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Salisbury Cathedral Flower Festival 2011

June 18, 2011 by admin Leave a Comment

Floral art lovers have been enjoying a real treat as Salisbury Cathedral holds another spectacular five day flower festival from Tuesday 14 June – Sunday 19 June 2011.

Salisbury Cathedral Flower Festival 2011

Contemporary, traditional and interpretive displays

Over 18,000 visitors were attracted to the cathedral’s last flower festival in 2008, with much praise for the quality of its artistry and creativity.

Internationally renowned floral judge, demonstrator, teacher and Chelsea Gold Medalist (2009) Michael Bowyer has again been invited to mastermind and design the festival.

National demonstrators and Chelsea Gold Medalists, Pam Lewis and Angela Turner, have assisted Michael to fill the iconic building with thousands of flowers and perfume, in an amazing array of colours and designs in a mix of contemporary, traditional and interpretative displays, all created by around 500 flower arrangers from churches and flower clubs.

For anybody who has not been able to attend this stunning event or for those who just want to remind themselves of the stunning creations; John Waddington of Nurseryfresh has created a gallery on his website.

More Information

Nurseryfresh – Gallery of floral arrangements for the Salisbury Cathedral Flower Festival 2011

Salisbury Cathedral – One of the finest medieval Cathedrals in Britain.





Filed Under: Design, Features Tagged With: 19 June, Art Lovers, Artistry, Demonstrators, Finest Medieval Cathedrals, Floral Arrangements, floral art, Flower Arrangers, Flower Clubs, Flower Festival, Gold Medalist, Gold Medalists, Interpretative Displays, Interpretive Displays, John Waddington, Last Flower, Mastermind, Michael Bowyer, Pam Lewis, Salisbury Cathedral, Stunning Creations, Stunning Event, Uk Index

Lily of the valley features at Royal wedding

April 29, 2011 by admin Leave a Comment

Simple, natural flowers were the tone for the Royal wedding with Lily of the valley everywhere.

Ferndale Farm near Illogan received an order for over 600 stems of fragrant lily of the valley flowers and they took centre stage in Catherine’s bouquet as well as adorning the hair of her bridesmaids and sister Phillipa, who carried off her role as maid of honour  with elegance and grace.

Brother, James Middleton wore a simple few sprigs of lily of the valley as a button hole, a refreshing change from carnations and roses.

The Bridal Bouquet

A shield-shaped wired bouquet of myrtle, lily-of-the-valley, sweet william and hyacinth, designed by Shane Connolly, draws on the traditions of

Lily of the valley

Fragrant Lily of the valley symbolises the return of happiness

flowers of significance for the Royal Family, the Middleton family and on the Language of Flowers.

The flowers’ meanings in the bouquet are:

Lily-of-the-valley – Return of happiness

Sweet William – Gallantry

Hyacinth – Constancy of love

Ivy: Fidelity; marriage; wedded love; friendship; affection

Myrtle: the emblem of marriage; love.

The bouquet contains stems from a myrtle planted at Osborne House, Isle of Wight, by Queen Victoria in 1845, and a sprig from a plant grown from the myrtle used in The Queen’s wedding bouquet of 1947.

A traditional sprig of Myrtle from the Royal tree was included in the bridal bouquet but apart from that it was a very simple, moderate posy reflecting Catherine’s country tastes.

Wedding dress

Flowers were also reflected in the style and detail of Catherine Middleton’s dress, designed by Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen and made from white and ivory satin gazar.

The dress design pays tribute to the Arts and Crafts tradition, which advocated truth to materials and traditional craftsmanship using simple forms and often Romantic styles of decoration.  The simple but elegant cut of the dress hinted at a medieval style, with intricate embellishment adding a distinctive, contemporary and feminine character.

The hand engineered lace appliqué for the bodice and skirt was made by the Royal School of Needlework, using the Carrickmacross lace-making technique, which originated in Ireland in the 1820s.  Individual flowers were hand-cut from lace and hand-engineered onto ivory silk tulle to create a unique and organic design, incorporating the rose, thistle, daffodil and shamrock.

A trim of hand-embroidered flowers edged the soft, ivory silk, tulle veil, held in place by a Cartier ‘halo’ tiara, lent to Miss Middleton by The Queen.

White lilac

Sprays above the high altar included highly fragrant white lilac

Westminster Abbey

Within Westminster Abbey, the eight trees softened the architecture to give a natural feel and the displays of white flowers containing, lilac, hydrangea, blossom, solomon’s seal and wisteria were centered on and around the high altar.

