Nailsworth & District Flower Arrangement Society: The Chelsea Experience’ with Katharine Lee, a National Demonstrator and currently a Director of NAFAS

OUR October meeting 2016 was indeed ‘The Chelsea Experience’.

Katharine Lee a National Demonstrator, and currently a Director of NAFAS gave our large audience a flavour of what it took a team of seven flower arrangers twelve days and many hours of planning to achieve the prestigious award of a Gold Medal for their exhibit “A Victorian Garden” at Chelsea Flower Show this year.

Katharine used some of the cleverly constructed mechanics and props at their Chelsea exhibit throughout her demonstration.

Her first arrangement, a trailing design complimented with green anthiriums, red gerberas, white lilies and two stunning orchids which she placed at the top of a structure cleverly depicting a conservatory.

A second arrangement of ferns, hostas and ivy with white roses and dahlias she included in a design of drift wood to represent a “Stumpery”.

This was followed by an “Orb” containing an arrangement of red fuchias, dahlias and gerberas with nicandria and curly kale.

Katharine continued with a hand-tied Victorian posy of blue hydrangea, deep pink alstroemeria and pink roses, which she placed in a group of potted herbs as in a herbery.

Her final design was a spectacular arrangement of contorted hazel twigs, juniper, blue spruce, rubus, and two different species of fatsia.

She complemented this with red roses, dahlias and orange gerberas into which she placed some green apples.

A few members of the audience had been lucky enough to attend Chelsea and seen the exhibit for themselves, but tonight they were left in no doubt as to the skill and dedication needed to achieve “Gold” at Chelsea.

Tickets at £10 each which include a glass of wine and a mince pie are on sale for our Christmas Open Evening on Wednesday, December 14, 2016 at Sibly Hall Wycliffe College, Stonehouse.

For further information contact:- Eileen Ind on 01453 835752 or Linda Foreman on 01453 758496.