For one weekend only, 30 floral designers will be given the freedom to run wild at Strawberry Hill House.
In the 6th iteration of the annual Flower Festival, leading designers will respond to the theme of “nature unbound”. There will be no tidying or pruning as the space is given over to the immense beauty and power of the natural world. Expect stunning floral designs that twist and turn and fill the chambers and stairways of the Gothic Castle.
The exhibitors are drawn from across the UK and beyond, including up-and-coming designers excelling in cutting-edge creativity. The flowers are homegrown too, highlighting the most beautiful varieties that Britian has to offer.
At the heart of the display are sustainable practices utilising the latest floristry techniques. The flowers are either grown by the artists themselves or are sourced from local farmers and other sustainable businesses. No floral foam or single-use plastics are involved, with the only waste being a large compost heap. Founder of Blooming Green Bek Bibby is also giving an illustrated talk on the “no dig” method of flower growing, which enriches the soil without disrupting it.
A programme of events will be held to accompany the festival and allow visitors a special insight into the beautiful displays. This includes an evening tour and talk with Royal florist Simon Lycett along with a free glass of fizz, and curator tours throughout the long weekend led by Leigh Chappell with coffee and croissants.
There is a fascinating look at Ikebana, the centuries old Japanese flower-arranging art, demonstrations of how to dry wild flowers to make them weightless and wonderful, and an open discussion with Gardeners Question Time panelist Ashley Edwards on the role of plants in wellbeing, as well as many more events, talks and workshops throughout the weekend.
With no fake flowers, the very nature of the art means the show can only run for three days, and to protect the interior of the Grade I listed building there are also limited tickets available so make sure you don’t miss out by visiting the website and booking now.
The Festival is a fitting flowery end to the summer at Strawberry Hill, following the incredible exhibition showcasing two masterpieces by Jan van Huysum that ends on 8 September. And as always, there are five-acres of Grade II listed gardens on offer to Strawberry Hill visitors, comprising beds, borders, walks, groves, lawns and woodland that have been painstakingly restored faithfully following the plans of Horace Walpole through his writing, as well as drawing on 18th century maps and paintings.
Nature Unbound is curated by Leigh Chappell & Janne Ford and sponsored by Savills Teddington.
Nature Unbound: Strawberry Hill House Flower Festival Friday 13 – Sunday 15 September 2024
Standard Adult Ticket: £19
Members & Patrons: £14
Students: £14
10am-4pm over the 3 days
Flower Festival event programme:
Curator Tours Friday 13 – Sunday 15 September, 9.00-10:00am
Buy Tickets from £16
Evening Tour & Talk with Simon Lycett Friday 13 September, Doors open at 6.30pm with talk and demonstration at 8pm
Buy Tickets from £17
Talk/Demo: A Year in the life of a No-Dig Flower Grower Friday 13 September, 11am-12pm
Buy Ticket: £10
Talk: Plants for Wellbeing Friday 13 September, 12:30pm-1:30pm
Buy Ticket: £15
Demonstration: Autumn Bowl Arrangement Friday 13 September, 1:30pm – 2:30pm
Buy Ticket: £16
Demonstration: Leigh Chappell & Janne Ford – Floral Demo & Photography Tips Friday 13 September, 3pm – 4pm
Buy Ticket: £16
Talk: Dahlias – The Gift that Keeps Giving Saturday 14 September, 11:00am-12:00pm
Buy Ticket: £10
Workshop: Floral Still Life Workshop Saturday 14 September, 11:30am-1:00pm
Buy Ticket: £25
Workshop: Whispers of Nature: An Ikebana Workshop with Leaves Saturday 14 September, 1pm-3pm
Buy Ticket: £30
Workshop: Colour and Seasonality with Bloom & Burn Saturday 14 September, 2pm-3pm
Buy Ticket: £16
Workshop: The Art of Drying Perennial Flowers Sunday 15 September, 11am-12pm
Buy Ticket: £16
Workshop: A Life in Dance & Flowers with Andy Monaghan Sunday 15 September, 1pm-2pm
Talk: Flower Farmers Question Time on Sustainability and Growing, Sunday 15 September, 2:30pm-3:30pm
Strawberry Hill House & Garden has been open to visitors for over 250 years. Created by renowned writer Horace Walpole (1717-1797), Strawberry Hill is internationally famous as Britain’s finest example of domestic Georgian Gothic revival architecture.
Horace Walpole was a pivotal figure in 18th-century society, literature, art and architecture. The third son of Sir Robert Walpole, Britain’s first Prime Minister, Horace Walpole was a man of many talents with a large network of influential friends. From 1739-41, Walpole embarked on a Grand Tour and European influences can be seen in the design of Strawberry Hill House and the works that formed its vast collection of treasures. He was author of the world’s first Gothic novel, The Castle of Otranto.
Strawberry Hill’s 18th-century garden is one of the earliest in the English naturalistic style. Horace Walpole’s delightful essay on garden design is perhaps the most famous and influential piece of writing on the English landscape garden, first published in 1780 as part of his Anecdotes of Painting in England. In recent years, the House and Garden have been sympathetically restored to recreate Walpole’s unique vision and in the 21st-century his “land of beauties” continues to thrive as a haven for wildlife and visitors throughout the year.
Strawberry Hill House & Garden can be found at 268 Waldegrave Road, Twickenham, TW1 4ST. For more information visit www.strawberryhillhouse.org.uk / Twitter @ strawbhillhouse / Facebook @StrawberryHillHouse / Instagram @strawbhillhouse
Flowers from the Farm is an award-winning not-for-profit membership association championing over 950 independent, artisan growers of local, seasonal British cut flowers. Its members farm over 1000 acres in total on cutting gardens, allotments, walled gardens and farmland from Inverness to the Isles of Scilly. The most sustainable cut flowers you can buy are from a local, artisan flower farmer, who grows flowers outdoors in their natural season. British cut flowers represent only 14% of the UK cut flower market with the majority of stems hot-housed and flown in from as far afield as Ethiopia, Kenya, Ecuador and Colombia. Flowers from the Farm is aiming to redress the balance. For more information on Flowers from the Farm and to find your local flower farmer, visit www.flowersfromthefarm.co.uk / Instagram @flowersfromthefarm / Twitter @Flowers_ft_Farm / Facebook @flowersfromthefarmpublic
Leigh Chappell is a floral designer who trained as a botanical illustrator before working in graphic design, and her eye for detail is apparent in her work. Leigh loves to create natural floral beauty in her designs, with sustainability at the core of her ethos. Leigh is a supporter of the British flower growing movement and had the seed of an idea for The Strawberry Hill Flower Festival as a way to exhibit the beauty of their growing skills and the art of the floral designers who use them. Leigh continues to be the co-curator of the now annual and enormously popular Flower Festival. www.leighchappellflowers.com
With a background in fashion and textile design Janne Ford has always been interested in colour, texture and composition. Working as a floral stylist and freelance photographer she loves creating beautiful floral scenes for clients. Inspired by the seasons and her own cutting garden she loves a painterly floral style, when flowers and foliage, dried grasses and fruit add interest to her designs. Janne is co-curator of the Annual Strawberry Hill House Flower Festival. www.janneford.com.
