The new Bloom Theatre at RHS Malvern Spring Festival, in association with Flowers from the Farm, will be all about sustainability and the growing wave of seasonal planet friendly floristry. It will be a magnet for flower growing and arranging enthusiasts.
Flowers from the Farm, the not-for-profit membership association which champions almost 1,000 artisan growers of local, seasonal cut flowers across the UK, are sponsoring the Bloom Theatre and will be on hand throughout the show to share advice and inspiration.
“We are excited that Flowers from the Farm will be bringing the beauty of British cut flowers to the Bloom Theatre at this year’s RHS Malvern Spring Festival,” said Meg Edmonds, co-chair of Flowers from the Farm and owner of Roots Family Farm Shop near Worcester. “We love Malvern and are looking forward to showcasing the very best of British springtime blooms.”
The Bloom Theatre will host a range of demonstrations showing off a plethora of sustainable techniques and will champion environmentally conscious British flower growers and florists giving visitors plenty of opportunities to learn and find out more. This area is set to showcase industry professionals who follow this mantra, giving them a platform to share with visitors the ‘grown not flown’ ethos.
The stunning centrepiece of the Bloom Theatre will be an oversized floral crown display of seasonal, British-grown flowers and foliage. Nationally renowned florist Fiona Haser Bizony from the Electric Daisy Flower Farm will design the largest crown, while the smaller coronets surrounding it will be created by local specialists. This not to be missed installation in honour of Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee will be a show memory for years to come.
RHS Malvern Spring Festival are delighted to introduce Fiona as the first Bloom Ambassador who will head up the Bloom Theatre. She is an industry pioneer for her planet-friendly practices and her work forms the basis of the new RHS floristry guidelines.
Fiona, whose Electric Daisy Flower Farm shop in London uses freshly cut blooms that she produces on an off-grid flower farm near Bath, is a passionate advocate of British-grown flowers and her ‘Seed to Bouquet’ concept has been widely adopted. Her ethical flower shop is proud of its provenance, with all flowers free from air miles, floral foam, chemical preservatives, single use plastic packaging, pesticides, insecticides and chemical fertilisers.
She says seasonal blooms from the UK are contemporary and creative, smell wonderful, and have a significantly lower carbon footprint than those flown in from abroad.
Other positives include all her employees receiving a good living wage and enjoying safe working conditions, and the reassurance that chemicals banned in the UK are not used during the growing process.
“I am proud to be the first Bloom Ambassador for RHS Malvern Spring Festival. Bloom is providing a platform for British Cut Flower Growers and florists using sustainable practices to demonstrate the beauty and breadth that our wonderful land can provide. I’m so pleased to be a part of this new feature. Hopefully visitors will be compelled to make different choices when selecting a birthday bouquet or thank you posy. Our flowers simply do not have to cost the earth.”
As well as promoting British growers, Fiona is keen to encourage more gardeners to cultivate their own blooms and will be passing on plenty of gardening advice alongside floristry tips during her four days headlining the Bloom Theatre. Floral expert and Malvern favourite Jonathan Moseley joins the line up daily, presenting his ‘Feast of Fabulous Flowers’. New to Malvern this year is Arthur Parkinson, gardener, florist and author presenting ‘Flambouyant Flowers’ on Sunday.
Another hot spot for flower lovers will be the Floral Marquee, with more than 50 award winning, specialist nurseries from all over the UK bringing spectacular displays.
From bulbs and bonsai to pelargoniums and penstemons, visitors can wander through the exhibits, buy the very best plants and seek expert advice. The Floral Marquee is also the place to visit various nurseries, many of whom are not open to the public, and provide a rare chance to buy direct.
With May seeing the soil warming up beautifully and everything in peak condition, it’s a perfect time to stock up for fabulous beds and borders at home.
The RHS Malvern Spring Festival, held in association with My Pension Expert, celebrates its 35th year in 2022.
For more information on the new Floral Green and Bloom Theatre at RHS Malvern Spring Festival visit: www.rhsmalvern.co.uk