May 30, 2008
Ani Dekanosidze, Georgia Today

Independence Day on May 26 was marked by all kinds of serious activities: the sombre military parade, long speeches, the fierce opposition rally, and so on.

But politics can become draining, and where better to relax than at a tranquil flower festival in the European-style cocoon of Shardeni Street?

Flower Fest 2008 is an annual spring festival that allows the busy urbanites to escape to a beautiful garden in the city. The stress of politics must be higher than usual, as record numbers of people came to this year’s festival. As one visitor commented: “There are more people than flowers here, I can’t see anything!”

Many organizations exhibited their plants and products, including Euro Planet Georgia, Greenservice, the Georgian Cactus Club “Ferocactus”, the Ecology and Decorative Gardening Institute, and the Georgian Patriarchal Decorative Horticulture and Ecology Institute.

Visitors could chose from an array of flowers from Greenservice and Euro Planet Georgia, or pick up a prickly cactus from ‘Ferocactus’, with prices starting around GEL 2. The flower fest showed how diverse is flora in Georgia and that also almost every kind of plant can be cultivated here. However, the festival was not only about flowers.

Students from the Tbilisi Theatrical Institute wandered about in old, traditional dress, accompanied by soothing classical music. Vounteers put on a puppet show based on the music of Tchaikovsky for the children. A little cable car near the square was transformed into a floral paradise by ‘Art-flor’ design studio which sold their products nearby.

Students from the Art Institute offered face painting for GEL 1. One of the students told us: “no one invited us here, we just came by ourselves. We are here every time when here is any kind of festival and it always turns to be great fun.” At that moment, two little kids came running up and asked if he could paint something on their cheeks for free. He smiled and said: “Of course, come here!”

Students from the Georgian Patriarchal Decorative Horticulture and Ecology Institute were creating flower crowns. They had so many clients that they ran out of flowers and had to dismantle a large flower decoration they had made earlier.

The whole day ended in a hippie kind of way, with dancing, singing and, of course, flowers. Children drapes with flowers were singing ‘Imagine’ by the Beatles, and other songs from the 60’s and 70’s. As another visitor commented: “It is just gorgeous! This festival should be held once a week and not once a year.”

As the sun set and dusk fell, so did the rain, and the beautiful flowers hid their faces and went to sleep. The visitors went home in a cheery mood, and the festival was deemed a success.

For those who were not quite ready to head home, another bazaar was taking place not two minutes walk from the flower festival, this time featuring handmade puppets and jewelry, bags and hats, and drawings and paintings.