The annual Tulip Festival in the National Capital Region is the world's largest. The 51st edition of this annual celebration of spring in Ottawa ends on Victoria Day.
For students from the Retail Florist program of Conestoga College it was indeed a celebration. Competing against teams from five other Ontario and Quebec colleges in floral events, the ten-person Conestoga group earned a total of nine awards. Under the guidance of program instructor and co-ordinator Dorina Idvorian, the students won one first prize, four seconds and four thirds.
The first-place win was by Judit Pecsi of Waterloo in the Framing Tulips event, whereby students created floral freestanding open frame arrangements.
Second prize honours went to the following students in the following
events:
* Lorie Henry of Guelph finished second in the Face-to-Face Canadian
Tulips event, in which students created a floral picture frame.
* Mary Ann Dodsworth of Kitchener and Ann Weber of Breslau
each took individual awards in the Surprise Box category, in which students
prepared a floral concept, given only the surprise box and floral matter
provided.
* Ann Weber also took second place in a special, new Up-and-Coming
Florists category to recognize the talents of aspiring florists.
Third prize honours went to the following students in the following events:
* Tihana Pavloic of Kitchener took third place in the Up-and-Coming
Florists event.
* Tihana Pavloic and Judit Pecsi took individual thirds
in the Surprise Box category.
* The team of Mary Ann Dodsworth, Ann Weber, Dorothy
Heaney of Kitchener and Helen Melles of Elmira won third place
in the Arch Competition, in which four-person student groups created floral
arches.
Other members of the Conestoga team were Mary Magyar of Guelph, Ann Stever of Ayr and Barbara Waterfield of Fergus.
Retail Florist is a part-time program consisting of six required courses,
one elective course and two practical work experience components. The
program provides instruction in floral selection, design and retailing.
CONTACT: Gillian Oldfield, 519-748-5220, ext. 3634, goldfield@conestogac.on.ca