Fete des Fleurs a la Tete

	The Berkshire Botanical Garden’s summer cocktail gala Fete des Fleurs a la Tete to benefit the on-going programs at the Garden was held at the Lenox Club on August 17^th, 2001. The evening’s honoree was Gertrude Burdsall, seen on the left at the event, who has been an active supporter of the Garden for 46 years.
In 1998, Mrs. Burdsall was elected Citizen of the Year by the Great Barrington Rotary Club and in June of this year, she was given a coveted award by the Garden Club of America as “…an enthusiastic, hard worker and tireless contributor valued for expertise as a horticulturist, an herbalist, whose quiet leadership and generous sharing of knowledge have been a source of inspiration for all members.”	Gertrude Bursdall training tour guides in the herb garden
A native of Lansdowne, PA, Gertrude met her husband, Ellwood Burdsall when they both attended Swarthmore College. Soon after they married they moved into the Burdsall family summer home on Baldwin Hill in Egremont, where they raised three sons. (One of whom is seen on her right, below, at the party.) Mr. Burdsall was a good gardener, and Gertrude had a flower garden, but she readily admits that she discovered her real gardening niche at the Berkshire Garden Center (now the Berkshire Botanical Garden) when she discovered herbs. (In early Spring, drive by Baldwin Hill to see the magnificent display of thousands of crocuses planted by the Burdsalls)
Above left: Jeanine Coyne, trustee and generous underwriter of the event with Chair, Jo Dare Mitchell	The event called for creativity with fashion as well as flowers. Non-gardeners competed with gardeners. Prizes were be awarded for the most original flowered hats and flowering lapels. Men and women could enter either category – or both if they were so inclined. Fresh, dried and artificial flowers, herbs and seed pods were fair game.

Two judges (see right) with extensive backgrounds in the field selected the winners. Diana Burke, president of Diana Burke Fine Millinery, NYC, is a custom milliner who creates handcrafted hats. She has designed hats for NBC’s Katie Couric to wear at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and the Easter Parade. Her designs have been featured in Vogue, the New York Times, Martha Stewart Living and Bride. Judging with Ms. Burke was David Scribner who has had a lifelong penchant for hats.
The other “hat” Mr. Scribner wears is Editor of the Berkshire Eagle. Throughout the evening, the Billy Barkin Jazz Trio played for dancing and listening.

Above: the prize winners and judges
The Trustees were pleased to honor Mrs. Burdsall, volunteer extraordinaire, for her years of service to the Garden. She was a Founding Member of the Herb Associates who created the popular herb garden in 1957 to raise funds to maintain the Garden. Gertrude has devoted a lifetime to planting the seeds of caring and sharing in our community. Her other activities include Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic, The Visiting Nurse Association and Fairview Hospital.
The Berkshire Botanical Garden is grateful for the many friends who supported the event and thanks Berkshire Bank, Berkshire House Publishers, Legacy Banks (City and Lenox Savings), General Systems Company, Inc., Kwik Print, and First Massachusetts Bank and The Stratevest Group, Banknorth Companies for being Lead Sponsors for the event; Major Sponsors – Beardsley Gardens, Morgan Stanley Dean Witter, Okerstrom-Lang Landscape Design, Kraham and Smith, Inc., and Tom Farley Land Design; and Loyal Sponsors – The Berkshire Record, Crane & Company, Elm Court Florist and Greenhouses, Kushi and Myers, P.C., Old Inn on the Green and Gedney Farm, Pete’s Chrysler Plymouth, Inc., Quality Printing Company, Inc., Renaissance Investment Group, Mary Stuart Collections, L. V. Toole Insurance Agency, Inc., and Windy Hill Farm, Inc.
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