Host of the Universal and International Exposition of 1967 and the Games of the XXI Olympiad of 1976, Montreal, in 1980, will be the site of the Floralies internationales jointly sponsored by the city and Quebec’s Ministere de I’Agriculture. Approved by the International Association of Horticultural Producers and the International Bureau of Exhibitions, the Floralies internationales de Montreal will serve as the theatre for the first meeting in America of the world’s major horticultural traditions.
The purpose of this floral exhibition is to foster the development of all forms of ornamental horticulture and to demonstrate the progress achieved by horticulture at the international level. In addition, the exhibition will stimulate research in the areas of plant cultivation and horticultural teaching. It will also serve to inform the public about the ecology and its problems and about the importance for all people of living in a healthy environment. Finally, the Floralies internationales will illustrate important links between man’s sociocultural activities and his physical environment. The Floralies internationales de Montreal will exhibit countless varieties of trees, shrubs and flowers.
Some 500 years before the modern era, the Chinese were cultivating chrysanthemums — renowned, still for their variety and colour. Nearer in time and space, the French, Dutch, Belgians and Americans developed their own vast knowledge of horticultural techniques over a span of centuries. The Floralies exhibition in Ghent, Belgium, for example, has been in continuous existence for some 150 years and producers in that region are justly considered the originators of contemporary Floralies. Held every five years, the Ghent Floralies attract visitors by the thousands. Day and night they enjoy the spectacle of plants and flowers arranged magnificently among sculptures, woodwork and aquatic backdrops.
Indoor Floralies. In Montreal, the Indoor Floralies will be held at the Olympic Velodrome . . . from May 17 to May 29, 1980. A unique piece of architecture that seems designed specifically for this type of exhibition, with 6,000 square meters of floor space beneath permitting natural light exposure.
The Olympic Velodrome, one of the outstanding architectural structures of the Olympic complex built for 1976, will be transformed into a valley of flowers and trees lovingly arranged by horticulturists from around the world. Experts from some twenty countries will vie in dexterity and imagination with American and Canadian growers in paying tribute to the beauty and diversity of world of flowers and trees for the pleasure of the hundreds of thousands of expected visitors.
Key plans for the event have already been drawn up and services have been foreseen. On entering, visitors will find themselves within the cycling track where national participants will be grouped, with the province of Quebec’s display in the center. A tour of the area will eventually lead, across the track to a commercially-oriented exhibition set behind the stands.
The Indoor Floralies will offer a complete range of cultivated plants: cut flowers, potted plants, tropical plants, succulent plants and cacti. Flower lovers, of course, can spend time contemplating such eternal stars as the orchid, the rose, and the African violet. The originality of the various displays will be rewarded by numerous prizes which stimulates creativity among participants. Finally, les Floralies may produce interesting discoveries, such as the art of “Bonsai,” coming from the Orient.
Outdoor Floralies. He Notre-Dame will host the open-air exhibition of Les Floralies, from May 31 to September first, 1980. The manmade island created in the St. Lawrence River for Expo 67 will begin its new vocation as a permanent floral parkland, incoporating the most recent developments in contemporary landscape art. After the festival, the island will retain the permanent garden, comprising a selection of the best kinds of trees, shrubbery and cultivated flowers, and become a recreational area devoted to increasing the awareness of the general public about ecological and cultural matters. A few well-preserved pavilions of Expo 67 will be readapted for the occasion ... as in the case of the French pavilion and that of Quebec.
Thousands of trees and shrubs, planted twelve years ago, as well as the ponds built at that time, will be an excellent starting point for construction of the floral park. It will be possible to again use the numerous rock gardens that are spread out over the entire island, along pathways and the canals. The open-air, or floral park, concept of Floralies, comes to us from Europe, it represents the most contemporary expression of garden art. In addition to offering the entire scale of outdoor ornamental plants like trees, shrubs and flowers the floral park is also an oasis of rest, or relaxation in the heart of a city.
Its main characteristic is its permanence. Among the most important floral parks in Europe are those of Orleans, Keukenhov, Mannheim, Vienna and Paris. Orleans in France, with its 40 hectares of trees, shrubs, rose bushes, annuals and perennials, is one of the most beautiful examples of a floral park. Here we find a great variety of pathways, bridges, forms and colours of water pools and buildings. It joins zones which are densely planted with large grass surfaces; and acidic and shaded areas with ponds covered by aquatic plants. In United States, many metropolis cities have their own floral parks.
Every great horticultural tradition in the world will be found in Montreal and the visitor will find the personality of each country in the plants and materials. Strollers will be able to renew themselves with the great styles of the past and will be awed by the boldness of modern landscaping.
