Adult tickets £18 | Students, members and patrons £14 | Under 14's free
Jane McGowan finds out more about the upcoming Strawberry Hill House Flower Festival, and why its fantastic florists are a cut above the rest.
When it comes to fabulous flower shows, South West London has a bunch of them.
The leader of the pack is, of course, Chelsea, which has been wowing floral fans for decades. Celebrating all things horticultural, Hampton Court Garden Festival follows closely on its heels.
Now a latecomer to the petal party is creating a colourful splash.
Step forward to Strawberry Hill Flower Festival: a spectacular showcase of British-grown seasonal blooms, set against the stunning backdrop of Horace Walpole's matchless Gothic Revival villa at Twickenham.
Originally a summer fixture, the event is now in its fourth year and runs from September 23 - 25. Sustainability is the watchword: all designs, fashioned by some of the UK’s leading originators, are crafted using foam-free supportable floristry.
It was floral designer Leigh Chappell, co-curator with floral stylist and photographer Janne Ford, who conceived the idea for the show.
This year, for the first time, the show is produced in association with Flowers from the Farm – a committed champion of sustainability whose business model encourages people to buy British cut flowers from artisan growers. Teddington property experts Saville is the sponsor.
As Leigh explains, however, the initial inspiration came from one of environmentalism's most prominent voices: Sir David Attenborough.
Back in 2018, Leigh was asked to create a series of floral displays for the one-in-a-lifetime exhibition The Lost Treasures of Strawberry Hill. At the October launch, Sir David Attenborough, then a patron of the House, was on hand to open proceedings.
"I was in awe when I heard him speak," recalls Leigh. "It was magical, just magical. He talked a lot about plastic, and how bad it is for the environment, and I was so proud of the fact that I hadn't used floral foam [each block contains the equivalent of 12 carrier bags of plastic, which doesn't break down]. But it also gave me the idea for holding a sustainable flower show at the house."
Leigh shared her thoughts with friends Janne Ford and Claire Leighton, who is in charge of learning and out reach at Strawberry Hill. Together they came up with a plan for a festival that would not only show the beauty of British flowers, but would also open eyes to the pressing need for a more climate-conscious approach to floristry.
“A lot of people think that because flowers are a natural product they are automatically environmentally friendly," says Janne. "But that is not the case. Many are flown in from all over the world and are therefore frozen. It takes a lot of unnatural elements to get ‘fresh flowers’ to the customer.”
The inaugural festival, in June 2019, saw leading growers, florists and designers from across the country come together for four days of floral fabulousness.
More than 40 industry leaders, including Moss and Stone, Fig and Fern Floral and Twisted Sisters, filled the rooms of the Grade I listed 18th -century mansion with a wealth of truly dazzling, wholly natural displays.
“Not one piece of foam was used,” affirms Leigh with pride.
Creatives were charged with fashioning arrangements that would reflect the mock-Gothic splendour of Strawberry Hill House, designed and built by Walpole in stages from 1749.
The writer's naturalistic approach to the gardens also influenced the displays, as exhibitors paid careful heed to Walpole’s liberal use of colour, drama and light. Many chose to work with flowers that would have graced the original garden of Walpole's extravagant dreams.
It all proved a great success and plans for a second show were well underway when Covid-19 struck in March 2020. Unwilling to sacrifice the show completely, the team decided - like so many organisers during that turbulent time - to put as many events as possible online.
“We'd had had such success with the Lost Treasures exhibition and the flower festival had maintained that momentum," explains Claire Leighton. “Somehow we had to keep that going.”
Retaining its initial June slot, the event hosted virtual workshops, demonstrations and behind-the-scenes videos from some of the UK’s leading floral designers and growers.
The themes ranged from how to grow and harvest dried flowers through to the creation of special floral arrangements, with intimate tours of the gardens also part of the remote but rewarding mix.
“It may have been borne out of necessity, but it actually worked very well,” says Janne. “It kept the memory of the festival alive.”
Last year the event was able to welcome visitors once more, but this time it took place in October.
"That was partly due to the pandemic, which was lingering on, and partly due to the availability of the house," says Leigh. "Moreover, we wanted to show the importance of seasonality and how the availability of different flowers really impacts a designer's work."
For this year’s outing, the team has opted for late September to capitalise on the beauty of the new autumn season. Visitors will be able to enjoy works from more than 30 exhibitors from all over the UK, featuring a range of blooms that are available at this time of the year. Watch out too for some stunning dried flower pieces: a form of floral art which has also become a feature of the show.
Alongside the many installations will be a masterclass with royal florist Shane Connolly who will fashion a piece using flowers grown by Polly Nicholson of Bayntun Flowers in Wiltshire.
Shane, who holds Royal Warrants of appointment to HM The Queen and HRH The Prince of Wales, is probably best known for creating the ‘avenue' of growing trees which filled Westminster Abbey for the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in 2011.
“He is a real pioneer of British floristry and is passionate about British flowers,” says Leigh.
Both Leigh and Janne will be hands-on throughout the event, hosting a variety of demonstrations and talks.
“There are a lot things for people to see and also a chance for people to learn a few tips too,” says Janne.
Throughout the long weekend, the pair will also ‘curate’ tours around the displays, offering insights into some of the floral techniques employed by the designers.
“We want to show people what can be achieved by using British flowers in a natural way,” says Leigh.
“It's also just a wonderful day out,” says Janne. “The beauty of the installations, the wonderful garden and, of course, the house itself: it all makes for one big celebration.”
Chelsea? It's not even in the same floral league.
The Strawberry Hill House Flower Festival takes place from September 23 – September 25, 11am –5pm. For ticket information and further details, visit strawberryhillhouse.org.uk
