TAMS have the delightful news that Floriade’s head gardner is picking up a Turkish gong:
Floriade Head Gardener Andrew Forster is the only Australian to receive the Order of the Tulip in recognition of his contribution to the celebration of the flower, at the World Tulip Summit in Istanbul, Turkey.
Over 300 delegates from 11 countries including Canada, England, South Korea and Uzbekistan attended the summit, which celebrates the history and beauty of the tulip.
“It was a great experience to see the city and how they have gone about delivering the extensive beautification program they are running. I was very pleased to receive the Order of the Tulip,” Mr Forster said.
“The tulip originated in Turkey and the Mayor of Istanbul Dr Kadir Topba? has gone to a lot of effort promoting the tulip. There are nearly 15 million tulips flowering every year in Istanbul. To put it in perspective, there are about 200,000 tulips planted at Floriade.