Blooming lovely is what City Hall will be for the next three days as the International Flower Show, attracting exhibitors and judges from around the globe, spreads its colourful glory throughout the Church Street landmark.

Throughout the foyer, landings, art galleries and in a specially erected marquee behind City Hall, hundreds of breath-taking arrangements, some so tiny they'd fit in the palm of a hand, others up to eight feet high, form a breathtaking spectacle.

Originally conceived by the Garden Club of Bermuda, and presented in co-operation with International Design Symposium Ltd., the show has taken three full years to bring to fruition, but flower show chairman Mrs. Elizabeth Parker is confident it will be a terrific success.

"The committee has been fantastic and done a tremendous amount of work, as have all of our members, and others who helped,'' she said. "We are very grateful for the wonderful support we have received from the business and private sectors, both financially and in kind. Also the Corporation of Hamilton, the Bermuda Society of Arts, and the Bermuda National Gallery.'' More than 14 countries will be represented by exhibitors and judges, including New Zealand, Korea, Thailand, Japan, France, Belgium, the United Kingdom, N.

Ireland, North America, Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, Uruguay and Mexico.

Challenge is the overall theme of the show, and within that framework exhibitors had to create arrangements to pre-determined specifications under such sub-divisions as: (Challenge of) Proportion, texture, line, rhythm, colour, form, balance, harmony, space, scale, contrast, and more.

Certain "mechanics'' to be incorporated into the arrangements were provided by the Garden Club, many of them dynamic and intriguing -- like the yellow metal spirals springing from tall, square bases of a similar colour; the angled aluminium columns created from air-conditioning ducts, with jagged holes "ripped'' in them; and the charming terra cotta candle holders set on burgundy bases.

"This is a new concept in flower arranging competition,'' Mrs. Parker revealed. "Normally, what happened in the past was you got a title of a book, a poem, or a line from either, which you had to interpret, but with this show we went back to basics, forcing the exhibitors to use the principles and elements of design with the staging that we provided.'' In the three years leading up to this week's hectic final preparations, Garden Club members spent thousands of hours organising all the behind-the-scenes preparations necessary for such a big international event. Spouses and even members of other garden clubs also contributed to the process which included everything from designing, making, painting and erecting the "mechanics'' (pedestals, drapings, niches, backdrops, and more); to organising the big marquee -- which, incidentally, will be fully carpeted with special lighting to highlight each exhibit -- security, financing, accommodation and show stewards.

The charming Will Onions architecture of City Hall, with its soaring foyer ceiling, grand cedar staircase, plush carpeting, and elegant National Gallery, has become a perfect setting for the show. As visitors circulate through its many spaces, they will be greeted with approximately 150 breathtaking examples of the flower arranger's ingenuity and art.

Sweeping through the foyer into the pristine white marquee behind, the visitor will discover even more beauty.

"Each area will be a new experience, and as you turn a corner you will see something new and different,'' Mrs. Parker said.

Local foliage, freshly gathered in masses by Garden Club members, has been incorporated into many arrangements, as well as an infinite variety of flowers from overseas.

International judges as well as exhibitors have contributed to the overall beauty of the event, creating invitational displays representative of their countries.

Among the mini-United Nations of exhibitors are many Bermudians, who are no strangers to events of this scale.

"Bermuda has a very good international reputation in the flower world. Our exhibitors do very well when they go overseas and are well respected in the field, so exhibitors coming here are looking for something special, and we hope we're giving it to them,'' Mrs. Parker said.

In the crucial four hours the competitive exhibitors were given to create their masterpieces, friendliness was a by-word.

"There is a wonderful camaraderie and feeling when you participate in these shows,'' Mrs. Parker said. "You are with people who are interested in the same thing you are interested in. Everyone seems to get along extremely well and you have lots of fun.'' And yes, some of the exhibitors competing for the long list of prizes were men.

"We had three from Northern Ireland (one of them a clergyman), one from Thailand, and some from Bermuda,'' Mrs. Parker said.

When all was done, the judges went to work with a meticulous eye. By the end of their deliberations, nine overall awards and 25 class awards -- all donated by the local business community -- had been handed out.

From today until Sunday, the public will have a chance to judge the show for themselves. By all accounts, the event promises to be a winner.

"In addition to the visual impact, the show will be a learning experience for the public,'' Mrs. Parker -- herself an international judge -- promised. "A stand placed by each exhibit will detail the name of the exhibitor and the country they are from; what plant material was used in the design; the judges' comments; and what awards, if any, were given.

"We hope all those involved -- competitors and viewers -- who visit the show will go away enriched by the experience, and encouraged to see and meet life's challenges in a new light,'' Mrs. Parker said.

Proceeds of admission (adults $5, seniors/children $2) will go to the Garden Club's horticultural education fund, which gives financial assistance to Bermudians studying overseas for the ultimate benefit of the Island.