Fleurs de Villes

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 02/12/2023 (666 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Mark your calendars. Winnipeg hosts Fleurs de Villes for the first time in January 2024. The Leaf at Assiniboine Park will set the stage January 11-21 for this world class floral extravaganza. Fleurs de Villes will feature 15 floral mannequins, each one exquisitely dressed in exuberant floral creations designed by talented local florists and displayed amidst the lush greenery at The Leaf. The flower show’s theme — VOYAGE — will tell floral stories of discovery to remarkable destinations around the world and showcase the artistic talents of local florists.

Fleurs de Villes means flowers of cities. Founded in 2016 by Tina Barkley and Karen Marshall, Fleurs de Villes has produced more than 92 luxury flower shows in over 25 cities across Canada, the United States, England, Scotland, and Australia. Barkley and Marshall are both Western Canadians and their company’s headquarters is in Vancouver. Recently, I had the opportunity to talk with Barkley and Marshall.

“Flowers and cities have been our driving force in how we built Fleurs de Villes,” said Barkley. “We have been called the Cirque du Soleil of the floral world because our global flower show travels the world showcasing the talents of florists everywhere.” Every show is completely different and unique, said Marshall, because each one is created with fresh flowers by some of the best floral artists in different cities. “What we do is floral storytelling. Fleurs de Villes is solely focused on the artistry of flower design,” said Marshall. “It is The Leaf’s outreach two years ago that started this conversation and made this event possible. We are very grateful to The Leaf that they wanted to bring this event to their local community.”

Gerald Dieleman, the senior director of horticulture at the Assiniboine Park Conservancy, was on a visit to Vancouver the first time he saw Fleurs de Villes spectacular floral installations. “I was very intrigued by what I saw and reached out to the organizers,” said Dieleman. “Each show tells a unique story with different themes and the theme of VOYAGE which celebrates the culture, people, and heritage of destinations around the world fits so well with the goals of The Leaf and also offers a new way of interpreting horticulture.

The Leaf celebrates the one-year anniversary of its opening on December 3rd. In November, The Leaf was recognized as Garden of the Year at the Canadian Garden Tourism Awards at the 2023 International Garden Tourism Conference in Victoria. The Leaf was also named one of “North America’s Top 10 Gardens Worth Traveling For.” Now, Fleurs de Villes VOYAGE is coming to The Leaf in the New Year. The-behind the-scenes preparation is underway and the excitement is building.

Barkley and Marshall sent out invitations to local florists this fall. Once the selection has been made, a rigorous process begins. “We go through an extensive design process with the florists,” said Barkley. “We meet with them regularly, we see their mood boards, we test their mechanics, we assign their destinations, and we do a florist briefing. Then we go under the dress and talk about dos and don’ts and best practices — we can only be successful if they are successful. But at the end of the day, no one knows exactly what the finished designs will look like until the event starts. It is incredible the level of creativity and innovation and the variety of designs — there are elements never seen before. It is a full sensory experience that we try to create.”

The floral mannequins are exquisitely dressed in fresh, luxuriant flowers, exotic foliage textures, unique plants such as succulents, as well as a blend of organic materials such as bark, moss, etc., depending on the individual florist designer’s interpretation. The floral mannequins will be on display in the Babs Asper Display House and the Mediterranean Biome which will also be dressed for the occasion. The floral mannequins will stand on individual platforms that are table height (30 inches or 76.2 cm) and 152 cm wide. The total height will be an awe-inspiring 8-9 ft (2.4-2.74m.).

Who will be the local floral storytellers and which iconic global destinations will visitors to the flower show explore through the stunning floral installations they create? Local participants include Academy Florist, Addison Taylor Designs, Agnes Arrangements, Angela Moisey Creative Florals, Beyond Flowers, Bloom Floral Creative, Broadway Florists, Fache Floral Designs, Fleur de Fusilero, Flora Culture, Floral Fixx Design Studio, Posh Pampas, Silver Heights Florist, and Zumami Floral. The global destinations that will be celebrated in flowers include Scotland, Ukraine, Ethiopia, Iceland, India, China, Colombia, Japan, Brazil, Portugal, Mexico, The Philippines, Morocco, and Tahiti.

“We give all our florists an honorarium to do the work,” said Barkley. “We want to elevate their artistry; we want to support them and give them a platform to showcase their creativity and incredible ideas. We partner with the florists and give them a blank canvas on which to create.”

“We are really proud of the fact that our florists are multicultural,” said Marshall. “Everyone contributes floral knowledge and expertise. They are all learning from one another which is another wonderful benefit.” Each florist is also offered professional photography and videography that they can use on their website. Fleurs de Villes, an all-female company, recognizes the global challenges that the floristry business is facing, especially in recent years.

“Fleurs de Villes has a team of about 20 people now,” said Marshall. “We are all in this floral rocket ship together, but it hasn’t been without challenges. We started the company in 2016 but really we started this full time in 2019 and the pandemic hit in 2020.” What’s happened in recent years can only be described as meteoric. Invitations have come from all over the world, not only from major cities but also prestigious botanical gardens such as Royal Botanic Gardens and Melbourne Botanic Gardens in Australia, Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh, and VanDusen Botanical Garden in Vancouver. “We had outdoor floral installations at Hudson Yards in New York recently which were open to the public – 50,000 to 60,000 people came every day.” And many others are calling – China, Chile, a charitable trust that manages medieval castles, and more.

But what’s also interesting is the number of repeat invitations. The show in New York was Fleurs de Villes fourth. “We are about to embark on our fifth annual Fleurs de Villes Noël, a floral extravaganza in downtown Vancouver,” said Marshall.

Winnipeggers have a distinct advantage. Fleurs de Villes VOYAGE will be at The Leaf for 12 days. Some of the shows are a four day or weekend experience. “The Leaf is an ideal venue to showcase a floral exhibition in January,” said Dieleman. “We want to maximize the opportunity for people to come and see Fleurs de Villes.”

Fleurs de Villes Voyage is included with regular admission to The Leaf. Tickets can be purchased online at https://www.assiniboinepark.ca/leaf/visit-leaf/fleurs-de-villes. What a fabulous gift idea for the holidays!

colleenizacharias@gmail.com

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