Christchurch to host Flowers Alive ’85

Press, 16 August 1985, Page 25

Christchurch to host Flowers Alive ’85

Flowers and plant material from throughout New Zealand will be airlifted to Christchurch in early November for the first big floral art exhibition of its kind to be held in the city. It will be held at the Pioneer Stadium, off Lyttelton Street, from November 6 to 10.

Organised every five years by the Floral Art Society of New Zealand, the national exhibition includes 4m-high driftwood designs and expansive flower arrangements which require a cherry-picker to set

up. The previous exhibition, in Rotorua, was open to the

public for only two days but it attracted more than 12,000 people, said the society’s publicity officer, Mrs Mary Mackay, this week. “New Zealand is so well endowed with a wealth of attractive plant material and a world-renowned tradition of floral art that people flock to see these national exhibitions,’’ she said.

“More than 1000 entries for the exhibition have been received already from the society’s branches. “One branch has ordered 750 carnations for its exhibition and another has ordered orchids from overseas.” Christchurch visitor num-

bers would be swollen during the exhibition not only by society members taking part but also by several overseas tour parties coming especially to see the exhibition, Mrs Mackay said.

“We believe that the exhibition is to act as the start of the Canterbury Carnival. Several tours to well established gardens in Canterbury have been organised during the exhibition and we have invited a world expert from Britain to demonstrate floral art at the Town Hall.

“As part of the festivities, Ballantynes store will also be decorated with floral art by society members.”