Rules are the number one cause of ruined fun which is why I generally do not like rules. But sometimes to do things well, you need to know them. These competitive flower arrangers know the rules.
A couple of weekends ago you may remember I fell into a glittering rabbit hole of flowers at the Hamilton Dahlia Society show. That same show coincides with a floral arranging competition every year.
They weren't the free form, unbalanced creations I mash into vases. They were architectural floral feats.
Each arrangement had to envoke a jewelled theme-Emerald, Sapphire, Pearl, Diamonds, Ruby. The judges stalked the displays, clipboards in hand, murmuring about balance and line.
I may have missed a few arrangements in the competition. Trying to part the crowds to get a good photo was tough.
Flower admirers are gentle, lovely people-until you step between them and a particularly good dahlia.
Table of Contents
Sapphire
Tranquil Waters
A Water Viewing Design
With this category, the water had to be visible.
Many of the dahlias were donated by society members, which is generous considering most of us guard our dahlias like they're actual crown jewels.
One of these masterpieces was created by an Art of Doing Stuff reader named Sandi. The photo with her arrangement is labelled.
Pearl
Two are better than One
A Stretch Design
As a layperson I believe this means the design should look stretched, the winner being crowned as the Armstrong.
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The arrangements were judged based on how well they fit the category along with other flowery judgy type reasons.
Emerald
I missed the official design prompt here, but the entries looked like something a woodland sprite would create.
Proof you don't need tons of flowers to make an arrangement as long as you have tons of greenery. And a piece of driftwood. And several types of kale.
Diamonds
Are Forever
A Transparency Design
These arrangements had the kind of precision that makes me look like I arrange flowers with salad tongs.
I'm not even very good with salad and salad tongs.
Ruby
On Fire
A Design
These were the floral version of a Flamenco guitar solo.
If next year they have the category, Didn't Abide By the Rules But Looks O.K. From Across the Street, I'll enter.
Michelle
Your flower arrangements are absolutely stunning and I look forward to seeing your designs every year! I may be biased but I believe your arrangements are more beautiful and aesthetically pleasing that what I viewed today, however, I appreciate their efforts! I agree with several of the other comments, they need a backdrop behind each arrangement.
Camille Olivia
Call me old fashioned but I prefer YOUR arrangements to these. They all seem so … sterile. Or like the arranger ran out of stuff to finish. Yours, on the other hand, are all so VIBRANT and wild and REAL! Anyway, just my opinion. I do appreciate your taking the time to show us. Cheers!
CathyR
They’re all stunning but I feel the background wall interfered with the displays. Seems like a few feet of black velvet or a hunk of dumpster plywood painted black would have been a better idea.
Karen can you get on this for next year?
Carol Halliwell
I mean this most sincerely when I say I like your flower arrangements much more. You manage to show the best of the flowers in an attractive artistic design without distraction in a jumbled up mess in some cases! I like the simpler ones here and they probably weren't prizewinners. Ruby on Fire is stunning though.
Mary W
What fun to see - I loved the one with the coil meandering through. Sandi designed this and it received a blue ribbon - so cool, or should I say, so coil.
Eve Celsi
I have to say, I think the bright vases and other non-floral elements in many of these distract from, rather than enhance, the grace and delicacy of the flowers. I do love the "emerald" one with the driftwood though!
Jody
They are all apectacular. Thank you for sharing these.
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Cara
Wow - taking flowers to a whole new discipline which is exactly why I've never drifted to this serious art form. I like to grow them and watch them bob in the wind.
Carolyn
Definitely not my forte. If I can get one beautiful blossom looking happy in a vase, I'm impressed with myself.
With that said, there are some impressive displays among your pictures. I especially like one in the Ruby category, the red Dahlias nestled in the bed of greens with the red accent sticks. Striking.
Thanks for sharing.
Wendy
My late mother won many of these shows as a long time member of the Burlington Hort Society. While packing up her life we found more “props” for these shows….frogs, tape, driftwood, miniscule vases, pins….now I wish I had a photo of every entry, as opposed to all the behind the scenes equipment. Really, imagination is the best prop, along with a few good blooms
Karen
I really liked that one as well. Not the "container" so much, but the arrangement itself. ~ karen!
Elaine
Though not really my to my tastes I do love to see how creative floral designers are. I usually just stuff some pretty flowers into a vase without giving any thought to balance, texture, etc. Lots to learn from these experts. I look forward to seeing your entry next year.
Jennifer
These were so fun to look at and way to go Sandy!! Many are indeed works of art and I have never seen anything like them. Our county fair lamented the lack of entries for floriculture so I decided I will enter next year. I am more of a daisies in a mason jar kind of a gal, but these will inspire me big time!
Terry Rutherford
I prefer your beautiful arrangements that are flower forward. And your vases are great too. Thanks for showing us this interesting art, though. Enjoy this amazing weather in this increasingly chaotic world.