Preview: RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2025 Floristry Competitions
- Su Whale
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
Visiting Chelsea this year? Then head to the Great Pavilion where the well-established floristry competitions will be found. There are two categories, Floral Creations and Creative Spaces, the former being judged by the RHS with the winner being crowned RHS Chelsea Florist of the Year.
In 2024 this accolade went to Lara Thorpe at Wild of Heart for her composition ‘Spectrum of Fire’ based on the theme of colour. This year the brief, is, once again very succinct, being simply ‘Texture.’ As this can be interpreted in so many ways, it will be fascinating to see how the finalists approach it.
Creative Spaces has no theme or brief at all, so cannot be judged, instead an exhibit is chosen by the RHS Floristry Ambassadors, Nikki Chapman and Simon Lycett. The installations have in the past been extremely diverse, from floral fabric screens, fallen trees woven from bulrushes and bowers of birch, so expect this year to be as unpredictable and interesting as before.
College Competition
As part of their mission to support future florists, the RHS give the opportunity for a college or flower school to exhibit at the show. Last year Morton Morrell from Warwickshire occupied that coveted space, this year the honour has gone to Doncaster College in South Yorkshire. Their theme is colour and their brief for the 5x5m space is to ‘create a beautifully crafted, innovative and captivating floral design exhibit to demonstrate the best and excellence of floristry’.
Mentored by Simon Lycett, who has visited the students in person to help with their planning and design, the college have already appeared on BBC’s Look North and in the local press. You can follow their journey at www.don.ac.uk
Where else to see floristry at Chelsea
Both of the main entrance gates to the showground, the London and the Bullring gates are places to spot large scale installations. And there are of course the iconic giant RHS letters, which are being decorated this year by previous Chelsea exhibitors Acacia Floral Designs, and are the perfect spot to take a selfie, (or two).
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.
