RALEIGH - Not far from the screams, flashing lights and barkers of the State Fair midway is a place where fountains gurgle and cut flowers sit in silent rows waiting to catch a judge's eye.

For decades, the State Fair Flower and Garden Show has taken place on the edge of the fair's cacophony, showcasing the summer labors of hundreds of mostly amateur gardeners.

"It's the quiet shady corner," said John Buettner of Garner, in his second year directing the show. "It's an oasis. A sanctuary."

The show, which culminates Monday with a mum sale at the fairgrounds, is one of the biggest events of the year for Gardeners of Wake County, a club with about 220 members from throughout the county and beyond. The group is also known for its azalea sale at the fairgrounds each April that raises money for an endowment that provides small scholarships to horticulture students at N.C. State University, said President Anne Clapp.

Gardeners of Wake County has been organizing the State Fair show since the 1960s, when the group was called the Men's Garden Club of Wake County. It took over for the Raleigh Garden Club, which had run the show since the late 1920s.

About 500 people signed up fore this year's show to enter everything from individual cut flowers to entire themed gardens. There were 5,000 entries on paper, though Buettner estimates that as many as half don't show up, as gardeners decide that their flowers aren't worthy at fair time.

Backyard gardeners account for the overwhelming majority of entries, but that doesn't mean they don't take it seriously, Clapp said. The perceived slight from a judge can bring strong reactions, she said.

"They use language to me that you shouldn't use to a lady," she said.

Buettner said he doesn't know how many of the thousands of people who file through the flower and garden show draw some inspiration from it. He figures most visitors are simply looking for a little peace.

"It really is utilized as this resting place, and that's fine," Buettner said. "That's what I want it to be. I'd much rather do this than run a Ferris wheel."

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