The Montreal Botanical Garden, which is responsible for the technical aspects of the Floralies, has horticultural and botanical “knowhow” which is unique to Quebec and Canada. Numerous recent and former accomplishments are a guarantee of success for the Floralies de Montreal. The Quebec and Canadian exhibits will place the accent on our flora and the proximity of a wilderness which is wild but less and less hostile.
Flowers are an integral part of man’s life in many countries; Les Floralies de Montreal will contribute, we hope, in transforming our cities and villages in Quebec and Canada and in improving the quality of life of its citizens.
Les Floralies Internationales de Montreal 1980
Hote de I’E×positon universelle en 1967 etdes Jeux de la XXIe Olympiade en 1976, Montreal accueillera en 1980 les Floralies internationales. Agrees par I’Association internationale des producteurs de I’horticulture et le Bureau international des expositions, les Floralies internationales de Montreal seront le theatre de la premiere rencontre des grandes traditions horticoles du monde en Amerique.
Cette exposition a pour but de favoriser le developpement, sous toutes ses formes, de I’horticulture ornementale et d’illustrer les progres accomplis par I’horticulture internationale. Elle permettra de stimuler la recherche dans le domaine de la culture et de I’enseignement horticoles. Elle informera le public et le sensibilisera aux problemes de I’ecologie ainsi qu’a I’importance, pour tous, de vivre dans un milieu sain. Les Floralies internationales de Montreal mettront en lumiere les liens qui existent entre les activites socio-culturelles de I’etre humain et son milieu physique. Les Floralies internationales de Montreal presenteront de nombreuses varietes d’arbres majestueux et de fleurs sans cesse renouvelees, du mois de mai au mois de septembre.
Les Floralies Interieures. Les Floralies interieures, au Velodrome olympique du 17 au 29 mai, presenteront 6 000 metres carres d’exposition. Le Velodrome olympique, une des prouesses architecturales du complexe olympique, realise en 1976, se transformera en une vallee de fleurs soigneusement amenagee par les horticulteurs du monde entier. Les specialistes d’une vingtaine de pays rivaliseront d’adresse et d’imagination avec les producteurs canadiens et quebecois pour rendre hommage a la beaute et a la diversite du monde des fleurs pour le plus grand plaisir des centaines de milliers de visiteurs.
Les visiteurs y verront des fleurs coupees, des potees fleuries, des plantes tropicales et subtropicales, des cactacees et des plantes succulentes, des bromeliacees, des orchidacees, des plantes de pepiniere, des presentations d’art floral, de bonsai et de fleurs sechees ainsi que des amenagements floraux divers.
Les Floralies Exterieures. Les Floralies exterieures, a I’lle Notre-Dame, du 31 mai au ler septembre 80. I’lle Notre-Dame, amenagee au milieu du St-Laurent pour la tenue de I’Exposition Universelle de 1967 trouvera, grace aux Floralies exterieures, sa vocation definitive de pare floral, expression la plus actuelle de I’art paysager contemporain. En plus du spectacle floral permanent, represente par une selection des meilleures especes d’arbres, d’arbustes et de fleurs cultives, I’lle Notre-Dame deviendra un pare de loisirs complet voue a la vulgarisation ecologique et culturelle aupres du grand public.
Les Floralies exterieures offriront 40 hectares d’arbres et d’arbustes ornementaux, de coniferes, de plantes annuelles et de massifs, de plantes vivaces, de plantes a bulbes et a tubercules, d’ericacees, de rosiers, d’arbres fruitiers, de legumes et d’amenagements paysagers. On y trouvera egalement diverses presentations educatives et scientifiques, des jardins d’enfants et des jardins communautaires, des spectacles, des concerts.
Presentations Commerciales. Deux grandes expositions commerciales, I’une de 1 000 metres carres au Velodrome olympique et I’autre de 2 000 metres carres dans le pavilion des Floralies sur I’lle Notre-Dame permettront a I’industrie de presenter toute la gamme de I’outillage, de I’equipement et des materiaux utilises en horticulture.
Prix. Des grands prix d’honneur, de nombreux prix thematiques et speciau× (en especes, sous forme de trophees, ou d’objets d’art) recompenseront les laureate des meilleures presentations etrangeres et nationales.
Realisation. Les Floralies internationales de Montreal sont une realisation conjointe de la Ville de Montreal et du Ministere de I’Agriculture du Quebec. I’AMARC, a qui ont ete confies I’Organisation generale et le deroulement des Floralies fait appel au Jardin botanique de Montreal et a I’entreprise privee quebecoise pour la realisation des amenagements horticoles. L’Ex-position est placee sous I’autorite generale du Secretaire d’Etat aux Affaires exterieures du Canada.
Footnotes
↵1 Presented at the annual conference of the International Society of Arboriculture in San Diego, California in August 1979.
- © 1980, International Society of Arboriculture. All rights reserved.
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