Wonder in Bloom: An Afternoon at Fleurs de Villes with My Mom

Earlier this year, I spent an afternoon with my mom, wandering through the Fleurs de Villes WONDER exhibit at VanDusen Botanical Garden in Vancouver—and left feeling deeply inspired.

The exhibit featured elaborate floral installations and couture mannequins created entirely from flowers, dried botanicals, branches, mosses, and other organic materials. Everywhere we turned, we discovered another breathtaking piece—each with its own personality, palette, texture, and emotional atmosphere.

As an artist, I found myself completely captivated by the layering and composition of the floral work. Some installations felt almost like paintings brought into three-dimensional form. The colour relationships, movement, textures, and use of natural materials reminded me so much of the things I think about while creating my own mixed media paintings.

I especially loved how immersive the experience felt. The floral figures weren’t displayed in a sterile gallery space, but nestled throughout the gardens, surrounded by sunlight, trees, pathways, and blooming flowers. It created this magical feeling of art and nature becoming one.

One piece in particular stopped me in my tracks: a floral figure inspired by the Lavender Fields of Provence. The soft lavenders, pale violets, creams, and flowing textures were exquisite. Around the same time, my friend and fellow artist Tyrrell Clarke texted me, and I immediately thought of her beautiful flower paintings and bouquets. Her floral work carries that same lush, abundant reverence for nature that I felt throughout the exhibit.

What also made the day special was simply sharing it with my mom. Walking slowly through the gardens together, taking photos, pointing out favourite pieces, sitting in the sunshine, and enjoying beauty side by side. Those moments matter.

Experiences like this remind me how nourishing creativity can be—not just creating art, but witnessing it.

Beauty affects us.

Colour affects us.

Nature affects us.

Art has this extraordinary ability to reconnect us to wonder, presence, and joy.

And yes, I took plenty of photographs.