COMMUNITIES IN BLOOM SET TO UNLEASH THE POWER OF PURPLE

BY STUART SERVICE

THIS YEAR, GARDENERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY are encouraged to add a dash or a splash of purple to their planting arrangements.

Communities in Bloom chose the colour purple as its theme this year for a variety of reasons, as it symbolizes spiritualism, imagination, and royalty. In light of the challenges faced since the onset of the pandemic, CiB National Chair Susan Ellis said that it is time to embrace those relaxing and introspective properties of purple and infuse it with elements in garden designs.

“It’s not that you just have to use purple – we’re not suggesting that,” Ellis said. “But if you use it as a contrasting colour with yellows, or with oranges, it shows off other colours really well while also demanding its own attention.”

Different colours evoke distinct emotions. For example, when CiB proclaimed yellow as its colour theme in 2021, this was selected to contrast a dire state across the world in need of hope, cheerfulness, and sunnier dispositions.

With the global pandemic now further away in our collective rearview mirror this year, purple will feed our creativity and serve as a conduit for personal growth and self-expression.

Ellis observed the power of purple first hand, noticing that her 6-year-old granddaughter, who enjoys collecting colourful minerals, considers the dark purple agates as the favourite among her collection. “And there’s a reason for that,” Ellis said. “She’s a creative little soul, and purple is a grounding kind of colour.”

Tina Liu, a judge with Communities in Bloom, and a landscape architect at the National Capital Commission, leads the design of year-round floral displays in the nation’s capital. Liu said that she incorporates lots of purple at several NCC displays.

“With the combinations of colours, purple means different things,” she said, adding that she uses purple, silver and gold at the National War Memorial in both the plantings and landscape lighting. At a garden surrounding a statue of Queen Elizabeth on horseback, the purple flowers represent royalty, bravery and peace.

“Purple really goes with any colour,” Liu said.

Growers

Jamie Aalbers, Growers Sector Specialist jamie@cnla-acpp.ca www.cnla.ca

Garden Centres

Anne Kadwell, Landscape & Retail Sector Specialist anne@cnla-acpp.ca www.cnla.ca

Climate Change

Frydda Sandoval, Environmental Policy Coordinator frydda@cnla-acpp.ca www.cnla.ca

Government

Leslie Sison, Industry & Government Specialist leslie@cnla-acpp.ca www.cnla.ca

Certification

Edith Oyosoro, Certification Coordinator edith@cnla-acpp.ca www.cnla.ca

“Be sure to visit Commissioners Park in Ottawa this summer, where the NCC is building a purple-themed garden on behalf of Community in Blooms’ Plant Purple campaign: Plants Love You.

Communications

Stuart Service, Media Coordinator stuart@cnla-acpp.ca www.cnla.ca