Garlands award winning floristry
Tatton Park RHS Flower Show 2009
Exclusive photos from The British Florist Association Marquee at this years Tatton RHS Flower Show, where I was competing in the Teleflorist 2009 Final.
I won in the BFA's 'Peoples Prize' category, when the public are invited to vote for their favourite florist and work on display, who they think should win for them. There were nearly 700 votes returned shared between two of us!!!
1st piece of competition work - Royal Wedding Bouquet
This is my interpretation of a Royal Wedding Bouquet suitable for the bride to walk down the isle to Handel's 'The Queen of Sheba'. We had to provide a card with a sample of the Bridal Gown Fabric, Height of Bride, and style of Gown that she would be wearing. I chose a Silk Taffeta with irridescent threads, which I complemented in the bouquet with long trails of irredescent crystals... The 'Gown' was a ballgown or fairy tale styled one.
2nd piece of competition work - a floor standing display to dipict Handel's water music...
The 2nd piece of work we had to design was a floor standing display on the wooden fretwork stand provided, interpreting the theme of Handel's water music!! In this piece I tried to show the water flowing at the bottom of the stand with the blue delphinium and a crescendo of sky rockets (fireworks) at each side at the top, as this music is often used for Firework displays to music... You definately need to have a good imagination for this one, although it's not too clear on the photo, the 'rocket' on the right had little LED battery light through it for that extra sparkle!!!
3rd Piece of competition work - a tribute for a memorial service for Handel
This one got a bit tricky to think what to do, as at the begining of piece two, you are given all the flowers and foliages to last you for the two pieces that you are asked to make - so you are never sure just what to leave spare for the next item!!
So... after much deliberation this is what I came up with, unfortunately there wasn't alot of blues left to depict the water theme, as these had been used up in the floor standing design.
4th piece of competition work - A 'surprise item'...
The fourth and final piece of work was a 'surprise piece', which we were not told about until briefed by the BFA judges - Judith and the infamous Ian Lloyd lately of Britain's got talent fame... We were told we had 15 minutes to construct a framework not being able to use oasis, using chicken wire and bamboo twigs and black sticks, in which to make a display of 'fireworks' with vibrant flowers and foliages such as Red hot pokers, Blue larkspur, mango calla lilies, Joseph's coat (Croton) leaves and bun moss?!! After 15 minutes we then had 45 minutes to add the flowers etc to our constructions, hopefully looking like a firework display or a bomb has gone off!!! YOU decide?!!
Presentation of our Certificates from Teleflorist
Me looking jaded at the end of our seven plus hour competition, 'posing' with my Certificate from Teleflorist...
RHS Tatton Park BFA Marquee photos
Me looking a bit hot and bothered getting ready to start our first piece of competition work - a wedding bouquet for a Royal Wedding to walk down to the music of Handel's 'The Queen of Sheba'.
**The theme of the Teleflorist Final was the Anniversary of Handel's Death - 250 years ago this year...**
Lancashire Telegraph Business Awards 2009
Garlands win a prestigious Business Award for Retailer of The Year 2009
Tatton Park RHS Flower Show 2008
Rachel competing in the 2008 Teleflorist Designer Championships, in the British Florist Association Marquee, at The RHS Tatton Park Flower Show. We came away with a winning position, and entry into the grand final at the 2009 show out of over 600 competitors, Nationwide, just ten made it through to the final...
