Floristry was back with a bang at the hotly contested semi-final of Florist of the Year! And what an amazing competition it was. Held in the tranquil surroundings of RHS Bridgewater, the level of design and creativity shown by the 10 semi-finalists certainly wowed the visitors who filled the marquee. By coincidence, Dame Maureen Lipman was visiting the gardens that day and spent a large chunk of her time watching the competition unfold, describing what she saw as ‘floral art.’
So what makes a winning piece of floristry? It’s not enough just to look incredible, each piece is also meticulously judged on four key elements: composition, idea, colour and technique. Based on the theme ‘Growing Together’ here are some of my top picks from the day.
Composition ‘Creating visually pleasing floristry’
Elizabeth Newcombe
Sometimes all you need are flowers, this beautifully composed spiralled hand-tied is stunning in its sheer simplicity.
Caroline Crabb
In contrast, Caroline Crabb’s hand-tied was a dramatic sweeping crescent with a bold flower choice.
Idea ‘Originality and creativity’
Dean Sharpe
Here, Dean has combined manmade materials; wire, wool and Perspex with natural contorted hazel to create a unique framework.
Jill Winton
This imaginative bridal bouquet has the flowers and foliage arranged garden style, with everything growing up – not down!
Rebecca Hough
A bridal bouquet with a difference, an off-centre cascade layered on a base of tactile fibre paper.
Colour ‘To be harmonious and aesthetically pleasing’
Hannah Beckley
This pretty cottage garden colour scheme was punctuated with pops of yellow craspedia, cleverly linking in with the petals of the yellow and pink pasta gerbera.
Victoria Clemson
Craspedia was used in a different way in this delicate spiralled bridal bouquet, where it reflected the yellow tones in the hyacinth florets and the neatly wired spiralled frame.
Technique ‘Good construction skills and neat finish and workmanship’
Tracey Griffin
Being able to construct a hand-tied design of such complexity and height, and for it to stand, perfectly balanced, is a great example of technique.
Charlotte Davies
The workmanship and attention to detail in this bouquet is astounding – right down to the graded and threaded beads of hypericum, each finished neatly with a sprig of Jatropha.
