The British Florist Association wowed visitors to the Floristry Zone of Chelsea’s famous Great Pavilion with a bold, innovative ‘Floral 100’ installation in celebration of a century as the voice of the independent florist, reaching millions with a feature on the dedicated BBC Chelsea programme. The display proved an attraction for celebrities too, with Joanna Lumley, Mary Berry, Ainsley Harriott, Julian Clary, John Sergeant, Jo Wiley, Nicky Chapman, Bill Bailey and Arlene Phillips posing for the cameras.
Designed and created by the higher tier floristry students and expert floristry tutors from Moreton Morrell College, the BFA’s striking 2.5m high display contains over 6000 cut flowers and foliages in a fresh, confident palette of hot pink, orange, lime green and pops of golden yellow.
The ‘Floral 100’ skilfully blended gardeners’ favourites such as roses and peonies with gloriously exotic gloriosa, celosia, vanda and phalaenopsis orchids, sandersonia, leucospermum, germini, craspedia, dianthus, santini, trailing amaranthus and fascinating, textural foliages such as echeveria, tilandsia usneoides, tilandsia xerographica, brunnia, rhipsalis, galax leaves and carpet moss.
“We are delighted to marking the 100th anniversary of the original flower trade association with such a spectacular, forward-looking exhibit at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show,” said Brian Wills-Pope, Chair of the British Florist Association. “We are 100 years young, and proud to be showcasing the best of professional floristry to the world!”
RHS Chelsea Florist of the Year & RHS Young Chelsea Florist of the Year
Sixteen outstanding professional florists competed in each category of the grand finals of the RHS Chelsea Florist of the Year (25 years+) and the RHS Young Chelsea Florist of the Year (16-25 years) competitions, having qualified the RHS Chelsea Florist of the Year category, RHS Chelsea Gold medals were awarded to Tina Parkes, Emma Keeler and Victoria Clemson with Victoria scooping the overall title of ‘RHS Chelsea Florist of the Year 2017’.
The title of RHS Young Chelsea Florist of the Year was awarded to Hannah Mae Lane, who won an RHS Chelsea Gold medal alongside Hannah Lee and Robyn Longden.
The design brief was to create Floral Kites using fresh flowers or plant material under the theme of ‘City Streets and Summer Skies’, a challenging task as the designs were suspended in mid-air from the rafters of Chelsea’s Great Pavilion.
The British Florist Association organises the RHS Chelsea Florist of the Year competition in association with the Royal Horticultural Society.
