Were Those Olympic Bouquets Made of Broccoli?

Everyone watching the 2010 Olympic Winter Games awards ceremonies wondered why the green bouquets, and what were they made of?  Some people questioned if they were made of broccoli or a kind of decorative cabbage, and at a distance that’s what they resembled.

The truth is, these were special bouquets designed by florists and students of Just Beginnings, a school that teaches floral art to women who are recovering addicts, leaving prison, or who have been victims of violence.  The floral program allows these woman an opportunity to work in floral design. June Stranberg of Just Beginnings in Surrey B.C. and Margitta Schulz of Margitta’s Flowers in North Vancouver were the two florists awarded the contract to create the bouquets.

The 1800 bouquets included leatherleaf fern, deep green aspidastra leaves and monkey grass surrounding coloured spider mums and green hypericum berrries.  A royal blue ribbon was tied around each bouquet and the stems were wrapped in recycled paper.  Local green houses were unable to guarantee a cosistent supply of foliage so some of the plants were produced locally but the remainder came from farms in Ecuador.

Olympic bouquets are designed to represent the host country. The green design reflected British Columbia and the lush green Canadian countryside.  Because most athletes toss their bouquets into the crowd, no sharp pointed branches such as pussy willows were used.  According ot Olympic rules, every athlete receives a bouquet that must be at least 20 – 40 centimeters in length and 25 centimeters in diameter.  Flowers with little fragrance and pollen are used in case of allergies.

PHOTO by Canadian Florist