Local florist Charlotte Davies of Hilary’s Floral Design, Abergavenny was buzzing with joy as the scores were announced and she was placed second in the prestigious Interflora Florist of the Year final.

The final, which took place in front of a live audience, was held at RHS Garden Bridgewater in Manchester. The five finalists had to complete four tasks devised to test their skills, push the boundaries of their art form and encourage creativity and innovation, all under the theme Growing Together.

Charlotte first created a shawl inspired by botanical roots, which was made in advance and brought to the competition.

She then had two hours on the day to design a table for two inspired by nature and, after judging, another hour to create a tied design inspired by bark.

Weeks of planning and preparation went into the designs which were bright, colourful, vibrant and fizzing with movement.

The fourth and final design was a complete surprise with the brief only being revealed at the start of the session. Charlotte had just 15 minutes to review the flowers, tools and materials available then two hours to complete her free-standing design.

Talking about the competition, Charlotte said, “Having come third in the 2018 final I’m so pleased to have come second this time round”.

Competition judges Lynda Owen and Jane Benefield said, “It’s been a fabulous opportunity, a delight and a pleasure to judge the Interflora Florist of the Year final on behalf of the UK Floristry Judges Guild, to find the designer who will represent the UK in the Interflora World Cup next year.

‘’Thank you to Interflora for showcasing competition floristry at its best.”

Nick Priest, director of Florist Services at Interflora, said, “Interflora’s Florist of the Year is about celebrating creativity, passion, flair and design skills in floristry and these five have certainly demonstrated they have plenty of those things.

‘‘We knew there were going to be some really great pieces created because of the calibre of the florists we had in the final and we weren’t disappointed.

‘‘Every finalist should be truly proud of what they’ve achieved here today.”

Congratulations, Charlotte!

*Elizabeth Newcombe of The Botanical Company, Bramley, Surrey was crowned Interflora Florist of the Year 2022.

She will now go on to represent the UK and Ireland at next year’s Interflora World Cup, held for the first time in the UK.