Floral Displays

Follow Up and New Initiatives

Floral Displays include the efforts made by municipal, corporate (including all forms of local businesses) and private citizens. It includes arrangements of flowers and plants, originality, distribution, location, diversity and balance, harmony, quality and maintenance. This pertains to flower beds, carpet bedding, containers, baskets, window boxes - annuals, perennials, bulbs, ornamental grasses et cetera. 

"The judges applaud the use of tulips for only one year. This guarantees both uniform height and maximum show". (Matt Rosen, Dave Hilton, 2006)

This year, the tulip selection presented a stunning pastel of pink, mauve and purple reminiscent of Van Gogh’s impression of spring in ‘The Bulb Fields’. After flowering, bulbs are lifted and sold to the public for planting out in local gardens. In less than 2 hours in early June over 12,000 bulbs are sold. This ‘Tulip Tradition’ is in its 42nd year. The distribution of bulbs has provided more than 500,000 tulips that each year celebrate spring in private gardens throughout the city.

"Perhaps the best perennial garden in the City is, in the judges’ opinion, the Barnardo Area Community Garden. Volunteers are to be commended for their efforts". (Matt Rosen, Dave Hilton, 2006)

This year marks a turning point for the Barnardo Area Community Garden. After nearly 17 years, Zoltan Bank will be retiring from his post as Head Gardener. Dayle Finlay and Cauleen Viscoff and new volunteers have stepped forward to continue the tradition. One suggestion by previous judges to provide a ‘Season of Bloom Calendar’ and interpretive signage so visitors could learn about the plant materials will be followed up with the new Community Gardeners.

Peterborough continues to garden. Floral Displays grace residential neighbourhoods. The long standing partnership between the city and the Horticultural Society encourages participation. New partners have come forward to help celebrate Communities in Bloom. This year for example, Rotary and Kiwanis have sponsored container plantings and other partners have sponsored hanging baskets on lampposts in the Downtown area.

"You chose your flower wisely (Peterborough Daylily). You have a lasting and tangible trophy of the golden 100 years". (Betty Lamont, Martin Quinn, 2005)

To celebrate Communities in Bloom, the City released the first plants of the Peterborough Daylily to the public in 2009. Public Works Horticulture Staff will continue to divide the Daylily to hold a permanent inventory of 200 plants. (The City’s inventory represents 90% of this unique flower).

Demonstrating support for Communities in Bloom, for the 3rd season in a row, members of the Peterborough Youth Council planted and maintained a floral display bed at the entrance to the Peterborough Museum.