How to Work with Flowers

Quince's floral expert opens up about her floral installation for €˜Babylon€™

Recreating one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World is no easy task. For Jessica Clark of Quince Fine Florals, creating a floral wall in an ode to the Hanging Gardens of Babylon for this Saturday’s production of Babylon at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre is one thing, building a flower wall that reflects vertically is another.The evening is the product of a joint venture between Vancouver’s The Social Concierge and Ballet BC. Dancers will mix with the audience in a theatre adorned with floral installations, amid treats served by Hawksworth Restaurant. Clark’s floral contribution to the evening essentially includes one simple matte white wall, with a set of slate gray planters resting along its base. The planters will be decked with an abundance of ultra tall delphiniums, ranging from white to blues and purples, creating what Clark describes as an “iridescent visual”.Right above the installation is an exact replica of the design, only this time, it’s hanging upside down. We caught up with Clark about the process of building her Flower-Reflective-Wall.

What was the inspiration behind your design?

I saw a Christian Dior fashion show where they had hills of blue delphiniums and I thought that was really cool. I loved the pop of colour so I thought if I could do that in a smaller version, but make it more dramatic in terms of the height, then that would be really gorgeous.

How much delphiniums are you planning on using for the project?

800 stems.

What were some of the challenges that you faced during your preparation, and some that you anticipate during the actual installation process?

The logistics of trying to bring your vision to fruition. I had to test to see how long the delphiniums will last upside down out of water, try to find the right containers, and make sure I could get enough of the products that I needed in a short amount of time. I went to eight different places trying to find the right planters.

Can you talk about your personal style in terms of storytelling through floral design and arrangement?

My style is much more loose, organic and garden-looking. I like incorporating different types of foliage and a lot of what’s locally and seasonally grown. I get inspired by the product, like the dahlias or the garden roses and different colour palettes; just kind of bringing it all together to create the vision of what I love.

Any tips for homeowners who might want to add an organic and floral aspect to their homes?

You can never go wrong with all one thing, that’s the best way to make something look beautiful. If you’re taking something home from a market, just a couple bunches of all dahlias, plunk it in a vase. Even just a big bundle of flowering quince branches in the springtime, or magnolia., you don’t have to do a lot to have a beautiful little touch of flowers.

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