Lisa Dennis
Olivia Coutts from Florals by Pemberley of Malmsbury will be among a host of florists and landscape designers from across Australia and the world to showcase their talents at the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show this week.
Held at the Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens, the show is the largest horticultural festival in the Southern Hemisphere attracting more than 100,000 visitors to experience its immersive five-day program.
Olivia said she was looking forward to featuring at the event again in 2023.
“Last year I was part of the Wedding Floral Showcase, but this year I am thrilled to be creating and exhibiting something bigger and better in the main floral installation section – the Great Hall of Flowers – and the theme of my piece will be ‘Autumn in the Macedon Ranges’,” she said.
Florals by Pemberley of Malmsbury are known for their wild, rambling, foraged designs. When the Express caught up with Olivia late last week she had already begun foraging for items to include in her installation.
“I will be using items from our farm, but we mainly grow peonies, which of course are not in season,” she said.
“I also love using found items such as dried seed pods and other unusual, quirky items that people may not think to use in floral arrangements, and also fruit such as limes, oranges, pears and quinces. I will also be incorporating beautiful pomegranates from our 15 trees.
“I love to work with seasonal florals and take inspiration from the beautiful, distinctive seasons of the Macedon Ranges, so I will also be sourcing blooms from six local farms and growers including Fleurs de Lyonville, BelleAme Flower Farm, Malmsbury Flowers, Fat Magpie Farm, Lombardy Farm in Kyneton and Bunch Farm at Lauriston.
“We are incredibly blessed to be based in an area with so many wonderful growers located within a small proximity. We all work together to help and support each other with what we need for any given event,” she said.
The floral designer said the two big trends in floristry at the moment were the use of fruit, which you can incorporate into arrangements or use along table runners, and naturally dried foliage and other items.
“I love to incorporate seed pods or dried garlic or parsley heads, poppy pods, things with different textures found in nature,” she said.
“There is a real shift to items that have been naturally dried, free of preservatives and even re-utilised. When I deconstruct a piece now, I am looking at what I can salvage and potentially dry and use in another form.”
Olivia won’t be the only local to feature with Clair Derwort of Lauriston having also designed and constructed an entry in the student-led ‘Achievable Gardens’ section, representing Bendigo TAFE where she is currently undertaking a Diploma of Horticulture.
The pair will also be rubbing shoulders with some of the world’s best landscape designers including Charlie Albone and Dublin’s Peter Donegan making his show debut.
Olivia said the highlight for her was ‘Gardens by Twilight’ on Friday evening, which sees the world heritage listed Carlton Gardens transformed into a twinkling paradise until 9pm with Melbourne musicians, fine wines and gourmet bites.
“It’s really magical to see the installations lit up at twilight!” Olivia said.
The show runs from tomorrow, March 29, until Sunday April 2. For tickets visit melbflowershow.com.au
