Alexandra Farms Reveals Winners of Garden Rose Design Contest

By Jill Brooke

So happy to share the winners of the Alexandra Farms Garden Rose Design contest I told you about earlier this summer. 

Alexandra Farms as you know does produce all those fabulous David Austin roses. It’s located high in the Andes mountains of Colombia and is the world’s largest grower of fresh-cut garden roses. (Winners get a free trip there as well) 

This marks their fourth contest where floral designers submit their work.

 Just looking at these pictures gives me a boost of happy serotonin.

Submissions were accepted in two categories: Wedding Work and Everyday Design, and hundreds of entries were submitted by designers from 22 countries around the world. And included in the winners is Florida’s Ana Viva, of Aniska Creations. What a year she has had – since the mother/daughter team also won the Fleurs de Villes contest earlier this spring in Bal Harbour.

The judges for this contest included such luminaries as David J C Austin, managing director of David Austin Roses; floral designer Holly Heider Chapple. and Jose R. Azout, president of Alexandra Farms.

Get ready to swoon –

Wedding Work

First Place – Dennis Kneepkens, DK – Dennis Kneepkens, Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands
Garden rose varieties used: Princess Midori (Green) and Patience (Auspastor)
Photographer: Maryn Haertel

Notice how high this arrangement soars and how Dennis used twigs almost as a frame to the roses.

Second Place – Nancy Zimmerman, Fancy Florals by Nancy, Fairbury, Ill., USA
Garden rose varieties used: Capability (Ausapply) and Miranda (Ausimmon)
Photographer: Rebekah Albaugh Photography

Who doesn’t love bright pink and purple?  Nancy also used a silvery touch on the greenery which made it both modern and consistent with the earthy natural trend brides are wanting.

Third Place – Amanda Rodgers, Bouquet Atlanta, Atlanta, Ga., USA
Garden rose varieties used: Francis Meilland, Evelyn (Aussaucer), Princess Charlene of Monaco and Love Song
Photographer: Michelle Scott Photography

I thought this was particularly enchanting. Love how there is a tree beyond the floral arch. And the mix of pale-colored roses just whispers love and contentment.

Readers’ Choice Award – Ana Vivas, Aniska Creations, Miami, Fla., USA
Garden rose varieties used: Tsumugi and Miyabi
Photographer: Natasha Arceu Photography

As you can see, Ana used dark and softer color roses for this bouquet which adds that modern dramatic pizazz.

Everyday Design

First Place – Trini Mai, Long Beach, Calif., USA
Garden rose varieties: Kiss Me Kate, The Alnwick (Ausgrab), Evelyn (Aussaucer), Jayne Austin (Ausbreak), Tranquility (Ausnoble), Desdemona (Auskindling) and Distant Drum
Photographer: Trini Mai

Classic but the wooden table adds the necessary dimension.

Second Place – Ksenia Shestakova, D&K Flowers House, Yekaterinburg, Sverdlovsk Oblast, Russia
Garden rose varieties used: Juliet (Ausjameson) and Amnesia
Photographer: D&K Flowers House

Cascading flowers just spilling from a basket makes one want to sit idyllically by a stream or a picnic table. As I always say, too much of a good thing is wonderful.

Third Place – Brenna Quan, AIFD, CFD, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
Garden rose variety used: Pink Xpression
Photographer: Brenna Quan

Thought this one was very artsy and reminded me of the Art in Bloom series where floral artists interpret paintings in museums.

Readers’ Choice – Katherine Taylor, Jubilee Flowers, Fairhope, Ala., USA
Garden rose varieties used: Romantic Antike and Keira (Ausboxer)
Photographer: Lacey McLaughlin Photography

Katherine’s work used more coral tones which happen to be my favorite lately. Coral also pairs so nicely with lavender.

Overall, such pretty creations. Of course, contests like these are like cooking. You need to have the right ingredients and with Alexandra Farms roses, floral designers have such beauty and varieties to play for their floral recipes.

 

Jill Brooke is a former CNN correspondent, Post columnist and editor-in-chief of Avenue and Travel Savvy magazine. She is an author and the editorial director of FPD and floral editor for aspire design and home magazine