Flowers add colour to Gisborne races

IN FULL BLOOM: Gisborne florist Michelle Elliott and daughter Tylah with the floral archway she and her team spent hours creating for the Poverty Bay Races in Makaraka on Sunday. “I would like to give a special thank you to the generous people of Gisborne who allowed me to pick from their gardens, also thanks to Gaby and Hollie, who I couldn’t have completed this spectacular job without.” Picture by Kim Parkinson

A LOT of hard work and a few sleepless nights went into the dazzling flower displays at the Poverty Bay Races on Sunday.

Gisborne florist Michelle Elliott said it was a lot of work but worth the effort now the event is over, and she is getting lots of positive feedback from organisers and the public.

A full archway of foliage interspersed with sunflowers and hydrangeas as well as a flower wall, and floral displays in the Lindauer Lounge were all the work of her team.

The owner of Wild Stems in Peel Street said this was the biggest floral display she had ever done and it required ladders to reach the top of the archway.

“It was actually quite scary being up the top, especially as it was a windy night,” she said.

“I was up there and my partner (Hollie Murrell) and (co-worker) Gaby (McNab) were handing me up the flowers and foliage.”

They worked on the archway under the light of car headlights, then had to be up at sunrise to add the flowers.

The brief given to the florist was to tie the floral displays in with the three theme colours of the event — blue, yellow and hot pink.

Withstanding sun and windThey then had to choose flowers that could withstand the elements of the sun and wind, which was the daunting task she said.

“But it held up really well and looked beautiful all day.”

“It took three of us a full day and we worked into the night to assemble it. We were there until 11pm on Saturday night and then back again at sunrise to add the flowers. We finished just in time for the gates to open.”

Ms Elliott said she sourced the hydrangeas from Gisborne gardens and gave people chocolates as a way of thanks.

The sunflowers were provided by a Gisborne grower.

Event organisers Katrina Duncan and Anelia Evans, the owners of Cycle Gisborne, said they were thrilled with the flowers.

It is the first time they have organised the event.

The course was fantastic and there was such a dedicated crew that made this happen each year, Ms Duncan said.

She acknowledged the hard work and efforts of the sponsors and people like Michael Gardner, who cared for the turf.

“One judge said it was one of the most beautifully presented courses of the season.

“The jockeys were also singing the praises of the Makaraka track, saying it was one of the best they had ridden this year,” Ms Duncan said.

Next year she wants more Gisborne men to step up and enter the Fashion In the Field competition.