Jacqui O's installation became the highlight of the event, drawing visitors who eagerly queued to take photos under the 'Bee Friendly, Bee Kind' moongate.
The journey of bees keeps the cycle of life turning, to pollinate, grow and heal. Our ultraviolet palette of Cheshire blooms grown with love, provides the habitat for bees to thrive, inspiring cottage industries to produce their own pot of gold.
Our legacy #BeeFriendly #BeeLove
The Importance of Bees
Bees are an integral part of the ecosystem not only for our natural world but the economy too. The moongate represents the journey of bees who keep the cycle of life turning, by;
Pollinate plants, enabling fruit and flower growth
Providing food and habitat for a range of other wildlife
Add colour, beauty and well-being to our surroundings
Showing us the way, working together as a colony to produce a pot of delicious golden honey. #BeeFriendly #BeeKind
Sharing their love of life, honey is believed to have healing powers with antioxidant properties that protects our hearts, lowers blood pressure and may improve cholesterol #BeeLove
Providing a rich economy. In 2008, the British Beekeepers Association estimates that honey bees make a significant contribution to the £165 million annually generated for the UK economy through pollination by insects, with the figure put at £200 million in 2009 by the UK’s Public Accounts Committee.
Our exhibit features a captivating bee-themed moongate. Viewers embark on their journey with a beautiful hive nestled among 'bee-friendly' Cheshire blooms. The floral palette includes ultraviolet hues, matching bees' vision. Flowers climb and ramble along the moongate, offering abundant scents, textures, and the natural rhythms of the seasons. These eco-conscious blooms are grown just 27 miles from Tatton Park.
Grown with Passion and Purpose: A Sustainable Future
These stunning flowers, cultivated with passion and love, have already provided food and habitat for a variety of butterflies, bugs, and bees in rural Cheshire before being cut for our floral creations. Carol describes her blooms as "quirky, characterful flowers with lots of variety to give a full, garden-inspired look," capturing the essence of my Bee Friendly collection.
The flowers for the moon gate were handpicked from Carol's fields by her team of skilled floriculturists. Venturing into the fields, they carefully snip only the finest specimens, which are then placed into buckets for hydration and delivered to RHS Tatton Park.
Working with what Mother Nature provides means we never know exactly what we will receive until it arrives. I simply provide a palette, and Carol brings it to life. It’s always a delight to see how the floral art installation evolves. The florals include vibrant Achillea, scented sweet peas, dainty Astrantia, and lacy Ammi, all nestled in a bed of fragrant mint and silver birch.
Emphasising sustainability, Jacqui and her team crafted the installation using recycled milk bottles as water vessels, extending the flowers' longevity, and reused chicken wire from a previous event to reduce the consumption of new materials.
Upcycled Elements and Local Artisans
The honeycomb shelving, made from recycled painted decking repurposed from Jacqui's garden, as she made space for plants to encourage biodiversity by providing food and habitats for wildlife in her little oasis. Touches of gold leaf were added to the shelves to reflect the value of honey in the local community. Each shelf showcases Cheshire businesses that are inspired and make a living from the natural world. Finally arriving at the foot of the moon gate, an overflowing flowery golden pot of honey symbolises the pot of gold bees provide for our environment, community, and economy. Amongst the golden flowers are hand-crafted paper flowers made from used books.
Supporting Small Businesses
As a designer, I am passionate about beautiful things and deeply admire the talented artisans across Cheshire and neighbouring counties who create stunning handcrafted products inspired by the natural world. During the pandemic, I wanted to recognise these amazing entrepreneurs and included them in my floral installation at RHS Tatton Park. By inviting other small businesses from the area who share my ethos, we fostered a sense of community and collaboration. #StrongerTogether #ShopLocal
CERAMIC ARTIST
Louise creates unique clay impressions of flowers, capturing their beauty at specific points in their life cycle. Each piece is a nostalgic and natural work of art. Beautiful and unique!
BEEKEEPER
Buckley’s Bees is on a mission to help save the native species of British bees. They are training the BeeKeepers of the future and encouraging businesses to host their own hives.
ARTIST
Sarah a self confessed doodler who uses intricate pattern and floral detail to create original art and printed cards and gift wrap
STATIONER
Hannah and Josh offer personalised stationery notebooks to capture those special memories and those all important to do lists!
BEEKEEPING STORE
A family run beekeeping store based in Plumley, Cheshire, providing honey and bee related products sourced from their own hives.
Gratitude and Support
I also want to thank the following people for their support, dedication, and time in helping me achieve my vision:
Dominique & Suzanne: Thank you for helping me bring my design from paper to reality. I'm incredibly proud of what we've achieved together.
Anne O'Neil: A retired cake maker and friend who crafted a bee inspired cake and helped install and support me through the RHS journey.
RIchard Beal: Richard Beal is a member of Cheshire Beekeepers and supporter of Bees for Development. He kind donated his time to create a selection of beeswax candles.
Frank & Colin: Who made the hexagons from recycled decking boards ready for me to decorate after my failed attempts on getting those pesky angles right.
To my wonderful mum, Jean who designed and made 60 crochet flowers for the exhibit.
Esta from the RHS: for being a supportive and happy Deputy Show Manager to all in the Floral Marquee
Creating Lasting Memories
One of Jacqui's lasting memories from the show was the excitement of visitors capturing floral memories together. She says,
"We live in a social media world and seek to share our experiences with friends and family. Tatton is full of Insta-worthy snaps, stunning floral designs, sweet fragrances, and tantalising textures."
The Jacqui O Floral moon gate became the unofficial Tatton show backdrop, as senses were aroused and cameras poised to capture moments in time with special people. Visitors queued to have their picture taken by the Jacqui O team under their show-stopping 'Bee friendly, Bee kind' floral installation.
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