Rooted Florals: Hodsock Priory
A fabulous flower festival that raised the bar
Autumn is a glorious time of year; there is so much colour and texture to be found and an abundance of materials to choose from. Summer may have a multitude of flowers blooming at their peak , but it is in autumn when fallen leaves, bracken, fruits, nuts, and seeds expand the floral smorgasbord.
This cornucopia of materials was put to inspired use at Rooted Florals' inaugural flower festival, held at the listed and atmospheric Hodsock Priory in Nottinghamshire. Here, the fruits of autumn were sensitively styled to perfectly complement the mellow brick work and interiors of this historic country house.
Rooted Florals Team
The team behind it are part of a true Northern floristry powerhouse; Rachel Kennedy and Xue Wang of Acacia Creative Studio, Paula Routledge from Floral Media and Jade Loftus of Jade Loftus Floral Design, (RHS Chelsea Florist of the Year 2026). Collaborating with them were a collection of talented florists, designers and sponsors both national and international, bringing with them a combination of enthusiasm, styles and ideas that brought the festival to life.
The Floral Trail at Hodsock Priory
The Rooted floral trail began outside the Priory, with Halloween-like abstract forms, created by guest designer Dimitris Koutroumpas lining the bridge leading to the incredible floral archway spanning the Priory’s gatehouse. Designed on scaffolding, as nothing could be drilled into the ancient stonework, it was covered in locally grown, rich textural materials some of which, such as the woven reed, were repurposed from previous exhibits.
Inside Hodsock Priory
Inside the Priory its historic rooms, corridors and stairwells had been transformed with floral installations that were not just individually sensitive to the décor of their interiors, but also impressive and striking with their use of form, texture, colour and materials.
The Priory’s ballroom was the beating heart of the event, home to demonstrations and talks, trade stands and shopping, a place for refreshments and the treat of the daily catwalk show of inventive and eye-opening wearable florals.
The Panelled Room
‘Rose among the portraits’
'Red Naomi' roses from Porta Nova bring warmth and movement to the rich oak panelling contrasted against woven, sculptural forms of Tillandsia usneoides and T. xerographica.
The Rooted Room
‘Every details tells its story…’
An intriguing selection of flowers, foliage, fruits and gourds resembling a huge botanical laboratory arranged on slabs of locally sourced wood with handcrafted ceramics. A story of place, craft and collaboration.
The Back Stairs
‘An ordinary passage, transformed’
Honouring the unseen army of servants who would have passed up and down the plain wooden staircase, using foraged materials and vibrant Gerberas sponsored by Holstein.
The Snowdrop Room
Hodsock Priory was once famous for its Snowdrop Festival, here it is recalled with cascades of white Alstroemeria with the rustic textures of a woodland bank.
The Honeymoon Suite
Abundant and romantic; large-headed roses supported simply by contorted hazel and the most delicate of structures, flow through and across the furniture of this elegant suite of rooms. Even the bathroom wasn’t immune to the vision of guest designers Helen and Laura Pannitt of Helen James Designs.
The Grand Staircase
A masterclass not just in design but in mechanics, metal mesh sweeps through the staircase in tones of gold, silver and bronze, wreathed with garlands of Gypsophila and pops of bright yellow Craspedia.
The Ante Chamber
Locally grown flowers are the stars in this huge, oversized seasonal hand-tied bouquet, an explosion of dried and fresh materials in a palette of autumn shades.
The Library
Guest designer Eva Wang created this thought-provoking contemporary installation, exploring the relationship between nature, structure and artistic expression.
Rooted in History - Hodsock Priory
First, but hopefully not the last, Rooted Florals showed how a flower festival should be done. It was an inspiration and a credit to everyone involved in its planning and execution, delivering on every level.
Su Whale is a florist and freelance writer with over Thirty 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.
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