Shane Connolly, the floral designer ensured that the displays looked natural and elegant, as the couple had wished.

More information

How to grow Lily of the valley

Lily of the valley suppliers

Official Royal wedding website – Read more about the dresses and floral displays.

 

 





Filed Under: Design, Features Tagged With: Alexander Mcqueen, Bridal Bouquet, Brother James, Button Hole, Country Tastes, Crafts Tradition, Feminine Character, Flowers Meanings, Grace Brother, High Altar, Isle Of Wight, Ivory Satin, James Middleton, Language Of Flowers, Lily Flowers, Lily Of The Valley, Lily Of The Valley Flowers, Maid Of Honour, Middleton Family, Natural Flowers, Osborne House Isle Of Wight, Phillipa, Posy, Prince Albert, Princess Victoria, Queen Victoria, Refreshing Change, Romantic Styles, Royal Wedding, Sarah Burton, Shane Connolly, Sprig, Terrace Walls, Traditional Craftsmanship, Valley Features, Wedding Bouquet, Westminster Abbey, White Flowers

Royal wedding bouquets

April 11, 2011 by admin Leave a Comment

Over the years, royal brides have set the trends in wedding floristry and all eyes will be on Catherine Middleton on the 29th of April when she marries HRH Prince William of Wales at Westminster Abbey.

We have been trailing through the archives to see what previous royal brides chose for their special day.

White and cream roses

Roses are a favourite with Royal brides

HRH Queen Mary – Prince George, Duke of York married Princess Mary of Teck in 1892. Mary carried perhaps one of the largest royal bouquets, with lots of foliage interspersed with small white flowers.

HRH Queen Mother – When Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon married prince Albert in 1923 at the height of Flapper fashion, she carried a large bouquet with lots of small flowers, including white rose buds.

HRH Queen Elizabeth –  A 1947 post war wedding lifted the spirits of the nation, when Princess Elizabeth married Prince Phillip of Greece. Princess Elizabeth carried a modest bouquet featuring large white orchids with rich yellow centres.

Diana, Princess of Wales – The flamboyance of the 1980’s saw the nation’s favourite bride, Lady Diana Spencer, marry HRH Prince Charles. Dressed in oceans of ivory pure silk, she carried a large trailing bouquet of white roses.

Sarah Ferguson (Duchess of York) – Shortly after the wedding of Prince Charles, his brother, HRH Prince Andrew married Lady Sarah Ferguson. Fergie broke from the tradition of the large bouquet by carrying  small white spray dominated by Asiatic Lilies

Sophie Rhys-Jones (Countess of Wessex) – In June 1999, The younger of the Queen’s sons, Prince Edward, married Sophie Rhys-Jones at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor. Sophie chose a chic, moderately sized bouquet of White calla Lilies

Camilla Parker Bowles (Duchess of Cornwall) – Prince Charles’ second marriage to Camilla Parker Bowles in a civil ceremony at Windsor Guildhall, took place in April 2005. Her small posy bouquet was designed by Shane O’Conolly and featured seasonal flowers of Lily of the Valley mixed with cream, lilac and yellow primroses.

More information

The Royal Channel – The Master of Household’s department prepares for the royal wedding.

The Royal Wedding – Official website bringing you the latest news on the Royal wedding.

Royal Wedding Flowers – Will Catherine opt for British grown seasonal flowers?

Royal Wedding Flower Festival – Muncaster Castle





Filed Under: Design, Features, Royal Wedding 2011 Tagged With: Asiatic Lilies, Asiatic Lillies, Bouquet Of White Roses, Calla Lillies, Camilla Parker Bowles, Countess Of Wessex, Duchess Of Cornwall, Flapper Fashion, Hrh Prince Andrew, Hrh Prince Charles, Hrh Prince William, Hrh Queen Elizabeth, Hrh Queen Mother, Lady Diana Spencer, Lady Elizabeth Bowes Lyon, Posy Bouquet, Prince William Of Wales, Princess Mary Of Teck, Sarah Ferguson Duchess Of York, Sophie Rhys Jones, White Calla Lilies, White Orchids, Windsor Guildhall

Royal Wedding Flowers

January 27, 2011 by admin Leave a Comment

Where better to show off British grown flowers than at a royal wedding in front of a global audience of tens of millions of people.

