Australian Flowers Week – Florist Competition

Australian Flowers Week took over the Queensland TAFE South Bank campus in September, to showcase some of the best contemporary floristry styles; challenge florist and student skills; and share business, marketing and design expertise from industry experts.

Premium Greens Australia got involved in the event by sponsoring a florist competition, with the focus strongly on foliage. With Greenery being the Pantone colour of 2017, we wanted to challenge florists to think of foliage as being more than a filler, and to bring it to the forefront of their designs.

Competitors…ready!

Start of the competition

Relaxed under pressure

Six East Coast florists took up the challenge, all producing very different designs in their personal style. L-R Britte from Beautiflora, Byron Bay; Sarah from The Pantry on Grey, Brisbane CBD; Cass from Pine Valley Flowers, Brisbane; Sue from Gold Coast School of Floristry, Helensvale; and Alice from Sweet Moments, Springfield

Prepping Puzzle Stix™

Moulding moss balls

Tying bouquets

Britte created a modern low bowl arrangement of two levels: proteas, eucalyptus, Koala Fern™ and flowering gum grouped together, with a spray of Aussie Typha™ to one side; and overarching the design, stems of Sea Star Fern™ like a lacy parasol.

Sarah created a compact bowl arrangement in the round, mixing the contrasting foliage textures of Umbrella Fern™, Koala Fern™, Goanna Claw™ and Bribie pine with leucadendron and illuminated moss balls, for a charming tablecentre.

Cass created a lush long garland of many textures, using almost all our native foliages, plus waxflower, leucadendron and flowering gum; intricate and rewarding in closeup.

Sue created a large trailing front-facing arrangement, with Goanna Claw™, Bribie Pine, and Sea Star Fern™, nutty gum, proteas, blushing bride, and pink-spray-painted Umbrella Fern™.

Alice created an intricate bouquet, using a hand-constructed frame of Puzzle Stix™ to hold Umbrella Fern™, Sea Star Fern™, Emu Feather™and an asymmetric spray of Aussie Typha™. Waxflower, leucadendron and blushing bride add subtle colour.

Sue’s sprayed pink Umbrella Fern™

Alice’s trimmed Umbrella Fern™

A close up of the Puzzle Stix™ tie points

Some of the interesting foliage details found in the designs – why not try these in your next arrangement.

Sue took out the visitor vote on the day – many congratulations to her! Premium Greens Australia was so impressed with the creativity of all the designs that we awarded well-deserved runner-up prizes to all the other florists as well.