Springtime Bloomers: Where to find Hong Kong’s most beautiful flowers

March marks the onset of Springtime, a revitalising and blissful season that welcomes in things anew and the blooming of beautiful flowers across Hong Kong. Notoriously known as an urban jungle, perhaps what is most needed for a refreshing change of scenery is to reconnect with the city’s many forested hillsides, country parks and gardens to admire the sights of natures’ flowers in bloom.

Sakura Flowers
Though the city’s urban dwellers often flock to Japan to witness blossoming Sakura flowers, otherwise known as cherry blossoms, not many know that the city’s country parks across New Territories are also home to these beautifully pale-pink flowers that give Springtime its charm.
Where to find them: Velodrome Park in Tsueng Kwan O, Kwan Kung Pavilion in Cheung Chau and Tai Po Waterfront Park

Cotton Tree Flowers
Cotton Tree flowers grow out of the Red Silk Cotton Tree, nicknamed “hero tree” in Cantonese, because of its tall, straight and fast-growing trunk flowers scarlet-hued flowers.
Where to find them: Lai Chi Kok Park and Hong Kong Park

Bauhinia Blakeana
Hong Kong’s national flower, the orchid more commonly known as Bauhinia is a fragrant emblem of the HKSAR. This beautiful hybrid flower is a vibrant pink-pale purple colour that has a stretch of a flowering period between the months of September and June.
Where to find them: Tai Po Waterfront Park, Kowloon Tsai Park and Quarry Bay Park

Rhodoleia
First sighted in 1849 in Aberdeen, this red bell-shaped flowers bloom during late winter and early spring atop evergreen trees, dangling overhead as if it were a chiming bell.
Where to find it: Aberdeen, Shing Mun Arboretum and various country parks

Hong Kong Iris
These light-blue and white patterned flowers were originally found on the hillsides of Victoria Peak and Mount Davis in 1874. They blossom in shades of blue and purple between the months of April and May.
Where to find them: Mount Davis, Victoria Peak, Wilson Trail on Dragon’s Back, Cape D’Aguilar and Po Toi island

Azalea
Listed as a vulnerable flora species by the local government, these pinkish flowers grow out of an evergreen shrub blossoms during the month of April.
Where to find them: Mount Nicholson in Ma On Shan

Hydrangea
Among a large green field, a Victorian gazebo and colonial-fashioned huts, these large-headed, blue-purple hued flower begins its flowering period between the months of April and June.
Where to find them: Victoria Peak Garden

Pavetta
First discovered between 1847 and 1850 in Happy Valley, these paper-thin flowers come in a cluster of four white petals that bloom between the months of March and October.
Where to find them: Deep Water Bay and near the Lion’s Nature Education Centre in Sai Kung

Sebastien Lathuile brings French charm to MAISON XXII floral workshops

With Mother’s Day just around the corner, it was the perfect time for French floral artisan and designer Sebastien Lathuile to host a Celebrity Flower Master Class in collaboration with Hong Kong’s very own MAISON XXII. Lathuile, who is known in the floral world for his involvement within British high society events, led notable Hong Kong celebrities such as Fanny Sieh, and Marie Christine Lee towards the goal of creating their very own gorgeous “Gourmand” floral cakes at the special event.

Under Lathuile’s experienced eye and guidance, the upstairs of Studio 22 within MAISON XXII became an environment not only filled with beautiful flowers, but a place where inspiration and fun could be had. Over the course of two hours, the ladies crafted delicate floral “patisseries”, which were to be “eaten with the eyes”, with careful direction from Lathuile.

Indeed, whether one was an amateur or a connoisseur to the art of flower decoration, the chance to learn from Lathuile was a truly unique and unmissable experience. We’ll surely be keeping our eyes open for the next time the artisan and designer is back in the 852.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BwrWW05ApLg/

LA PETITE MAISON XXII
Level 3, 15 St. Francis Street, Wan Chai, Hong Kong

Mistletoe Maker: Florist extraordinaire Gemma Hayden Blest on Christmas decor

Gemma Hayden Blest has been a part of making Hong Kong beautiful for nearly seven years now. Hailing from the UK, the floral designer built up a not-too-shabby resume working under brands such as Alexander McQueen and Burberry before finding her true passion – flowers. We took a stroll with Gemma down the streets of Central, and had the floral connoisseur give us tips on how to make our Christmas budding with beauty.

Gemma Hayden Blest

Tell us a bit about yourself and your work…

I work as a floral designer. My work ranges from events to shop installations to editorial. I specialise in communicating ideas through flower power, creating a mood or ambiance through flora or using them to help create a concept.

You studied fashion design; so, at what point did you know you could use that experience and expertise to channel it into floral designs and arrangements?

I love fashion and a huge amount of what I do stems from my fashion background. I think I found the lag times in fashion frustrating and prefer the speed that’s required for flowers. They have to be designed, created and enjoyed in the moment.

Since the holidays are typically a time of indulgence, can you give us suggestions on how to incorporate eco-friendly arrangements in decoration?

Definitely. There is no need to be excessively plastic with your designing. Invest in good-quality products that can be stored each year. The beauty in flowers is that it’s so easy to make a set of vases of candle holders look completely different each year. Pine, berries and eucalyptus are pretty long-lasting, so a few sprigs can last a few weeks.

How do holiday arrangements in Asia differ from say the UK, where you’re from?

We’re lucky to live in HK where imports are easy to get. I struggle with the loss of scent though. Boxed-up goods just never smell like freshly cut pine from the garden. I tend to give imports a helping hand with scented candles or room mist. Jo Malone does a beautiful Pine & Eucalyptus candle that helps bring back the aroma.

What flower is the most popular around Christmas time with your clients, and what is your personal favourite?

The Queen Amaryllis is always a popular favourite. Grand and colourful, there’s also a lovely anticipation in waiting for the bulbs to bloom that reflects the anticipation of waiting for Christmas day to arrive.

What tips can you give our readers about Christmas decorations?

A running element throughout your home will hold everything together – maybe it’s a type of ribbon or floral element or focal colour. Also a wreath on your front door sets a lovely welcoming tone for what’s inside.

Thank you.

Interview by: Bailey Atkinson
Image courtesy: Gemma Hayden Blest