This was a project that I created, decorating an arch for a Rose festival in Lithuanian Paezeriu Manor. I was invited as a mentor for the educational program with local students who wanted to find out more about the floral world of roses and try out the profession of a florist. Red Naomi roses for this project came directly from Porta Nova in The Netherlands. It was quite an excitement for young kids to know how to treat and arrange those red velvet blossoms into a beautiful ‘arch of dreams’.
Not One But Two Arches
In fact, we made two arches:
Arch of Dreams
The first one, as mentioned before, included only Red Porta Nova roses with some foliage and a few flower stems aligned beneath to highlight the beauty of the reds. These included Eremurus robustus, Papaver, Antirrhinum flowers and Palmetto, Phlebodium aureum 'Blue Star', and Eucalyptus parvifolia leaves. The romantic character of the design was created while combining spots of roses composed more intensively together with some distant blooms leading the lines to the imaginary world of dreams. The 'Arch of Dreams' was born.
Pink Notes of Youth
The second arch project was called 'Pink Notes of Youth'. Since the team of young helpers had a more significant input to this one, the idea was to create a full-body arch showing the many expectations and dreams young people have in their lives. ‘Dark Ruby’ hydrangea, ‘Pink X-pression’ roses, the Chrysanthemum ‘Lamira’, pink ‘Yo-Yo’ spray roses, gerbera mini ‘Anna’, Antirrhinum, Monstera, Asparaghus setaceus, Phlebodium aureum, Eucalyptus parvifolia, Eucalyptus Lancet worked together in this project. And Porta Nova roses served very well as a final touch to bring that special touch to the pink-to-purple color scheme.
The Rose Festival at Paezeriu Manor
Paežeriai Manor is a historical estate located in my country, Lithuania. The Manor is a cultural center of Vilkaviškis District Municipality. Dating back to the 18th century it's an important cultural and architectural landmark in the region.
The estate comprises a main manor house, various outbuildings, and a landscaped park. Paežeriai Manor has undergone restoration and serves as a venue for cultural events, and exhibitions, and as a tourist attraction, showcasing the heritage and history of the area.
The Rose Festival at Paezeriu Manor was held for the first time and already showcased so much: floral decorations, a musical program, roses‘ ice cream, water and vine degustations, medieval clothing collections, etc. Hundreds of visitors came to see the entertainment. So the festival has an excellent perspective to grow and upcoming editions intend to involve many more floral designers arranging piles of roses for people to enjoy the world of flowers.
