DESIRÉE DECOSTE
STAFF WRITER
East Lake Farm on Cty Rd 11 was the scene of the second annual Flowering Wild PEC last weekend.
A one-day visual art display featuring floral and foliage grown by local farmers and designers, the inspiration for a local Flowering Wild came from a similar installation called the Detroit Flower House Project where florists and designers took over an abandoned house and filled it with fresh flowers and living plants. The group Free Folk Events hosted and organized Flowering Wild.
(Desirée Decoste/Gazette staff)
This year Flowering Wild would have been hosted their third such celebration but, like many things in 2020, COVID-19 forced a change of plans and the event was cancelled.
“In 2018 we took over an abandoned barn which was a little bit smaller than this one,” said Megan Lumgair “Then last year COVID happened, so this year we took in to consideration with COVID and hosted two viewings that were ticketed and all the proceeds are going to the Kenhteke Seed Sanctuary and Learning Centre.”
The Kenhteke Seed Sanctuary and Learning Centre is a sacred space to grow, preserve and protect heirloom and Indigenous seeds in accordance with Rotinonhsyon:ni cosmology, to ensure the availability of healthy, viable seeds for collective future generations.
The event which was open to the public with a limit of 25 people at a time, required a ticket and held two separate viewings, one from 12 pm – 1:30 pm and another from 2 pm – 3:30 pm on July 18. A ticket included refreshments and live music from Kashka.
Artists of the event include Alexis Joy from Alexis Joy Florals, Alysia McMenomy from Begonia Moon, Benjamin Oczkowski from Ben’s Blooms, Marilou Perron from Early Grey and Sas Long from Floralora Flowers.
All artists shared products and had their own work space in the barn to setup greenery and flowers.
“There didn’t seem to be too much of a plan,” Oczkowski stated. “Everyone just brought as much stuff as they could and then we shared if people brought extras and slowly built it up and up and up until we used everything.”
(Desirée Decoste/Gazette staff)
For more information on the Kenhteke Seed Sanctuary and Learning Centre please visit https://kenhtekeseedsanctuary.com
For more information on free folk events please visit https://www.freefolkevents.com