Grow your own wedding

TV florist and international floral designer hosted bridal workshops

TV florist Jonathan Moseley invited visitors to ‘Grow Your Own Wedding’ with easy-to-follow sessions in bridal floristry.

The florist, from the BBC’s Great Allotment Challenge, hosted a number of workshops, on everything from buttonholes to bouquets.

The Grow Your Own Wedding theatre came to life in The Garden of Romance, designed by triple Gold Medal winner Jason Hales of Villaggio Verde. In a Show first, this stunning Show Garden transformed into a floral theatre after judging. Visitors were invited onto the garden itself to immerse themselves in Grow Your Own Wedding workshops taking place across the four-day event.

Jonathan Moseley said: “Homegrown flowers exude the style and personality that commercial flowers can only ever dream of. They have natural movement and charm with the added advantage of amazing fragrances. Naturally, the idea of growing your own wedding could seem rather daunting, however many of the divine summer-flowering annuals are incredibly easy to grow and you don’t need acres of space to produce them.”

'Homegrown flowers exude the style and personality that commercial flowers can only ever dream of...'

Joining Jonathan were some of Britain's finest flower growers, including the winner of the Great British Florist West Midlands Wedding Florists of the Year, Floristry on a Farm. Part of The Duchy Estate in Herefordshire, Floristry on a Farm pulls together a network of specialist British producers throughout the UK.

Flowers from the Farm also brought along their network of farmers and smallholders showcasing British cut flowers. Alongside demonstrations on buttonholes, boutonnières and posies, Flowers from the Farm highlighted the wide variety of flowers available on our doorstep.

Social enterprise Organic Blooms also brought a team of growers and florists. The collective is well known for working wonders with nature to benefit people with disabilities and support needs. They have also recently introduced edible flowers to their crops.

Others taking to the stage included Far Hill Flowers, working with cottage garden flowers of traditional and native varieties, both cultivated and wild, and Georgie Newbury of Common Farm Flowers, hot on the heels of her latest book release.