September 26th, 2010
Worldskill National Final
The Worldskill National Final floristry 2010 competition was held in Christchurch during the weekend. The theme was wedding work and the five competitorswere given five tasks.
The winner was Aroha Hebbard, followed in second place by recently graduated School of Floristry at Academy NZ student Amalia Wilson and Kirsty Autridge finished third. Congratulations to all the competitors who worked so hard and produced such excellent designs.
Images from the competition from Graham Barr photographer
Ellerslie International Flower Show, “Young apprentice Florist of the Year 2010 Competition”
School of Floristry at Academy NZ past students Colleen may and Amalia Wilson excelled claiming 2nd= and 3rd= places in this prestigious competition.
Colleen May 2nd=
Amalia Wilson 3rd=
Academy congratulates ex student Susan Hyatt of Expressions Designer Florist, Nelson.
Academy School of Floristry Un-Masked
Photographs by Rodney Love
Horticultural News - June 2009
The miracle of the FLOWER CARPET in two days
The enterprising floral art ladies have once again brought the mastery of the floral and fauna carpet display to the FESTIVAL of FLOWERS.
The Christchurch Cathedral floral carpet is a premier event presented by the floral art group in Canterbury and the floral art group North Canterbury.
This was the 20th anniversary of the Festival of Flowers. There is no doubt the floral art ladies along with their fellow floral artist and designer Jan Leaper pulled out all stops.
The planning, the designing, the ordering of the flowers. These delightful ladies were on to it with many months of planning.
The logistics to prepare this mammoth task were assisted by the Academy NZ offering their facilities at the school of floristry in Manchester Street, Christchurch, along with the recent intake of 11 floristry students.
Quickly the teams from the floral art groups assisted by the Academy NZ floristry students began to assemble the foundations for the floral carpet by wetting the floral foam and cutting it to size to fit the very large trays in which the floral carpet sits.
Each of the 25 trays are filled with wet floral foam were then marked out with the design. By this stage, two days out from the assembly of the carpet in the cathedral I asked one of the floral art ladies, Margaret when she estimated the carpet would be completed she confidently replied Tuesday at 3pm. Wow ! two days from the time the trays arrive at the Cathedral. This was going to be a challenge.
The students studying horticulture at the Academy were the helpers required to convey the heavy large trays to the Cathedral, and set them up on trestles, the full length of the central isle. Prior to this the base of black polythene was laid on the floor. Then the plastic was covered with green artificial grass. This took no timeto achieve with the experience of the floral art ladies.
Meanwhile the floristry students were assisting the suppliers, wholesalers and flower growers as the flower material arrived by trucks, cars andvans. It was a well oiled, organised procedure as buckets were filled with flowers, greenery, mosses, and fauna then all were placed in a regulated order.
It was quickly evident this was team work. The floral art ladies were taking the young floristry students under their wing and magical things were happing.
Firstevery traydesign was marked and covered with wetmoss (dyed with green food colouring) leaving the design markings clear. Then each area in the design was given a little flag with the type of flower to be used. It was a very intricate patternsimilar to a panel persian carpet with the plan set out like a generals war invasion.
The trestle tables holding the trays of wet floral foam with design markings, flags and the base of green moss were at a very manageable working height. In the old days I was told the designers sat or kneeled on the floor.
All through the cutting and placement of the flowers and foliage visitors from around the world and NZcame to view the Christchurch Cathedral and watched with avid interest as the floral carpet took shape.
The flowers used were green hydrangeas, blue gentians, hot red/orange celosia, cream and yellow chrysanthemums, hot pink gerbera, orange asiatic lilies, white lilies, succulent cacti in shades of green grey blue from tiny to enormous.Agapanthus dried and dyed a deep blue and silvered tipped, aspidistra leaves, conifer, ivy leaves, shells, sticks and coils of rope. Huge hand made paper mashie clam shells opened with pearls and sea urchins all intricately woven into the complex design of magical undersea world of flowers.
When each tray was completed the horticulture students held the trays as the trestle tables were removed then gently the trays were lowered on to the artificial grass mat to become the floral carpet 2009.
Thank you to the Festival of Flowers for the use of this amazing photo by Rodney Love. Please contact Marisa at the floral festival for more information www.festivalofflowers.co.nz or email festival.flowers@xtra.co.nz
Thank you the floral art groups Canterbury and North Canterbury, the students from Academy NZ floristry and horticulture classes and the many growers and suppliers of quality flowers. You have given so much pleasure to visitors and friends of the Festival of Flowers. I look forward to sharing this experience with you all again next year.
Joy Knight
Young Horticulturist of the Year Floristry Competition
Academy New Zealand - Christchurch recently played host to a round of the Young Horticulturist of the Year 2007 Floristry Sector competition at the Mansion.
Three people competed: Aimee - Ashburton, Martina - Auckland, Louise - Christchurch
The Judges for the competition, with many years experience between them, were Claire Shaw (manager - Victoria Florist), and Anne Elwell and Jenny Burtt - both tutors from Academy New Zealand
There were four design sections: corsage, hand tied arrangement, decorate a wine bottle and glass and corporate design
In addition to the more formal part of the competition there was a fun event called the "hortisport". This was an against the clock round where the contestants had to, prune a shrub into a topiary, identify 6 shrubs, make up a Lego toy, tie an Arbour knot, wine tasting and make a flax flower
The overall winner was Loiuse Heller, The finals of the Young Horticulturist of the Year will be held in Auckland on 9 November at the Ellerslie Flower Show. We would like to send out support to Loiuse for the finals.
All of the entrants produced terrific designs and we would like to share just a few of the pictures with you. Click on an image below for a larger view.
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