Floral Inspiration: Fleurs de Villes at VanDusen Garden

VanDusen Botanical Garden – Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Flowers have always been my inspiration since I was a kid. I enjoyed drawing flowers since I was nine or ten. Today, painting flowers with my camera brings me joy, happiness, and fulfillment. Since moving to Vancouver, I found that there are so much more opportunities to enjoy the beauty of nature in bloom here. Vancouver is spectacular in spring with a very long blooming season and equally beautiful throughout the summer. Places with different kinds of flowers in full bloom are all around us. I am photographing flowers almost everywhere, from my backyard, small gardens in my neighborhood, and nursery to family-run flower farms. Among other great places in town, VanDusen Botanical Garden is my number one favorite place to enjoy the serene combination of chirping birds and blooming flowers.

This year, the fun is many times multiplied when the fresh floral journey – Fleurs de Villes – took place at VanDusen. Fleurs de Villes is an annual floral event where floral artists from different cities put together their creative fresh floral mannequins and spectacular installations to showcase iconic global destinations. The installations are the results of inspirations from timeless monuments such as the Eiffel Tower, Statue of Liberty, and Leaning Tower of Pisa, as well as the diverse traditions, festivals, fashion, and notable people from cities around the world. Being part of the event is a great way to learn about different cultures and traditions, and boost our creativity through our love for flowers.

This series of ten images ere created from photographs I took during my visit to the floral trail at Fleurs de Villes Voyage this year. Each final image was created by putting together two or more macro shots of flowers and decorations from the floral mannequins representing the cultures, people, and heritage of each destination. I chose to combine the representative flowers of each destination with its renowned landmark to tell a story about that particular place. Some are created with multiple exposures, while some are put together in Photoshop. It might just be my own thoughts and feelings about these destinations, and not necessarily how people think about those places in general.

I hope you had a chance to visit Fleurs de Villes Voyage at VanDusen Botanical Garden yourself. If you have not, I hope you will enjoy walking through this floral trail created from my inspiration and artistic vision.

China – Dragon and Gates

The representative flower is a pincushion. With its bright and vibrant yellow or orange colors, the pincushion is a unique, modern, and long-lasting tropical variety of flowers. This, in my opinion, well represents China for its culture – one of the world’s oldest cultures – originating thousands of years ago and the state of modern China today. All of which makes China a unique country as we know it today.

Egypt

Many of us love roses for their delicacy, elegance, beauty, and gentle fragrance. The soft and pink hue represents a powerful symbol of love, romance, and beauty in the story of the Egyptian goddesses dating back to ancient times. In Ancient Egypt, rose petals can be found in many paintings. Roses were also cherished by Cleopatra VII, who used roses and fragrances during her public appearances, which ultimately increased their popularity throughout the country. There is no other flower associated better with ancient Egypt – a land of mysteries – than roses.

Hawai’i

Although the flamingo lily is naturally found in tropical rainforests in South America, it is usually associated with Hawai’i. The islands are massive exporters of this aroid houseplant for many years. Its bright heart-shaped leaves carry the symbolic meaning associated with abundance, hospitality, love, and luck. I combined flamingo lily and Hawaiian white plumeria to celebrate its “aloha” spirit.

Italy

The calla lily is often used at weddings in Italy, especially for wedding decorations and bridal bouquets, for its romantic elegance, feminine aspect, and purity. This year, calla lilies, roses, and daisies are used to decorate the Italy Mannequin – the Leaning Tower of Pisa. This combination effectively represents the beauty, joy, cheerfulness, and passion that can often be found in Italy.

Paris, France

The fleur-de-lis, or “sweet iris” has been used by the ancient royal family of France as their emblem for centuries. In a religious sense, the three petals of the iris symbolize the trinity, while in modern France, the flower represents pureness, brightness, solemnity, hope, and freedom. Fleur-de-lis literally means “lily”, for which the lily flower is also believed to be the national flower of France. The combination of purple iris and pink lily represents the myth of France’s national flower.

England

I chose to combine rose and red carnations for England. The dark red carnation expresses sincere love and affection, while the rose represents peace, unity, and harmony. The final image results from a combination of layers of the popular classic red telephone booth, Big Ben Parliament Tower, and London red city bus, which are easily found in the Westminster area.

Mexico

Yellow is the color of happiness and optimism. Yellow is also a cheerful and energetic color that brings joy and fun to the world. I combined yellow sunflowers and Mexico’s most notable pyramid to celebrate its vibrant culture and rich ancient history, as well as the charming, courteous, and polite people of Mexico.

Santorini, Greece

White roses and blue larkspurs are used to celebrate the iconic colors in Greece, especially Santorini. They are also the colors of the country’s flag. They certainly represent the colors of the bright sea and sky synonymous with the beautiful Mediterranean.

Spain

Spain has a vibrant and warm culture. The people are passionate, energetic, expressive, and loving. They are highly motivated when celebrating traditional festivities and proud of their artistic, historic, and cultural heritage. Red roses and a flamenco dancing figure are intertwined to celebrate the energy, strength, passion, and the country’s complex art form designated as World Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Stanley Park, Vancouver

Vancouver is known for its scenic views, mild climate, diverse culture, and friendly people. Vancouver is also home to many vibrant and interesting places, including Coal Harbor, Granville Island, Kitsilano, Commercial Drive, Yaletown, and Chinatown, just to name a few. This year, Vancouver’s iconic Stanley Park is beautifully and energetically featured at Fleurs de Villes Voyage to showcase the natural beauty, energy, diversity, liveliness, and popularity of Vancouver.

---

Subscribe to stay informed about blog updates and new print releases. All email addresses are kept strictly confidential and will not be disclosed to third parties.

• Facebook
• Instagram

© 2023 Copyright Phuong Dinh. All rights reserved.