RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival
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RHS Hampton Court’s guide to giving flowers

Whether you’re celebrating, commiserating or just want to share some love, RHS Hampton Court Garden Festival has all the expertise and inspiration to help you say it with flowers
 

From the home-grown blooms and floral know-how of growers from Flowers from the Farm, to the gorgeous installations and exhibits around the show, Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival is the home of floral art.

Royal florist Simon Lycett is a regular at RHS Shows, bringing his talent and passion to incredible displays and inspiring demonstrations. This year at RHS Hampton Court he’s be working with beautiful seasonal flowers to create arrangements that everyone will be able to replicate at home. During his demonstrations Simon will not be using any specialist equipment and everything will be sustainably sourced using containers most of us will have at home.

See the Flower School timetable

Simon Lycett’s guide to creating a bouquet

  • Establish structure – Good plants to create this basework include hydrangea, tree ivy or woody herbs such as bay, thyme or rosemary. They’ll work as a support you can thread flowers through
  • Choose your flowers – whatever is pretty and works for you. Whether you chose a few types of flower, or just one sort, you need a contrast of size and shape for visual appeal
  • Use British-grown, seasonal flowers if you can
  • Prepare stems by stripping off the lower foliage, cut on an angle and split any woody stems, then using your hand as a vase, build your bouquet. Make sure there are lots of depths and levels –using different sizes and shapes of flowers

Alternatives to a bouquet

If you want to create a stunning display, chicken wire with two-inch mesh is a good alternative to floral foam. Use a piece about twice the size of your container and fold the wire in on itself, so it looks like a shower cap. Tie in place using

twine or florist wire. Build the arrangement foliage first, using broad-leaved plants such as bay, arboreal ivy, virburnum or gelder rose, to help conceal the chicken wire.

© RHS / Neil Hepworth

When you’ve built up your framework of foliage, tuck in the flowers, plunging some deeper than others. Simon says: “The joy of working with chicken wire is that the flowers will gently fall into position and you don’t have a brick of foam to hide. The wire is hidden really easily and it’s reusable, just pop it into the dishwasher every now and then.”

Anything and everything can become a beautiful vessel or vase if you have enough knowledge, so come along to RHS Hampton Court Garden Festival and I’ll be happy to share that knowledge with you!


Damp sand in a deep vase works well to support stems, while damp moss is good for when you want to avoid having water at all. Another option is to create a grid of sticks (like a noughts & crosses board) that you’ve tied, which sits on top of your vase. Blooms like daffodils and anemones will sit on top of that grid and create a gorgeous tapestry of colour.

Watch Simon sow seeds and tie a bouquet


Bouquets don’t have to just be flowers

No garden? Try asking your local greengrocer for material. Simon says: “My greengrocer has the most beautiful radicchio and endive – prettier than any peony, and after a few days you can chop them up and make a delicious salad.”
In the summer, Simon suggests arrangements of mint with sweetpeas – a play on the classic kitchen pairing of pea and mint – it smells amazing and looks gorgeous.

See some of Simon’s floral creations

RHS Hampton Court for floral inspiriation

Come and visit the RHS Flower School with Flowers From the Farm and the NAFAS Flower Hut this year and indulge in floral know-how and beautiful blooms.

 More from the RHS

Plants for special occasions

Plants for special occasions

Exhibitors at RHS Hampton Court

Exhibitors at RHS Hampton Court

Flowers from the Farm at RHS Hampton Court

Flowers from the Farm at RHS Hampton Court
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Plants to grow for making bouquets

Salvia rosmarinus (Ro)
rosemary
  • 1.5–2.5 metres
  • 1.5–2.5 metres
<em>Salvia</em> <em>rosmarinus</em> (Ro)
Laurus nobilis
bay tree
  • 8–12 metres
  • Wider than 8 metres
<em>Laurus</em> <em>nobilis</em>
Viburnum tinus 'Little Bognor'
laurustinus 'Little Bognor'
  • 1.5–2.5 metres
  • 1.5–2.5 metres
<em>Viburnum</em> <em>tinus</em> 'Little Bognor'
Salvia rosmarinus (Ro)
rosemary
  • 1.5–2.5 metres
  • 1.5–2.5 metres
<em>Salvia</em> <em>rosmarinus</em> (Ro)
Laurus nobilis
bay tree
  • 8–12 metres
  • Wider than 8 metres
<em>Laurus</em> <em>nobilis</em>
Viburnum tinus 'Little Bognor'
laurustinus 'Little Bognor'
  • 1.5–2.5 metres
  • 1.5–2.5 metres
<em>Viburnum</em> <em>tinus</em> 'Little Bognor'
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The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.