Award-winning florist and BBC Two’s Big Allotment Challenge host, Jonathan Moseley, has been commissioned to design a spectacular Floral Fountain for the new Shopping Arcade launching this year at the RHS Malvern Spring Festival. His show-stopping design will evoke the Victorian era and supports this year’s theme, celebrating Malvern’s fashionable spa heritage.
British Flower Ambassador and President of the North of England Horticultural Society, Jonathan, brings his extensive industry knowledge, skills and presentation techniques to the show, with the Floral Fountain marking the first of its kind to be created. The extraordinary design will be a centerpiece within the Shopping Arcade, which promises a fantastic retail experience, with plenty of handmade arts and artisan crafts on offer.
Head of RHS Malvern Spring Festival, Jane Furze said: “Our aim at RHS Malvern Spring Festival is to ensure visitors experience the best in class across all our features. We’re absolutely thrilled to have Jonathan on board to create what guarantees to be one of the most magnificent designs we’ve ever seen. I can’t wait to see it all come together and I’m sure it will bring that wow factor.”
Working with local growers from the three counties of Gloucestershire, Worcestershire and Herefordshire to create his masterpiece, Jonathan is estimating it will take sixteen people and three days using approximately 25,000 stems and around 500 glass droplets.
The Floral Fountain will be almost 7.5m tall and 7m wide, the equivalent of a semi-detached house. Jonathan plans to create a beautiful cascade of flowers combined with glass droplets, crystals and acryllic that emulate the effect of a fountain. Hoping to achieve the desired look using an atmospheric selection of flowers, with many specially sourced from local British Flower Growers, Jonathan is looking to imitate the lightness of water droplets using waxy Tulips, Ranunculus, frothy Gyphsophilia cascading stems of Amaranthus and shiny silver foliage from Cineraria and Artemesia. Jonathan plans to allude to the promise and freshness of Spring by combining the sparkling droplets and the zingy colour of nostalgic favourites like Muscari, Campanulas and Anemones. As the fountain descends, he will create the illusion of a sparkling pool of water using Lilies, Eryngium and Iris.
The display will culminate with a wonderful Romanesque inspired garland rich with fragrant herbs, delicate rosebuds and Hyacinths entwining the base of the fountain. The exquisite selection of Spring and Summer flowers used to create this revolutionary design is set to capture the imagination. It’s going to be a feast for the senses and a sight to behold.
Visitors will have the opportunity to pick up a thing or two at the Flowertalk Station, offering daily demonstrations and top tips on how to tie a simple posy, make a buttonhole or create your own postcard.
RHS Malvern Spring Festival 2017 will take place from Thursday 11 May until Sunday 14 May. Adult tickets start from £18 in advance while children (under 16) are free of charge. For more information and to book tickets, please call 01684 584924 or visit www.rhsmalvern.co.uk