Canada Blooms is the largest annual flower and garden show in the nation. Produced by the Garden Club of Toronto and Landscape Ontario, Canada Blooms directs its proceeds to educational and civic-improvement projects that add value and beauty to Ontario communities.
Canada Blooms 2005 recently took place, and two Conestoga College students, members of a six-student team from the Retail Florist program, returned with honours from one of the events included in the 15th annual Intercollege Floral Design Competition.
Fenella Laband of Kitchener won the second-place distinction and Amanda Scholten of Palmerston took honourable mention in the wedding bouquet competition. Each received an award ribbon and certificate.
The competitions were based on the theme of this year's Canada Blooms: Garden Party. One event was in the wedding bouquet category, the other in theme design. Each competing student received the same assortment of flowers and materials, and each event was timed, with a maximum of two hours allowed to create and complete the product.
Since first entering competitions in 2002, Retail Florist students have never failed to bring home at least one award. Teams representing six colleges competed in this year's event.
Also participating as members of Conestoga's Canada Blooms delegation were students An Thi Mai of Kitchener in the wedding bouquet event, and Zuzana Futo and Beatrice Kelly McDonald of Kitchener and Melinda Vangorder of Guelph in the theme design event.
Retail Florist is a part-time program that combines floral knowledge with design and business skills. It features six required courses, one elective and two periods of workplace experience.
CONTACT: Gillian Oldfield, 519-748-5220, ext. 3634, goldfield@conestogac.on.ca