Meer Plant wins Creativity Award at Floralies Ghent

With a beautiful combination of bamboo, roses and water on their stand at the Floralien in Ghent, Meer Plant from Meer (B) made a flashy entrance into the tree nursery market. Meer Plant BV is a new addition to the Oprins family. The stand was shared with sister companies Plantentuin De Kleine Boerderij Merksplas and tree nursery Vista Verde. The international jury chaired by Laurence Machiels awarded the Creativity Prize to the presentation. The jury praised the "exceptional quality, top-notch creativity, exceptional execution, a feast for the eyes, a technical tour de force. And at the same time very soothing."

The exhibit featured Hedge-On, which is a new concept for ready-to-use rose hedges, as well as Naturosa a selection of newly bred, bee-friendly roses and Prunus lusitanica 'Tico'. Designer Tom de Houwer created a zen-invoking garden with the title 'eternal stream.'

He used bamboo as a unique background to present the hedge roses. More than 15 km of 7-metre high, split bamboo was bent in a wave motion to draw attention to the tube that held the roses in their original container above the stretched-out water feature. The scale of the 13-metre-long 4x4 (wxh) design, the visual movement of the bamboo, the sound of the falling water and the scent and appearance of the hedge roses created an immersive experience.

The Floralies are held once every four years in the Floralies' Hall in Ghent. This ornamental plant exhibition, which had its first edition in 1873, forms the backdrop for 10 days of creations by national and international top florists, growers of ornamental plants and garden architects.

The theme for 2022 is "My Paradise, My Worldly Garden." With less and less green space and public areas becoming more and more built up, cities often look like one big, paved surface. For 10 days, the goal of Floralies offered a counter image — complete with a dynamic, green and blooming presentation. The Floralies exhibit ran until May 8.