Rachel de Thame’s fabulous floral designs were inspired by the Queen’s gardens and coronation gown. The royal barge was adorned with flowers that echoed the royal colours of reds, purples and golds. Rachel said “As well as looking beautiful and being filled with meaning, the display should highlight the rich horticultural heritage of the UK and the Commonwealth.”
The floral arrangements were made by celebrity florist Kitty Arden and her team. She said “When the Queen steps on board we want her to enter a very fragrant environment,” heavily scented roses and herbs helped to make the barge a feast for the senses. Kitty had the help of 40 florists to complete the mammoth task of making 90 garlands from fresh flowers and foliage. Some of the team given the fantastic opportunity to work on the royal commission were lucky students and tutors from Pershore College.
The florists starting preparing the garlands on Monday and worked 12 hour days all week to get them finished. Most of the garlands were 6ft long and required three people to carry them. The garlands were made with fresh foliage and herbs including rhododendron, hebe, lavender, rosemary and bay. Later in the week they were dressed with roses, peonies and carnations.
Ninety percent of the flowers used were grown in the UK. The designs featured 1000 purple sweet peas from The Real Flower Company, 60 Welsh daffodils, 20 Scottish thistles, 3,100 David Austin English garden roses and 20 plants from around the Commonwealth were loaned from Kew Gardens. The roses used were Patience, a creamy buttermilk colour with an old rose fragrance of fruit, lilac and myrrh, Darcey Bussell a fully double crimson flower with a fruity fragrance and Munstead Wood a deep crimson rose with a strong fruity fragrance. Munstead Wood has won two awards for it’s beautiful fragrance.
There is more information about the planted designs on the royal barge here
images from crocus who supplied the plants
