This year’s Subi Blooms x Gather festival will feature 15 large-scale floral installations – and two will give a special nod to Subiaco’s Italian heritage.
The City of Subiaco was named after the Italian town of Subiaco in 1851, when a group of Benedictine monks were the first European settlers in the area. Today, Subiaco, Western Australia, is a Sister City of Subiaco, Italy.
Florists Eden Ranelli and Lauren Barbas from Freakhaus and Cotton and Sage have this year decided to pay homage to their family’s own Italian roots in their unique floral installations for Subi Blooms.
Freakhaus’ installation this year is titled ‘Bizilla & Barilla’, and for florist Eden Ranelli, it offers a chance to reflect on her family’s history in a fun and unique way.
“The structure I’ve created is an abstract interpretation of pasta – a little playful, a little unexpected – and I’ll be weaving red and white flowers through it to mimic delicate lacework. The red and white also tie back to the colours of both the Italian and Maltese flags,” she said.
Lauren Barbas from Cotton and Sage has also focused on Italian food and cooking, with her installation titled ‘Nonna’s Table’.
“Tapping into my Italian heritage, with roots from Calabria, this installation will celebrate everything that being Italian encapsulates: food, family, and homegrown traditions. A central female statue will honour the matriarchs in our family, while an intimate tablescape will feature some of my favourite Sunday staples: figs, fresh bread, and olives,” she said.
Mayor David McMullen said this year’s festival will be a feast for the senses.
“These two Italian-inspired installations reflect our City’s Italian heritage, and will complement this year’s line-up of fantastic floral artistry.
“This is a heritage which dates back to the earliest European settlement in the district; and it has grown and evolved in the many years since - both through a Sister City relationship (with Subiaco, Italy) and, basically, whenever there is an opportunity for us to celebrate the Subiaco story.
“Subi Blooms weekend is a great time to visit Subiaco – there are flowers everywhere, lots of people out and about, and plenty local cafes, shops, and restaurants to explore and support.”
Subi Blooms x Gather runs across the Mother’s Day weekend, from Friday 9 May to Sunday 11 May. Visit
www.seesubiaco.com.au/subiblooms for more.
Subi Blooms is presented by See Subiaco, a City of Subiaco initiative, in collaboration with Gather: A Floral Community.