It’s time to put on your creative thinking cap!
Are you an exciting, innovative and fabulous floral designer? If so, then you are just the sort of person the RHS Chelsea Flower Show are looking for as applications are now open for the floral competitions 2024.
Why should you apply?
With over 160,000 visitors, hours of BBC programming, 600 members of the press attending from all over the world, and a total media coverage estimated to reach over 625 million, the Chelsea Flower Show’s exposure is nothing short of staggering. And you could be part of it.
Floral Categories 2024
There are two competition schedules, ‘Creative Spaces’, the winner of which is chosen by the RHS’s Floral Ambassadors and ‘Floral Creations’ judged to RHS standards where the ultimate prize is to be awarded ‘RHS Chelsea Florist of the Year’.
Creative Spaces
Theme: ‘Flowers’
This is a very open brief, where you are encouraged to create whatever inspires you on the topic of flowers. There is no theme other than that and no rules. The only guidelines are that whatever is designed must not exceed an equal sided square, which can be from 2m x 2m up to 8m x 8m with a maximum height of 3m. It will also need to be viewed from all sides.
This can be a solo or joint effort and must adhere to the sustainability rules of the show, apart from that, the only limitation is your imagination.
Floral Creations
The theme here is equally concise, it is simply ‘Colour’. This design needs to be small enough to fit on a 40cm square, 100cm high plinth and, as above, will be viewed all round. The RHS are hoping that this will appeal to those new to Chelsea, or perhaps those who don’t have the funds or time to create something larger. Competitors are expected to be on hand to keep their piece in pristine condition for the duration of the show however.
Two of the most important regulations to bear in mind are:
1. No floral foam or bio foam is allowed but Agrawool is permitted.
2. Entrants must consider environmental sustainability in their choice of flower materials and sundries.
So, if that has tickled your creative juices, applications need to be in by 13th November. You can request the full schedule which has everything you need to know by contacting: exhibitorapplications@rhs.org.uk
Good luck!
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.
