Entertainment
11 April, 2024
Gold Medal win for tropical floral design
A JULATTEN floral designer has taken out the Gold Medal at the prestigious Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show with an amazing exhibition of tropical flora.
Debra Pemble, who is also a floristry educator, and runs her own business, The Posy Crew, decided to enter the awards for the first time this year and, to her delight, she took out the top honour for her design, “Tropical Symphony”.
The large-scale hanging installation was all about celebrating the vibrant tropical flowers and foliage growing in our region, with around 10 different species of flowers and foliage.
“The exotic flowers and foliages seen in the design have all been sourced from small growers based in the local area, mainly Speewah Gardens, Tajenka Orchids and FNQ Blooms, with some items also coming from my own garden,” Debra said.
“It was great to see people react to the plants and flowers because they don’t see those species down there (in the south).”
The effort that went into securing the win was “epic”, according to Debra, who was competing against around 15 other displays.
“We air freighted all the plants and flowers down there and then it took myself, a student of mine and my mum two-and-a-half days to construct the installation,” she said.
“I think I under-estimated the amount of work to be honest.
“It was also the first time the show wanted the floral designs to hang and it was amazing watching people as they went through. One of the things that blew people’s mind was the banana flowers!
“It was pretty cool, I was so rapt to win.
“It proves that just because we’re out in the sticks we can still do amazing stuff at the level the rest of Australia is as well.”
The display was described as: “Immerse your senses in a symphony of bold florals, bright hues, and cascading flowers, all sourced locally from the lush farms surrounding the Atherton Tablelands and Cairns. Witness nature’s brilliance as garlands and hanging blooms sway gracefully, creating a sensory delight that captures the essence of this tropical paradise.”
Apart from running her business, which mainly provides floral designs for weddings in Cairns and Port Douglas, Debra also holds floristry education workshops regularly at the Botanic Gardens in Cairns, and teaches through an online floristry school.
As well as her display, Debra was also asked to present two shows on the main stage during the event which, again, promoted the beautiful locally grown tropical flowers from local farms. She also held a series of Floral Workshops during the show to share some tips and tricks on floral design.
