Bridgwater College’s Floristry department once again enjoyed great success at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show when they attended the famous show recently.
Floristry tutor, Katherine Kear, was asked to be the designer of this year’s main NAFAS (National Association of Flower Arranging Societies) stand in the show’s main pavilion. Katherine specialises in floral design history and used her expertise to come up with the theme of ‘Victorian Revival – the past returns’. The display took 18 months of planning and with just a small team, the intricate design based around a Victorian Conservatory and Garden was built. The team’s hard work paid off when the design was rewarded with a Gold medal.
The College’s excitement did not end there; the following day the results of the Chelsea Florist of the Year competition were announced. Level 5 Floristry student, Amanda Winsor, won a Silver Gilt for her entry in the ‘design a head dress for a Carnival in Brazil’ category.
Amanda spent months planning her design that was required to be functional as well as decorative. Judging at this event is of the highest standard, to qualify for this prestigious event each participant competed against many other florists nationally to become one of only 16 to be selected to go through to the finals.
When reflecting on her success, Amanda, who lives in Exminster near Exeter said,
“It was a very challenging experience but one that may come up just once in a lifetime so I went for it and am delighted to have achieved a Silver Gilt award.”
Jacqui Weaver, Course Leader for Floristry at Bridgwater College said,
“I am so proud to be part of such a successful team here at Bridgwater College. Katherine is an amazing tutor and her wealth of experience in floristry & flower arranging really shone through in a display that attracted a wide audience, it even featured on the television. Every tiny detail was planned meticulously to ensure its authenticity. Every day I was glued to the internet waiting for news on how the ladies had got on, this was Amanda’s first attempt at Chelsea to gain a Silver Gilt was amazing. I am so proud of both of their achievements.”
If you would like more information about studying Floristry at Bridgwater College please contact our Information and Guidance team on 01278 441234.
