Floristry at RHS Wentworth Woodhouse

After twenty-five years of flower shows at Tatton Park, the RHS have finally gone ‘on-tour,’ with this year’s traditional northern show moving from Cheshire to the vast estate of Wentworth Woodhouse in South Yorkshire.

A Grade 1 listed building, Wentworth Woodhouse was once the largest private residence in the UK, rivalling even Buckingham Palace, so there was no shortage of exhibition space either inside or outside at this immense stately home. 

Its impressive state rooms made an interesting and challenging background for the two floristry categories, Floral Pedestals and Floral Risers. The Hall’s huge marble ballroom was also the venue for a full programme of talks and demonstrations from florists, flower growers and floral designers. 

Floral Pedestals 

There were eight entrants to this category, with their designs being arranged around the outer edge of the ballroom. These were not being judged so the designers had pretty much free rein; some choose a dancing theme or a reference to the history of the house, while others went off on different tangents altogether.

As with all RHS shows, no floral foam was allowed, so all the designs were created using sustainable methods. 

Rhythm of the Dance Jade Loftus Floral Design  

Fresh from success at RHS Chelsea Flower Show, Jade’s beautifully crafted cascade is balanced on an opaque glass vase attached using a technique known as vase claw, championed by Gregor Lersch.

Moody Bloom Full Moon Flora Ashley Madden 

A gothic design in rich purple, brown and rust shades, made using sustainable techniques and locally sourced materials. 

Black Diamond Floral Media  Paula Routledge  

Taking its inspiration from the coal fuelled wealth that enabled the building of Wentworth Woodhouse, this classically shaped design was filled with flowers grown at Floral Media’s Nottingham Flower Farm.  

Qu’est-ce que c’est Side Farm Flowers Liz Baxter 

A little bit of floral trickery, transforming homegrown statice into amethyst crystals.  

Wild Flower Soup North and South Flowers Sarah Hinchliffe 

A vintage soup terrine was the appropriate container for this gentle cascade of pastel blooms. 

Busy Bees Happy Gardener Danial Spillane’s Floral Art 

Bee friendly flowers, recycled materials and sustainable practices combine to show the importance of being eco-friendly within both gardening and floristry. And the bees were really cute! 

We are Connected and Supporting each Other Ryoko Kanazawa 

Designed without floral frogs or pin holders, each flower stem is connected to, and supported by, the others in an Ikebana style.  

Whispers of the Ballroom The Blossom Room Carol Peacock 

An elegant, timeless design with a classical theme and a careful choice of flowers selected to represent the grace and movement of dancers. 

Floral Risers   

The Whistlejacket Room at Wentworth Woodhouse is named after the famous George Stubbs painting of the racehorse owned by the 2^nd Marquess of Rockingham. The room itself is an English baroque confection of gold plaster work and mirrors, which, as a background to floral art could have been a major challenge, but instead, turned out to be a springboard to creativity. 

Held in the Stillness Acacia Creative Studio Xue Wang 

Influenced by the circular motifs in the room’s plasterwork, a large wreath made from wired twine wrapped around a metal base and festooned with delicate trails of flowers and foliage, sits effortlessly on top of a solid base of branches.  

Garden Confection Acacia Creative Studio Rachel Kennedy 

This three-tiered floral cake, made from scratch, was designed to celebrate nature as both art and feast. Shaped glass vases inside each layer do indeed hold a confection of summer blooms, interspersed with hand-made copper wire flowers. 

Whisper of Flowers VV Flowers Violeta Veikniene 

A seasoned competitor, Violeta’s Floral Riser was inspired simply by the innate beauty of flowers. She designed a contemporary upright stand to complement the room and so that each flower could be admired within its own space. 

Prosperity Plantology Floral Creations Jill Winton 

Every stately home needs a chandelier, this interpretation was made from willow, gilded subtly with gold leaf and bullion wire. Climbing through the design is a collection of quintessential English summer blooms. 

Positive Space Orchis Floral Design 

Flowers, all locally grown, have been selected with a yellow theme in mind, influenced by the interior colours and Georgian friezes of the Whistlejacket Room. In a nod to the sparse background of the Stubbs painting displayed, the floral materials have been grouped in clear vases on a Perspex stand. 

Whistlejacket’s Grove: Stubbs’ Horse in Bloom Norris Floristry Anya Norris 

A lush, man-made tree, set within a mini meadow of flowers is an homage to both the George Stubbs painting and the English countryside in bloom. There was even a recording of bird song to accompany it. 

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Su Whale is a florist and freelance writer with over twenty-five years' experience in the floristry industry. She is the author and publisher of three best-selling books: Cut Flowers, 4th edition (2020) Cut Foliage, 2nd Edition, (2021) and Houseplants (2019), all bookshelf essentials for the professional florist.