NZ Flowers Week 2018

These spectacular King Protea are grown in Tauranga, and are pictured on a background of Dulux “Welcome Bay”.

As NZ Flowers Week (5 - 11 Nov) comes to a close for the year, it feels a bit like when a beautiful bunch of flowers is over - bittersweet. I had such a wonderful time working with the NZ Flowers Team this year, and learned so much about this amazing industry - from where different varieties of flowers are grown, how they’re grown and how the flower markets work.

I even got to spend the day with the very talented Auckland florist Rose Tinted Flowers to help create a glorious flower arch over the entrance to Ponsonby Central. Every single stem is real and grown here in NZ, not only that but it’s also created without using any single use plastics or oasis(florists foam) instead Rosie uses sphagnum moss and wire for her arrangements.

I’ve been talking flowers to anyone who will listen. So much so that I may have accidentally called my dog Pebbles, “Petals”, more than once.

Alstroemeria {Peruvian Lilies) are grown in West Auckland, and are pictured on a background of Dulux “Massey”.

My favourite part of the week was styling these images for NZ Flowers Week in collaboration with Dulux, each image highlighting just one locally grown flower variety against a Dulux Colour of NZ that corresponds to the area the specific flowers are commercially grown in.

Icelandic Poppies are grown around Levin, and are pictured on a background of Dulux “Te Horo”.

Learning about how and where each flower is grown before arriving in my vase has been eye opening, and I have so much respect for all the dedicated and talented people who work in all aspects of this fabulous NZ industry.

These massive peonies are grown in Otago (as well as other places in both the North & South Islands), and are pictured on a background of Dulux “Kaka Point”.

I’ve always loved flowers but that passion has absolutely bloomed for me, every flower tells a story and I’m so proud that I’ve been able to tell a few of those stories through these images. If you’re interested in learning more, there is a lot of great content including videos and interviews here.

Birds of Paradise are commercially grown in Drury, South Auckland, and are pictured on a background of Dulux “Glenbrook”.

And, while the flowers from this week might be coming to the end of their life we’re so lucky to have access to locally grown flowers all year round, and I fully plan to keep on celebrating that.

Delphinium are also grown around Levin in the Manawatu-Wanganui region, and are pictured on a background of Dulux “Foxton Beach”.

A huge thank you to United Flower Growers, Dulux NZ, Rose Tinted Flowers, and Pead PR.

Photos by Izak Van Der Merwe/Pead PR.

This post is sponsored by NZ Flowers Week.