Southport Flower Show 2026: Three Very Different Floral Experiences
One of the things we love most about working with flowers is that they can take us in so many different creative directions. One day we might be creating a competition piece, another we're demonstrating techniques to an audience, and sometimes we're quite literally wearing the flowers!
Southport Flower Show 2026 brought all three together over one wonderfully busy few days.
A Taste of Lazy Days
First came the competition.
Our exhibit, Lazy Days, was inspired by those relaxed summer days when sunshine, holidays and tropical colours seem to go hand in hand.
We wanted the whole design to have a playful holiday feel, incorporating a deckchair alongside bold tropical materials and even creating a floral container from a watermelon.
Competition work is always an interesting challenge. It's not simply about creating something beautiful; every element has to contribute to the overall idea, from the choice of materials and colours to proportion, balance and those final little details.
We were delighted that Lazy Days was awarded second prize, but there was an extra surprise too — we were thrilled to receive the Best Use of Colour trophy.
Colour is such an important part of the way we work and we loved experimenting painting the tropical monstera and philodendron leaves, so the Best Use of Colour was a particularly lovely award to bring home.
Sharing Ideas in The Potting Shed
From competing, we moved into a very different side of floral design — demonstrating.
Throughout the show we were delighted to be demonstrating each day in The Potting Shed, sharing floral ideas, techniques and plenty of inspiration with visitors.
This is one of the things we particularly enjoy about demonstrations. A finished floral design is lovely to look at, but seeing how it develops is a completely different experience.
It's an opportunity to explain why we've chosen particular materials, share some of the mechanics behind a design and hopefully encourage people to go home feeling inspired to experiment themselves.
And, of course, we always enjoy the conversations that happen along the way. Flower shows bring together people with every level of experience, from keen floral designers and gardeners to those who simply love flowers.
When the Flowers Become Wearable
Then on Friday, for Ladies' Day, our floral creativity took another turn altogether.
This time we swapped the demonstration stage for our Signature Floral Glitter Bar, creating wearable floral pieces and botanical body art for guests.
It's always wonderful to see someone's reaction as a design develops. A few carefully chosen
flowers, foliage and touches of biodegradable glitter can become something completely individual — and, unlike a traditional floral arrangement, this one gets to leave with its wearer and become part of their day.
For us, wearable floral art brings together so many of the things we love: flowers, colour, design, face and body art, and the opportunity to create something especially for the person sitting in front of us.
Against the atmosphere of Ladies' Day, it was great fun to see the finished pieces heading off around the show.
One Show, So Many Ways to Create
Looking back, what struck us most was just how different those three experiences were.
A competition exhibit asks us to interpret an idea and tell a story through floral design. Demonstrating allows us to share techniques and hopefully inspire others. And the Signature Floral Glitter Bar turns flowers into something personal, interactive and wearable.
Yet they all begin in much the same place — with an idea, a collection of materials and the excitement of wondering what they might become.
Perhaps that's one of the loveliest things about being creative: there isn't just one way to do it.
Whether you're arranging a few flowers from the garden, experimenting with an unusual container, learning a new technique or simply playing with colour, sometimes the best ideas begin by giving yourself permission to try something a little different.
Feeling Inspired?
If we've inspired you to get creative yourself, we'd love to welcome you to one of our floral workshops, where we share ideas and techniques in a relaxed and friendly setting, with plenty of help along the way.
Or, if you'd prefer to gather a few friends together, our Creative Gatherings offer the opportunity to enjoy your own floral experience together. We can also create bespoke workshops for groups, clubs and organisations.
Ready to get creative? Take a look at our workshops or get in touch to start planning your own Creative Gathering.
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