Chelsea Flower Show Exhibitor

Vanessa Jayne Floral Design

Nature as
Laboratory

It’s an honour to have been selected as an RHS Chelsea Flower Show exhibitor and take my style of floristry using seasonal, British-grown flowers to this prestigious event. The character of these stems and their placement within the design is an important part of the narrative, setting the scene in the way seasonal flowers do so beautifully. I’m excited to reveal more below about the creation of ‘Nature as Laboratory’ a piece that reflects my ethos, and my passion for the way I work.

Willow

Oversized flask and beaker woven from willow by Vanessa.

Seasonal Flowers

Seasonal stems include Deutzia, Philadelphus, Cerinthe, Hesperis, Nepeta, Lathyrus odoratus, Lunaria annua and Viburnum opulus.

Wild Clay

Vessels created from wild clay by The Hackney Potter represent the importance of earth

Oxidised Iron

Oxidised, reclaimed iron reflects nature’s reclamation of the laboratory and elements returning to the soil.

Representing the importance of natural origins, material evolution and botanical discovery.

Nature as Laboratory imagines a laboratory setting that has both evolved from and been reclaimed by nature. A soft floral palette celebrates the character, form and beauty of seasonal, British-grown stems. Wild clay and oxidised iron are incorporated to reflect the importance of natural origins and material evolution. As willow bark contains salicin, a precursor to aspirin, its inclusion represents the impact of botanical discoveries on our daily lives.

Thank you to the amazing people who have all played their part in making this piece come to life

The Real Flower Company

The Real Flower Company have supported the piece by providing me with incredible locally grown seasonal flowers full of beauty and character. From their Hampshire flower farm they sustainably and thoughtfully grow a beautiful array of stems year around. They’ve been such a joy to work with (as they always are when providing flowers for my wedding and event work too).

The Hackney Potter

Adele is one of those lovely warm people you feel like you’ve always known, she’s an incredible ceramicist, always looking beyond her materials. Everything is anchored to process and place in the most beautiful way, I had to have her on board with this project! Working with wild, foraged London clay offered from excavation works in Finsbury park, the clay is a celebration of its origins. Chosen for its natural impurities and beautiful surface markings that appear only through firing, the material tells a story of its origins. The finished pieces represent the earth in the imagined laboratory setting.

Topp & Co

Topp & Co provided the reclaimed iron for the piece, and their knowledge for welding this material was invaluable. Using reclaimed materials was of utmost importance to me, as was using a material that has this bespoke patina. Over a period of time I have been allowing the iron to oxidize further, gradually spraying the metal with salt water (my studio is near the sea) before coating it in a matt sealant to preserve the level of rust and produce a beautiful lasting finish.

Edward Bulmer Natural Paints

Edward Bulmer natural paints were not only part of our live illustration photocall for RHS Chelsea Flower show press day illustrated by artist Alex Hinton but they have also provided paint in ‘Sekhmet’ for the wooden riser. This colour was chosen to represent the lightless soil and the importance of soil structure in the study of plants. Edward Bulmer was the obvious choice for a paint collaboration as all their paints are plant based. Due to their gentle chemistry they can be returned to the earth and composted when dried. As part of the collaboration, I have floral displays at their Pimlico showroom as part of Belgravia in bloom. These are being exhibited alongside Alex’s original artwork.

Fabricators & Welders

These amazing humans have been crucial to the construction of the piece simply getting involved for the love of the craft but I couldn’t do this part without a mention for them. One of these engineers, and someone who deserves a very big thank you is my lovely dad Stephen whose knowledge and sheer determination to work out solutions with me at every stage has been really special.

And a Special Thanks to...

Georgina piper photography for capturing the journey to Chelsea, being an incredible friend and such a talent to work with. Also Kelly at Yes Creative for updating my website for the show and to now dear friends, Jackie & Majorie for the additional few (but crucial) local stems of flowering shrubs we couldn’t get anywhere else at the right staging. Lastly but very importantly my husband Andrew. A florist’s partner always has a job they didn’t sign up for or get paid to do! Thank you Andrew, you have been incredible!