Results designer Silvia Unterberger day one from the Europa Cup 2016 in Genoa
It was an exciting first day of the 2016 European Florist Championship in Genoa, with plenty amazing floral designs being created!
All competitors had to perform three tasks. Starting off with a car decoration in the morning, in this case of a small, classic Fiat, for the task “PARATA FLOREALE DI SANREMO”.
Afterwards, it was time for a special picnic task “PASTA, PESTO, E FIORI” ; a floral arrangement for a picnic in the Genovese mountains in Spring. With special attention paid to Pesto, the trademark food product of the city of Genoa!
The last task on the first day was a wedding assignment. Entitled “MATRIMONIO IN VESPA”; the instruction for the 23 competitors was to design a floral decoration for a bride, who is sitting behind her groom while he is riding on a Vespa to their wedding reception.
Flowerweb and its team was right there to bring you the end results as well as the story behind the various creations and techniques used, as told by the competitors.
Below you can see the results from Silvia Unterberger from Austria
On our Europacup 2016 event page you can also see the floral designs from the other competitors.

TASK NO. 1: “PARATA FLOREALE DI SANREMO”- Flower corso of Sanremo
Kind of work: Car decoration. Free floral arrangement in floral foam.
Description: This work piece should represent the beauty of the Italian flower assortment. The emphasis should be on the flowers, not the construction of the design
Shape/size: The shape is free. The arrangement must not exceed a ground space of 400cmx200cm and a height of 250cm.
Technique: All live materials must be placed in floral foam. The design and materials are expected to last 4 days

Althougt, I like winter months too, they lack the colorful nature. Spring itself and working with spring flowers is one of my greatest joys of each year. I can’t wait to grab my first bunch of ranunculus flowers.

For the base structure i prepared a big number of wool circles strengthened with paste. I linked them using wire to be able to make variances in heights and depths of the structure. The circles will be attached with vacuum clips. I very much like the combination of those funny looking circles and the awesome fiat 500. I tried to prepare a very rich colour palette of wool circles because the flower compilation remains unknown up to now.

This car would need to take me at least once across the whole country, although I’m not completely certain that I’d manage it all the way down to Sicilia because I haven’t seen much of the country yet.

Step by Step first “PARATA FLOREALE DI SANREMO”


TASK 2: “PASTA, PESTO, E FIORI”-Pasta, Pesto, and Flowers
Kind of work: Picnic in the Genovese mountains in the spring.
Description: This work is a tribute to PESTO, the trademark food product of the city of Genoa! The design should also vividly reflect the spring season.
Requirements: The arrangement has to allow 2 people to enjoy the picnic comfortably.
Shape/size: The shape is free. The arrangement must not exceed a ground space of 200cmx200cm and a height of 200cm.
Technique: Free. The design is expected to last 4 days.
I’d say my spring picnic interpretation is based on 2 characteristics. For me a picnic needs to take place on the ground preferrably in some cosy, a little bit hidden or some sort of secret place. To emphasise the colours of spring I tried to utilise a big palette of green tones to have a perfect base for modulations into other, richer colour tones like a pastelish pink or different kinds of yellow.
For me the most interesting part of our work is exactly this process of combining colours. I tried to create the cozy, secret feeling by arrange a bunch of wool sticks and glass tubes on a wooden plate mimicing some sort of hide-out within some spring typical flora.

I’m using rununculus, tulips, orchids, vetches and paeonias, papaver for this task because these spring flowers suit me best to pick up the colour palette of my wool.

I’d like to gather with top florist colleagues because I’m always excited to have a fruitful chat with other florists that live and breathe their profession just like I do.

Step By Step of “PASTA, PESTO, E FIORI”


TASK 3: “MATRIMONIO IN VESPA” - Wedding on a Vespa
Kind of work: Floral decoration for a bride who is sitting behind her groom while he is riding a Vespa to their wedding reception.
Description: The bridal decoration has to reflect the free Italian spirit and lifestyle of the 1950’s and 60’s.
Requirements: This piece is an item designed for a bride. Make sure the item allows the couple to ride safely on the Vespa.
Technique: Shape is free. The design is expected to last 24 hours.
The tried to resemble typical colours and shapes of this era and its typical feeling in my work. A typical facette of this time are those funny polka dots everywhere which one can find also on my work if looking close.

I mostly used succulents, several kinds of orchids and other pot plants because these plants provide me the colours i need for this task. I often use only pot plants for bridle bouquets because the available colour palette in the pot plant segment is most of the time better than it is in the cut flowers segment.

The shape of my bridal bouquet resembles a handbag for the practical reason, that the bride can hold on to her groom and ride safely on the vespa. Alternatively one can attach the bouquet to the front of the vespa.

Step by Step from “MATRIMONIO IN VESPA”

Europa Cup web App

Not everybody will be able to travel to Genoa for the Europa Cup 2016.
Therefore Florint & Flowerweb have created a special "EUROPACUP VOTE & SUPPORT APP" that allows everyone to Vote and Support their favourite competitors in Genoa as well as participate in a Europa Cup Quiz & Survey.
Whether you are in Genoa or at home you will be able to follow the action and participate.
SUPPORT Your Favourite Competitor

Visit the EUROPA CUP WEB APP to upload your support Picture!
You can support your favourite competitor by taking a picture and uploading it in the app.
Your picture and personal message will be displayed in a slideshow on 4 large screens during the Europa Cup.
The picture can be a selfie, a group photo or something funny... You are welcome to wear something flowery and colourful or in the colours of the competitor's country.
Whether at home or present at the event, the selfie app works quite easily: you can use your computer, iPad or smartphone to upload a picture plus a little text. This will then be uploaded automatically on a big screen at the event, so all competitors can see their friends, family and fans supporting them.
You can see an online overview of all uploaded pictures by clicking here
For an extensive step by step explanation of the App, please check this article.
"People’s Choice Award" by Smithers-Oasis: VOTE For each assignment

From the moment the first task has been completed, people both outside and present at the event will be able to vote for their favourite arrangements. Although you are not allowed to vote for the competitor from your own country, you can let us know whose work you liked most for each task.
You will be able to check out all the step by step articles on Flowerweb to compare the competitors and hear the stories behind their creations.
Voting will be open until Sunday (10 April) 12:00. The competitor with the most Votes in the end, will win the "Smithers-Oasis People’s Choice Award"
For an extensive step by step explanation of how to vote, visit this article.

Florint has partnered with Flowerweb to conduct live reporting from the event, enabling you to follow all the news and happenings at the Europa Cup 2016 in Genoa.
Everyday we will send you a step-by-step of the various creations from the previous day accompanied by one-on-one interviews with the competitors as they speak about their work.
So the last thing to do is to click the "Facebook Connect" button on the top right to create your free login to Flowerweb and we will keep you up to date!
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