, structures and other props. But that’s only half the fun. Museum Executive Director Mim Fawcett notes that artists, authors, master gardeners and performers also have come together to provide a variety of family events that celebrate “the exquisite bond between nature, literature and the visual arts.” For those planning to visit the show, this combination of efforts will offer garden club creations and an art exhibition, as well as ongoing easel painting by local artists, and daily children’s activities, from story hours to seed planting. Live entertainment also will be offered daily by various musicians and dancers, with a variety of speakers and authors offering presentations. In addition, visitors once again can enjoy the daily offerings from local vendors at the Secret Garden Cafe, or even attend the special Flower Show After Hours event on Saturday evening, featuring even more culinary delights and musical entertainment. As for the “Leafing Through Literature” exhibits, some of the designers offer the following glimpses of their whimsical creations: AHS Horticulture Program Under the direction of Gerry Laferriere, students in the Attleboro High School Horticulture Program once again put their ideas together to come up with an exhibit that captures the show’s theme. "I try to do a lot of brainstorming activities with some of the kids that I work with to try to come up with something that we can agree on that we can do,” Laferriere said. “This one was a bit of a challenge, but I think we have something going there." Visitors will most likely agree with Laferriere as they come upon the exhibit, which blends backyard and jungle scenes in the background. The setting of the exhibit begins with traditional lawn flowers, such as red geraniums, and a couple of comfortable lawn chairs, with a blanket and books such as “The Jungle Book,” “Tarzan” and “Where the Wild Things Are” strewn about them. Toward the back of the exhibit, the scene becomes one of a jungle setting, highlighted with green foliage, from snake plants to palm trees and rubber trees. "I think what the kids were trying to do is the idea that somebody was sitting here reading and their imaginagtion transported them off to this jungle, and that’s why they’re not there," Laferriere said. The Corner Flower Shoppe As for the exhibit created by the Corner Flower Shoppe of Attleboro, organizer Barbara Campbell says she and the other creators hope their exhibit will require no explanation. Having decided to base their exhibit on an American author, Campbell says the crew chose Mark Twain and one of the best-known scenes from his many stories. The exhibit features a picket fence, a bucket of whitewash, a young boy clad in bluejeans, and a sign that reads "Gone a fishin'." "We’re hoping that when people walk by, they will be able to put things right in their mind and say, 'Of course, Mark Twain, Tom Sawyer...' Hopefully, to anybody who read any of Mark Twain’s stories about Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer, it will bring to mind the names that were there, such as Becky Thatcher and Aunt Polly." To highlight the scene with the appropriate plant life, Campbell says, there is marshland and natural reed, a color scheme of blue and purple to complememnt the bluejeans and symbolic blue water of the Mississippi River, and wildflowers that would have been found growing in the area, such as wild iris and hydrangea. Country Thyme Florist Employees of the Country Thyme Florist and Gift Shoppe in Rehoboth, owned by Cheryl Smith, decided to keep their exhibit simple, according to assistant manager Rebecca Smith. “When brainstorming for a theme for the upcoming flower show at the Attleboro Arts Museum, we turned to (this year’s) theme for our shop for inspiration, which is 'Simplify,'" Smith said. "'Simplify' brought us to a quote from an unknown author: 'Delight in the beauty that surrounds you!' We want to remind people to slow down, simplify, look for and enjoy the beauty of the simple things in life.” The shop’s exhibit features a lush outdoor sitting area filled with green and blooming plants in colors of lavender, pink and yellow, which Smith describes as "a serene outdoor setting to sit, relax, reflect, read a book and drink a cup of tea." Flowers by the Station S3The exhibit created by Flowers By the Station in Attleboro is sure to bring a smile to both young and old alike, according to Manager June Cooney.S The exhibit features a well-known scene from “The Tale of Peter Rabbit” — the one in which that naughty Peter Rabbit snuck under Mr. McGregor’s fence to get at his vegetables and lost his coat and shoes in the process. "We wanted to appeal to all ages," Cooney said. "We know that a lot of children do attend this flower show and we thought that it would appeal to them as well as to the grownups, as far as they'll remember reading that story to their children." To illustrate the scene, flower shop employees have created a garden setting, highlighted by the scarecrow taht Mr. McGregor adorned with Peter’s coat and shoes to set an example of him. There is also a watering can complete with a rabbit trying to hide in it, as Peter did. Flowers in the exhibit will be of the summer variety in bright jewel tones of red, purple, yellow and orange, with various garden tools scattered about. Nolan’s Flowers and Gifts The designers at Nolan’s Flowers and Gifts in North Attleboro have each put their individual creativity to work, according to owner Don McClain. "We decided to take on some popular literature that’s been around for a while and design some arrangements around (it)," McLain said. McClain said each designer chose a favorite book and created a design around the title or theme of the book or something pertaining to the book they chose. Among the books that were chosen are “Flowers in the Attic," "The Jungle Book," "Hawaii," "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil," "Watership Down" and "Silent Spring." Janette Sears can be reached by phone or fax at 508-222-2442 or by e-mail at janette@janettesears.com.