The Mosaïcultures Internationales de Montréal show sees more than 100 plant creations from 25 countries
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In the 1990 Tim Burton film,
the character of Edward Scissorhands is seen to have a talent for
topiary, wielding his hands to create impressive sculptures in his new
neighbourhood.
But even
these creations may be beyond his skills, with the best plant artists
in the world gathering in Montreal to show off their designs.Gorillas, monkeys and a line of lemurs are among the entries in this year's Mosaïcultures Internationales de Montréal.
One of the hundreds of exhibits at the
Mosaïcultures Internationales de Montréal, which is taking place this
summer in the Canadian city
The elaborate sculptures see horticulturalists
letting their imaginations run wild, including rock pools and colour as
well as creating the shape of creatures and people
Horticulturalists pick colourful foliage - and even paint the leaves - to complete their designs for the triennal competition
A small deer appears to be dancing over the outstretched hand of a serene-looking woman made from cacti
The horticulturalists battle it out
to choose the best foliage to create living exhibitions - even painting
the plants as part of the look.
The triennial show began in 2000 with entries representing 35 cities from 14 countries.
Now, more than 100 cities from
25 countries are taking part and their entries will be on display in the
Canadian city until September 29.
The stunning array of designs feature 22,000 plant species and cultivars in ten exhibition greenhouses and 30 themed gardens.
These hulking gorillas are made from living and
growing plants with their chests, hands, feet and faces moulded out of
plastic as an addition to the design
The competition may remind some of the
spectacular creations made by Johnny Depp's Edward Scissorhands in the
1990 Tim Burton film
The theme for this year's event was Land of
Hope, with entrants asked to incorporate something from their own
country with an environmental concern such as an endangered species
A family of monkeys is seen gathered on one
mound where the artist has also brought in giant leaves to recreate the
animals' environment in Montreal
The theme for this year's event is
Land of Hope, which asks competitors to design something that represents
either nature in the city, endangered species or ecosystems, peace,
positive action to help the environment or how man and nature are
dependent on one another.
Charles Lapointe, president and CEO of Tourisme Montréal, said: 'I am absolutely thrilled that show has returned to make Montréal blossom in 2013.
'It goes without saying that the beauty of these original works by talented horticultural artists will not only captivate local Montrealers, but will also serve to attract visitors from around the world.'
The endless 50ft designs - including a chameleon, frog, family of chimpanzees, water buffalo and herds of animals - will become a key attraction in the city for the summer.
A line of lemurs with with their distinctive
bright eyes has been carved from foliage for this entry, likely to have
been submitted by Madagascar
Some artists created plants out of plants, with this entry showcasing tall flowers with large petals and leaves on their stem
A frog looks to be basking in the spray from a water jet among the exhibits, which are on show until the end of September
An chameleon's tail curls as it hangs out on a
tree branch with different leaves and paint picked to show its
ever-changing colours
Mosaïcultures Internationales is a
chance for the representatives from parks, gardens and green spaces
around the world to exchange ideas as well as a competition and
exhibition.
All the entries must match up to standards for sustainable development and can promote an attraction within their cities.
Organisers
predict that more than a million people will visit the displays, which
are expected to bring in about $46million to the province of Quebec.
They
say that mosaiculture is different from topiary because artists create
something new out of foliage and plants, whereas topiary involves
pruning shrubs into shape.
This entry brought the sea bed into a flowerbed with this fish's bright orange fins among the greenery
A horticulturalist designed a horse for this
entry, with the large eyes and ear added on to the plants and foliage
used for the head and mane
A Highland cow creation looks a long way from home in the Montreal display, looking like it's enjoying bathing time in the water
A resting shepherd and his flock sit atop a
carpet of shale in this entry. Contestants were asked to include
examples of man and nature being interdependent as part of the Land of
Hope theme
A loyal sheepdog joins its master for the
design, incorporating leaves in many different shades for the shepherd's
trousers, cloak and hat
Artists were free to interpret the Land of Hope
theme from looking at how humans interact with nature to highlighting
endangered animals or ways to protect the planet
The wide eyes of this colourful creature peer
out from long blades of grass in another entry, part of the mosaiculture
competition in Montreal
Some sculptures stand as high as 50ft depending on how ambitious the horticulturalists were with their subjects
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