KARACHI: “First we need to dream. Imagine if the whole [of] Karachi is full of flowers, how the city would look like,” said renowned florist Phubast Chesdmethee during a presentation of a floral demonstration held at a hotel here on Thursday.

The event marked the launch of the Pakistan chapter of the World Flower Council (WFC). Pakistan is the 35th country to join the WFC.

With a number of international awards to his credit, Mr Chesdmethee, often referred to as Mr Poo, is the vice chairman of the Asia-Pacific WFC.

True to his style, Mr Poo presented floral arrangements that were simple yet elegant and impressive. He suggested and practically demonstrated that one could come up with numerous floral designs if some creativity had already materialised in the form of structures that would serve as the foundation for making and putting up flower arrangements from time to time.

His demonstrations included a tastefully prepared bouquet, a collage-style floral arrangement that can be placed on the sidewall and floral arrangements in glass vases. Part of the programme was also a floral fashion show designed by Mr Poo, who is famous for adornment of human body with flowers.

The weather of Karachi, he said, was suitable for growing a diverse range of flowers. “Experiment and explore. Dream and design. You can share techniques but you can’t share your dreams,” Mr Poo told the audience, most of whom appreciated his simple way of creating what looked like perfect pieces of beauty.

The five most important things in a floral arrangement, according to him, are lines, form, colour, texture and space.

Congratulating the organisers, Sindh Governor Mohammad Zubair in his brief speech said: “Flowers are not something Karachi is famous for. The event’s message of peace, however, is very close to my heart and I hope there will be more such programmes in the city’s social circle.”

Shahimah Sayeed, president of the WFC Pakistan chapter, appreciated Mr Poo’s expertise and said that his sound ability to explain and demonstrate knowledge showed the hallmark of a master teacher of practical design and application.

A video message by WFC international chairman R. Lynn Hoffman was also played and the audience was briefed about the history of the council, which was founded in Gifu, Japan, in 1983 by the late Mr Juzaburo Sekiye of Tokyo.

Later, the founding members of the council were announced. Floral artists whose arrangements were on display included Sabra Tufail, Salima Feroz, Qurat-ul-Ain Amir, Abida Nini, Zareen Asghar Khan, Amtul Rauf Khan and Nafisa Tapal.

Published in Dawn, August 4th, 2017