It is hoped that UK grown seasonal flowers will be found in the wedding bouquet and in Westminster Abbey.

During this period of economic austerity, choosing British grown flowers would not only keep costs down but give a much needed boost to the British flower growing industry.

Seasonal British flowers

white_hyacinth

The exquisite perfume and jasmine like blooms make the Hyacinth a perfect wedding flower

With the wedding on the 29th April, British growers will have an abundance of blooms for dressing the Abbey, Kate’s Bouquet and the reception venue.

Flowers likely to be in season are; Allium, Anenome, Antirrhinum, Bluebell, Calla Lilies, Columbine, Cow Parsley, Delphinium, Eucalyptus, Freesia, Fritillaries, Hyacinth, Iris, Larkspur, Lilies, Lily of the Valley, Magnolia, Narcissi, Ranunculus, Rosemary, Scabious, Sweet Peas, Tulips, veronica, Viburnum and Violets.

Current fashion trends in pale violet and  dusky pinks, will blend well with creams and white to compliment Kate’s colouring, giving a classic romantic feel.

Royal wedding dress

Of course, Kate Middleton’s wedding dress will dictate the style and type of flowers she carries.

With rumours surrounding well respected British couture designer Bruce Oldfield, a favorite of Princess Diana and Daniella Issa Helayel, who designed Catherine’s classic but modern blue engagement dress.

Rumours aside, a bride has the prerogative of keeping her wedding day dress a secret and for that matter, her flowers too but if a British dress designer is in the fray then let’s hope British flowers will be too.

The flowers could possibly be linked to family connections or memories.  The Duchy of Cornwall, and the Principality of Wales could be a token to Prince William’s family links. Other flowers may be symbolic of the colours found in Kenya, where William and Kate became engaged.

A lovely, personal touch would be to use some flowers from Prince Charles’ own Highgrove gardens.

Chelsea Flower Show

With the Chelsea Flower show only days after the Royal wedding, many designers will be desperate to get some inkling of what the wedding flowers will be.

Gardening follows  trends and the royal flowers are  likely to have an impact on our garden design and the types of flowers we grow next season.

Westminster Abbey

Since 960AD, Westminster Abbey has had close links with the British Monarchy and it came as no surprise that the wedding of the future King William to Catherine Middleton will be held in this wonderful Gothic building.

Announcements from St James’s Palace have confirmed that the Dean of Westminster, the Very Reverend Dr John Hall, will conduct the service at Westminster Abbey on 29 April 2011 and the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend and Right Honourable Dr Rowan Williams, will marry Prince William and Miss Middleton.

The address will be given by the Bishop of London, the Right Reverend and Right Honourable Richard Chartres.

The statement also confirmed that the wedding service will begin at 11am.

Westminster Abbey itself is no stranger to stunning flower displays.  In 2010 the Abbey played host to the NAFAS “Rejoice” Festival of Flowers.

Cosmati pavement

This will also be the first year that the newly restored Medieval Cosmati pavement in front of the altar will be visible.  The muted pinks reflected in the stonework may have some influence over Kate’s choice of flowers.

The Middleton family operate a successful party planning business and no doubt it will be strange to be at the other end of an event.

Are you involved in the Royal wedding?

If you are involved in dressing the Abbey or making the wedding flowers, we would be keen to hear from you before or after the wedding.  Are you using British Flowers?

More information

HRH Prince William of Wales and Catherine Middleton – Updates on the royal wedding.

Westminster Abbey – Keep up to date with events, including the Royal Wedding.





Filed Under: Design, Features, Royal Wedding 2011 Tagged With: Bluebells, British Monarchy, Calla Lilies, Columbines, Couture Designer, Cow Parsley, Current Fashion Trends, Daniella Issa Helayel, Duchy Of Cornwall, Economic Austerity, Flower Show, Grown Flowers, Hyacinths, Imapct, Kate Middleton, Lily Of The Valley, Perogative, Princess Diana, Ranunculus, Reception Venue, Royal Wedding, Seasonal Flowers, Type Of Flowers, Types Of Flowers, Viburnum, Wedding Bouquet, Wedding Flowers, Westminster Abbey, William And Kate

Autumn Pumpkin Arrangements

October 17, 2010 by admin Leave a Comment

To add easy to add an autumnal or Halloween theme your flower arrangements by using pumpkin and squash as containers.

