This Sunday, people across the country will enjoy the fruits of their labour in the garden.
For the past four years, Garden Day has been held in October to encourage people to share their love of plants and to celebrate their green spaces and gardens.
Among them are a group of women who have put their heads and hands together to make flower crowns. Much of the fruits of their labour will be on show on Sunday October 11 at the Cape Garden Centre in Joostenbergvlakte and Stodels in Bellville.
Lauren Gleeson says she heard about Garden Day about four years ago. It’s very big in England, she says. For the past two years, her family and friends have come together over tea parties to make floral crowns. This year, due to Covid-19, they had to work independently, and yet the making of the crowns brought them together. Having made about 15 crowns, they decided to use them to decorate creatures. This led them to the grass-covered sculptures in garden centres in the northern suburbs. They thought they’d look cute decorated in the crowns. They also made one for Spotty, the iconic dog sculpture standing on a pavement in Retreat.
Herve Truniger, of EasiGrass, says when Lauren approached them about decorating their animal displays at the garden centres with floral crowns they loved the idea. They have life-sized elephants, rhinos, a giraffe, a reindeer, a cow and other animals in their Easi Zoo.
Lauren says they start making the crowns using Hula Hoops, paint them and then wrap them in flowers made from plastic bottles, bags and fake flowers lying around their homes.
Garden Day was created in 2016 by gardening app Candide which provides gardeners with information, knowledge, and inspiration.
“From keepers of rolling lawns, community gardens, and vegetable patches to potted window sills, patio planters, and urban rooftops, the annual celebration is calling on plant lovers to put on a flower crown, down tools, and enjoy the fruits of their labour,” says Garden Day flower crown ambassador Constance Stuurman.
Due to Covid-19, the all-female flower-crown team, who live in the southern suburbs, will attend the Garden Day virtual gathering here.
