It shows how long this blog has been operating. The Rio Olympics 2016 will be the third time we have commented on suitable Olympic  flowers. See Beijing 2008 and London 2012 below. Today is the ‘Anniversary Games’ in London a curtain raiser for the Brazil games.
For Brazil we should start with the nut (OK so that is the author) and then the Cacti as he is a prickly sort of guy.
Feeding plants and flowers with fertiliser or hormone treatment will not fall foul of the drug testing rules – there are no plant urine samples to test!

London Olympics 2012

• Back in 2008 I wrote about the flowers and plants to be used at the Beijing Olympics.
• ‘Budding companies’ for London Olympics can now demonstrate they have the skills and resources to design, assemble and deliver bouquets and floral arrangements. Olympics tendering authority Locog.
• Approximately 29 London venues need 6,700 identical bouquets for the London 2012 Victory Ceremonies.
• 30 arrangements for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, and 130 arrangements for conferencing facilities are also in the tender.
• They will be delivered every other day during the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Which Olympic Flowers Should be Chosen

• You can see my favourite would be Roses. White (for Yorkshire) of course and red.
• Tessa Jowell suggested giving athletes home-grown plants, rather than flowers flown in from abroad, due to the hefty carbon footprint. This could be a pot plant such as a miniature Rose (their I go again)
• Daisies from the AGM approved range would help promote British horticulture and the RHS.
• Lavender may be a fragrant selection if they do not cause any international offence.Opium Poppy.

Beijing Olympics 2008

Winners at the Beijing Olympics will receive a bunch of flowers as well as their gold medal. This is a Flame Nettle Coleus one of the top ten plants to be used at the Olympics but there are said to be 1500 different plants and flowers going to be used. The Chinese have even built a special flower market to support the Olympic effort.

Official Olympic Flowers

• Chrysanthemums are a symbol of dignity in Chinese culture and will feature strongly. How about the golden colour of Golden Standard, Golden Charm or the aptly named Golden Rival’s Rival.
• Chinese roses are on the top ten list of the Beijing Olympic flowers thanks to their status as ‘flowers of the city’.
• Gerbera will be used for the Paralympics with mascots fashioned out of the flowers.
• Add to this list the Peony a flower well associated with China and you are building up a picture of the floral colour that will be on display.
• In olden Greece it would have been a Laurel wreath for the winner and a long walk home for the loosers

Olympic Fun to Try

• Name your favourite flower for each main event – the triple jump would be some weed I guess but my Wisteria may be for the High Jump
• Plants that you have grown from home grown seed can be given a family name like the Paula Radcliffe in the same way that Roses are often named after celebrities. Water Lilys would be reserved for swimming winners I guess
• Give the A.O.P. to anyone you think has won unfairly. A.O.P. is my Award of Opium Poppy.
• Let us have your suggestions for Olympic plants or flowers

Read about our tips for an Olympic Torch arrangement