Spring Flora is inspired by the combination of flowers and the universe, it also attracts the medieval yew

The Olomouc exhibition center in Smetanovy Sady with the main pavilion A is today undergoing final preparations for the opening on Thursday, the 66th edition of which will last four days.

“For decades, Flora Olomouc has been the largest national festival of flowers and a celebration of spring. Visitors can refresh themselves after the gray winter and gain new strength. This year, the author of the main exhibition is the renowned florist Jan Milt. He is 36 years old, he has a lot of experience abroad,” said Eva Fuglíčková, director of Výstaviště Flora Olomouc.

“Thus, we fulfill one of our goals – to establish cooperation with young and at the same time high-quality creators. This year’s central exhibition corresponds to this. It’s really something to look forward to,” she added.

Milt combined his passion for space with work. The central theme of the pavilion is the ellipse symbol representing the orbit on which the exposition is built.

“It has three axes, namely the stage, the hidden space conceived as a spaceship, and the floral element. I also worked with images from the James Webb telescope. We build on the contrast of cold technical elements and natural material, a large number of flowers. We play with lights and mirrors so that visitors don’t immediately get everything served at first glance,” explained Milt.

People will feel like entering a temple

When planning the main exhibition, he stuck to photos of the Crab Nebula, the Seyfert Galaxy and the constellation Cassiopeia. At the same time, he wanted to avoid a symmetrical tone, and was therefore based on the principle of the golden ratio.

“We amaze visitors as soon as they enter the foyer. First he encounters a rather dark part with the first flowers, just like the entrance to the church. It is a relatively small and cramped space, but then you go further and the wonderful moment comes when you enter the temple itself and a breathtaking high space full of light opens up in front of you,” described the author of the exhibition.

The stage of the main pavilion will belong to floristry shows and lectures by Klára Franc Vavříková or Dana Marklíková. The “A” terrace mainly entertains children, for example by making insect houses or birdhouses. Secondary schools will be introduced in the extension.

“The field of gardening is not going through a good period, we need to raise quality gardeners and keep them in the field. Give them space to make themselves visible. It is necessary to keep them in the field and make the art of horticulture visible again,” emphasized Fuglíčková. In addition to gardeners, therefore, according to her, Flora is also targeting gardeners.

Over three hundred sellers and exhibitors will fill the area of ​​the entire exhibition center from the pond at Polská Street to the main entrance in Wolkerova Street.

“The horticultural markets will offer a variety of horticultural materials such as ingredients, seedlings, conifers, seeds, saplings, seeds, flowers, cacti and succulents, among others. Tools, greenhouses and garden mechanization will also be on offer,” informed Zuzana Chalupová on behalf of the exhibition center.

Distillation of European top lavender and bonsai

Visitors will also come across demonstrations and advice on the stage near the palm greenhouse. A little further on in pavilion G, it will be possible to try panning for gold, pressing oil or distilling lavender.

One of the smaller exhibitions was named Bonsai – art from another world. Visitors will find it in pavilion E. Experienced collector Josef Valuch will show off a sample from his collection at the Isabelia Bonsai Museum in the Old Town.

“The exhibition will include three Japanese gardens of different sizes, made of stones, complete with a pond and planted with bonsai trees. We will then complete the exhibition area mainly with deciduous bonsai, many of which have been awarded at European exhibitions,” explained Valuch. The exhibition will be enriched by a traditional tea room with examples of Chinese and Japanese tea rituals.

“The bonsai that Mr. Valuch managed to collect are among the best that can be seen in Europe,” said the director of the exhibition center. A yew tree that is more than 500 years old will also be on display.

“We have arranged parking for car drivers in Šantovka. Residents of Olomouc who need to pass through the park during the exhibition can use the proven system of passages for a deposit of 200 crowns. The area is fenced because the exhibition center is historically located in parks and it is a paid event,” added Michal Poláček, spokesman for the exhibition center.