Flowers

Flower aficionados plucked the early blooms of camellia season from their bushes and carefully took them to Descanso Gardens for judging in the Pacific Camellia Society’s show over the weekend. The delicate task was for the first of nine shows presented by member organizations of the Southern California Camellia Council. Three more are planned at Descanso later in the season. About 900 examples of the flower, from as small as a thumbnail to the size of a hand, were lined up on tables in Van de Kamp Hall.

Let's see. The current Montrose Family Festival offers produce, plants, flowers, baked goods, packaged foods, stuff for kids, snacks and retail merchandise in the form of children's clothing, candles, Hawaiian shirts, framed and ceramic art and floral ware, dried flowers, jewelry, soaps, potpourri, hats and dresses, to name just a few items. All of this is done on a weekday, which effectively ends business in town at approximately 2 p.m. According to News-Press articles, the new farmers' market will be offering produce, plants, flowers, baked goods, packaged foods, stuff for kids and snacks, but leaves the children's clothing, candles, Hawaiian shirts, framed and ceramic art and floral ware, dried flowers, jewelry, soaps, potpourri, hats and dresses for the Montrose store owners to sell.

The usually quiet Forest Lawn was flooded with hundreds of emotional devotees who came from as far as Japan and Germany to honor the late Michael Jackson on the anniversary of his death in an outing that has become a ritual for his dedicated fan base since his passing three years ago. Gathered outside Jackson's final resting place in the tightly secured Great Mausoleum's Holly Terrace, fans of all ages and backgrounds blanketed the area with...

Tim Willert If it's Thursday, Carmen Garcia can be found selling flowers on Brand Boulevard in front of Java City. As for the rest of the week, you'll need a road map to pin her down. Garcia, who works for a Thousand Oaks wholesaler, shares sidewalk space with other Glendale Farmers' Market vendors moving everything from pistachios and soap to dog biscuits and oranges. "I really like selling flowers," she said. "It's better than working with fruits and vegetable because I don't get messy."

May 22, 1916 ~ August 6, 2010 Irene passed away in Pleasanton, CA at the age of 94. Irene was a member of the African Violet Society, Glendale and Lockheed Employees Recreation and Garden Club, Burbank. Irene loved to dance and was active at the Joslyn Senior Center, Burbank, for over 20 years. Irene was preceded in death in 1976 by her husband; Glenn Reyman.  She had one daughter, Carol Reyman Gibbons, two grandsons; Greg Gibbons and David (Robin) Gibbons, and 5 great grandchildren.

Buck Wargo GLENDALE -- Glendale's Rose float will be unveiled todaybefore it is decorated with flowers. The Glendale Rose Float Assn. will be hosting the viewing at the Rosemont Pavillion, 700 Seco St. in Pasadena. The celebration between 5 and 8:30 p.m. will fit into the parade theme of "Fabric of America." Hot dogs, chips, lemonade and apple pie will be sold. The float is called "Hometown Slugger" and features a baseball player. It will be decorated with flowers in December.

Gary Stanley Alford, 75, of La Crescenta passed away Thursday, August 5 at his home. He is survived by his children Bret, Guy and Sheri and his former wife, Lynne Alford. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations made to the Pasadena Humane Society. Crippen Mortuary Directors, www.CrippenMortuary.com

Ryan Carter Ruth Carter walked into the cancer center at Glendale Adventist Medical Center expecting not much more than her regular cancer treatment. She got more -- a bouquet of daffodils as a symbol of hope. "I love flowers," said Carter, a La Crescenta resident, as she walked out with her family with a yellow bouquet. "This is special." Carter was the first to receive the flowers in this week's American Cancer Society Daffodils campaign. It began Monday and will continue until Friday.

Morrie Fiss, manager of Glendale Flower Mart, has been a media darling lately. Reporters from London and Germany have swung by his flower store asking for interviews and insider tips about the neighboring Forrest Lawn Memorial Park across the street on South Glendale Avenue. The cemetery is now the final resting place for Michael Jackson and could become a pilgrimage of sorts for fans of one of the greatest pop stars of all time. And so if location is everything, Glendale Flower Mart is poised to see big business.

GLENDALE -- Family members of former News-Press employee Richard "Dick" Decker, who died last week, have asked that donations be made to charity, in lieu of sending flowers. Decker died Wednesday due to complications from a stroke he suffered in early April. He was 69. Since a story about Decker's death ran in the News-Press Friday, several readers have called to ask where they could send flowers. The family has asked that, instead, donations be made to the American Heart Assn.