Squash with autumn flowers and foliage

Squash with autumn flowers and foliage

Autumn is a time of wondrous colours and textures, providing the flower arranger with a wealth of materials.

Gourds and squash grow in a myriad of colours and are superb for creating a theme to celebrate the season or perhaps dress a Halloween party table.  Use them in a display or as containers to instantly theme your autumn floral arrangement.

We picked two harlequin squash, an irresistable miniature munchkin pumpkin and a soup bowl sized pumpkin for our displays. These British grown squash were in our local Morrisons supermarket and cost £2.50 in total.

A wander round the garden yielded an armful of branches, foliage and a few of the last flowers from the border. These were put into water straight away to help keep them fresh.

The tops were cut from the squash and the insides scooped out, keeping some of the seeds to grow our own next year and the flesh to make a nice warming pumpkin soup.  It is best to do this a week or so before you want to use them for the arrangements, as they can be allowed to dry, avoiding them turning smelly and sticky inside.

We placed small containers inside the squash, made from yoghurt pots and small dishes.  Putting water directly inside the squash will make it rot.

A small amount of florists oasis was put into each bowl and filled with water.

Calendula arrangement in squash

Using a pumpkin easily themes your arrangement

Golden autumn arrangement

For our first golden arrangement, we took the larger soup bowl sized squash and started by inserting three achillea seed heads, a couple of Blue Hobbit eryngium springs and three calendula flowers.

Blue and orange being at opposing ends of the colour spectrum, always work well together.

A large ficus japonica leaf gives an airy arrangement a little more structure and texture, whilst a piece of variegated fuschia gives height.

The rest was filled in with delicate golden thalictrum leaves and variegated fuschia, with one or two small feathery achillea leaves helping to hide the oasis.

Using the pumpkin as a container for this display, easily gives it a late autumn feel.

Pink arrangement in harlequin squash

Dusky autumn pinks

Pink Harlequin squash display

A few pink achillea, potentilla and escalonia flowers were still blooming, so these were used in the pink arrangement.

A harlequin squash with all the colours of autumn created the base and the arrangement centred around the three pink and purple achillea flowers placed to the centre and sides.

A sprig of escalonia and purple acer give a bit of height.

Small pink potentilla flowers are used around the base and the rest of the display infilled using the variegated fuschia, which has amazing pink tinges to its leaves.

Halloween arrangement

Ideal for a Halloween party table.

Halloween table arrangement

Halloween gives the opportunity to have a bit of fun with flower arrangements and the next display is simply a branch from our miniature lilac, placed into the melon like harlequin squash.

We surrounded the base with small pieces of variegated pieris and then cut out some bats and witches from a piece of black card, threaded them with sewing thread and hung them from the branches.

Members of our website can download an A4 Halloween sillhouettes PDF.  These are designed to be printed on white card. (You may need a black marker pen for the reverse or simply stick two together).

small pumpkin arrangement

Purple acer leaves are an ideal contrast for this small pumpkin

Small Munchkin pumpkin arrangement

Tiny munchkin pumpkins are only about 10cm in diameter but  a few leaves from the purple acer are a dark but delicate contrast to this cute orange pumpkin.

To give a little colour, a single white Iceberg rose was inserted centrally, with a couple of pale lemon flowers from the summer argryanthemums.

This arrangement is only about 20cm high and wide and ideal where space is limited or for a seasonal table decoration.

Small flower arrangements can be just as effective as large displays, if not more so and they only use one or two flowers, making them incredibly cost effective.  They make ideal home made autumn gifts.

Watering your Halloween flowers

Because the oasis is in smalls bowls of water, keep an eye on moisture levels and top up regularly, especially in warmer rooms.

Halloween floral displays such as these are easy to create and a cost effective way of decorating your home.

Flowers and foliage for autumn flower arrangements are available from your florists, many of them are from British growers. Add to these from your garden or country hedgerows to create some stunning seasonal displays.





Filed Under: Design, Features Tagged With: Achillea, Autumn Flowers, Autumn Pumpkin, Calendula Flowers, Colour Spectrum, Eryngium, Ficus, Floral Arrangement, Flower Arrangements, Flower Arranger, foliage, Fushia, Golden Autumn, Gourds, Halloween Party, Halloween Theme, Harlequin, Hobbit, Late Autumn, Morrisons Supermarket, Munchkin, Pumpkin Soup, Sized Pumpkin, Soup Bowl, Squash, Thalictrum, Yoghurt Pots
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