18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Calgary Herald
Lougheed House to host Calgary's second annual Beaulieu Flower and Artisan Market
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Lougheed House bloomed on Friday morning as the sun shone on its Beaulieu garden. Daisies, sunflowers, salmon-hued Yarrows and Irises crowded a patch facing a blanket of grass.
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On Saturday, Calgarians could choose from these flowers at a market hosted by the museum organization. Thirty local vendors will also sell handmade art inspired by the flowers in the garden.
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Dubbed the Beaulieu Flower and Artisan Market, the event in its second year was conceived after the place's dedicated team of gardeners led a sale of Iris bulbs.
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'It was a really beautiful little pop-up sale,' said Allison Graham, director of engagement and experience at Lougheed House. 'And we thought, 'Wow, wouldn't it be great if we could expand this and make it more of a fully fledged market.''
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The first year attracted 700 people, Graham said. 'For its first year, it's just amazing. We also have free admission to the house for the museum.'
Jane Recksten, the place's head gardener, said the museum doesn't have enough flowers for the potential attendees, so it partnered with the local wholesaler Bernard Anderson to fill the gap.
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She said buyers could build their bouquet by selecting individual flowers, which will be priced by the stem. If they wanted to grow them in their backyard, they could also choose from a variety of seeds or fully grown Iris plants.
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Alongside these flowers, local vendors will sell handmade art, including jewelry, ceramics and 'anything you'd want to put your plant in,' said Graham. She said the museum had to initially boil down its list of 100 applications from interested vendors to 30.