WATCH: Flower Festival Inspires Hope In Midst Of Severe Drought

The colour of hope — flowers from Karoo gardens in the middle of a serious drought on display at the Middelburg Flower Festival.

In spite of the worst drought in generations, a group in the Karoo town, Middelburg, decided to go on with a practice that looked insane in the circumstances — a flower festival in the middle of a severe drought!

Middelburg’s annual Flower Festival, organised by the interdenominational ladies group, the Esters, kicked off in the AGS Lux Dei Church.

Back in 1980 the idea of a flower festival originated with Miss Eve Meintjies who loved flowers.

Eve and her mother Grace, had the privilege to visit Switzerland, where, in a picturesque little town, they came upon a beautiful church filled with flowers brought by people as an act of worship and praise to God. Typical mother, Grace’s comment to Eve was: “You can do this in Middelburg you know.” And so she did.

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Watch the video of this year’s Flower Festival:

The flower festival started out biannually, taken in turns by the Anglican and Methodist congregations. Then some ladies from other churches got invited to join in and do arrangements. After some time, those ladies got so inspired that they asked to host the flower festival in their churches in the alternate years, leading to this joyful celebration that drew all the churches in town together.

Middelburg women preparing this year’s flower display.

It literally takes your breath away to enter a church with soft music and a sea of flowers! Flowers coming out of gardens in town and the surrounding farming community in spite of the drought. HOPE spelt out clearly!