A Lesson in Floral Design

Our tour manager Ifor Griffith has just come back from a Beautifully British floral adventure in Lincolnshire with floral designer Jonathan Moseley. Here he tells us about taking part in his first floral workshop.

I'm a gardener, a grower rather than a flower arranger, so this workshop was a new challenge for me and as tour manager there was some pressure to produce something good! Fortunately, Jonathan isn't just a brilliant florist, he's a very good teacher too with such nice patter than you don't even realise he's teaching you. 

The project was an autumn display using a hollowed-out pumpkin as a vase. The pumpkins had been prepared for us (thank you Jo Munson), so all we had to do was follow Jonathan's lead, lining the edges with ivy and filling the centre with orange and white lilies. It was great fun and there were smiles all round.

There were some really beautiful displays and, although I can't pretend mine was one of them, I was inspired to have another go. I bought some of Jonathan's coloured glass vases at the end of the tour and, when I got home, I went out into my garden with a new, cutting eye and made some displays for the dining table. I was so pleased with the results, I decided to have some friends over for supper to celebrate.

I love doing these tours - I like plants and people so they tick all the boxes - and now I've learned a new skill too!