Internationally renowned for its horticultural research and development, the Republic of China (R.O.C.) sets off to enjoy its place at the Floriade 2012, a World Horticultural Expo hosted by the Dutch city of Venlo from April 5 to October 7. Subsidized by the Council of Agriculture (COA), the Taiwan Floriculture Exports Association (TFEA) has set up a booth at the Villa Flora building to showcase the isle’s unique flora collection, stunning the audiences with a spectacular opening ceremony at the start of May.

A flower tower made in the image of Taipei 101 steals the show

According to the Council of Agriculture (COA), the Villa Flora will be hosting a six-month exhibition showcasing the island’s unique flora collection and agricultural produce at the Floriade 2012. Packaged as high-end products for export and accompanied by expert explanations, the collection plays a substantial role in educating highly visitors from around the world on the island’s horticultural mdustry advanced development. In addition, the TFEA has succeeded in securing 159 square meters’ worth of exhibition space in Section A of the Villa Flora building for the entirety of May, which is currently being used to display a model of the Taipei 101 skyscraper that is made solely out of floricultural materials. The staggering tower of flowers, accessorized with exquisite handcrafted oil-paper umbrellas, serves as the perfect reflection of Taiwan’s natural imagery.

The inseparable arts of flower arrangement and tea sampling

The COA pointed out that the Villa Flora building welcomes an average of 12,000 to 14,000 thousand visitors per day, meaning that the TFEA’s collection, which is stationed close to the building’s entrance, attracts roughly 10,000 to 11,000 visitors per day. In other words, that’s 60 tourists coming by every 3 minutes, making the Taipei 101 flora sculpture one of the most popular sightseeing sections of the Floriade 2012. Moreover, the opening events on May 1-2 included flower arranging and tea ceremonies, which helped to popularize the island’s cultural traditions and to highlight the pavilion’s uniqueness. On the weekend following the opening event, a floristry fashion event was held on May 5-6 that consisted of a highly interactive catwalk show featuring flower-clad models. Due to the popularity of its initial showing, the fashion catwalk was staged four times, attracting about 2,500 viewers.

Lime-green orchids to embody the island’s horticultural vitality

The COA noted that the TFEA team showcased a superb selection at the 2012 World Horticultural Expo. By incorporating a multitude of colorful Phalaenopsis (“moth orchids”), the Guiana chestnut (“saba nuts”), the Dracaena sanderiana (“lucky bamboo”), and a red-tinged variety of Aglaonema (“Chinese evergreens”) that is rarely seen in Europe, the flora arrangement fully demonstrated the island’s horticultural potential. However it was the centerpiece of the arrangement, a new specimen of Oncidium (“spray orchids”) with lime green flowering, that became the star of the show. The average variety of Oncidium in the Netherlands is usually peppered with brown dots, whereas the new specimen developed by Taiwanese florists is endowed with a pure yellow core. Described by many as “a harbinger of springtime,” the lime-green orchid blossoms were highly sought-after by Floriade 2012 attendees, a fact that underlies Europe’s demands for high-quality flora and marks the continent as a prospective partner in horticultural trade.