Floral Fantasia at Ellerslie Flower Show Twinings Floral Art Marquee

Beauty is the keyword this year at the Show’s Twinings Floral Art Marquee. With a Contemporary Weddings theme, the exhibit comprises innovative design, exciting colour combinations and unique plant materials, says Nancy Murphy, Chairperson for Auckland Floral Art Council. “It’s a combination of structural design and floral European influences,” she says. “And New Zealand has such great structural design material to do it with.”

There are three different categories within the Marquee; Professionals, Experienced Clubs (Category One) and Newcomers or Sole exhibitors (Category Two), providing an intricate mix of creative abilities and presentations. Add to this a magnificent wedding cake from Waitakere City Cake Decorators Club, live music and string instrument performances and you’ll begin to gain an idea of the eclectic offering on show at the Twinings Floral Art Marquee!

Also take the opportunity to get passionate about tea with the team from Twinings, who will be demonstrating new and groovy teas from the famous Twinings range at the Twinings Tea Stop.

One of the highlights of the exhibit is sure to be the presence of 64sqm of rare, scented orchids from Singapore and South East Asia, created by an award-winning floral designer. Alongside this, the marquee’s commitment to floral education will be made evident through international floral flavours. Exhibitors from Japan will be situated in the centre of the Marquee and will include two groups of students and their tutors ready to reveal their many talents to a Kiwi audience. One of the tutors coming from Japan is Fumiko Higo. A floral artist, Fumiko is also the Director of the International Flower Academy in Japan. Fumiko says she aims to teach people the natural and artistic beauty of flowers and convey these messages to the New Zealand public through her exhibiting.

The exhibition is also an opportunity to develop the grassroots element of floral artistry in New Zealand, says Nancy, with the bridal theme inspiring a younger level of participation and interest. Involvement from clubs in the Auckland area is significant this year, with an impressive number of clubs from the Auckland area taking part, something Nancy is very excited about. “It is really creating a flagship and a drive for membership,” she says. So if you’re a fan of flowers and are thinking of tying the knot – there’s no better place to get in the floral know!