Follow the Yellow Brick Road, Follow Your Dreams: Our sustainable champions set off on their enchanting journey down the yellow brick road. Their collaboration to produce a thoughtful and inspiring garden ended with a silver medal.
As a floral designer specialising in unique installations for weddings, hospitality, and events across Cheshire and the Northwest, Jacqui had the pleasure of collaborating with fellow floral designer Helen Chambers from Evolve Flowers Ltd. Together, they designed a striking floral installation above the John Cullen Gardens exhibit at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show’s Floral Pavilion. The idea was the concept of John and Hugh from John Cullen Gardens. Jacqui is thrilled to have received her first silver medal from Chelsea as part of this collaboration, a treasured memory alongside her gold medal from the RHS Tatton Park Flower Show in 2017, earned as part of the NAFAS Cheshire Area team.
The collaboration highlighted a commitment to sustainability and community across all horticultural disciplines. The exhibit emphasised the importance of environmental stewardship in the face of climate change. Jacqui added
"In the horticultural industry, it's our blooming responsibility to care for the planet and its people. We must all contribute to a greener world, as we are the keepers of natural beauty and depend on the earth for our profession."
The 'Yellow Brick Road' Installation
The 'Yellow Brick Road' installation was a unique interpretation of The Wizard of Oz, inspired by John Cullen’s favourite film and his vision for the project. John Cullen Gardens, located in rural Lincolnshire, specialises in pollinator-friendly plants and culinary and medicinal herbs. They also hold the National Collection of Achillea Millefolium so it was only fitting to use the vibrant yellow Achillea to create the iconic yellow brick road.
Also known as yarrow, this herb features vibrant flowers that attract a range of pollinators, including bees, butterflies, and hoverflies. The plant’s flat-topped clusters of tiny flowers provide an accessible landing platform for these insects.
John comments,
“Achillea are becoming increasingly popular due to their suitability for hot summers. Once established, these plants are drought-tolerant and thrive in British sunshine.”
The team used Achillea ‘Little Moonshine’ and ‘Moondust’, two new, short-statured varieties that are excellent as cut flowers for arrangements and also dry beautifully.
Inspired by John’s enthusiasm, Jacqui has even grown a few from seed in her bee-friendly garden and occasionally incorporates them into her clients' floral arrangements.
Complementing the Alchellia in the exhibit were Pittosporum, representing the bushes the munchkins hid behind, and Leucanthemum vulgare and Allium 'Gladiator' and 'Mount Everest', symbolising the Lollipop Guild and Lullaby League.
Sustainable and Creative Elements
Helen’s expertise in sourcing beautiful, sustainable products was evident, with locally grown Lincolnshire tulips cultivated hydroponically using collected rainwater. The team got creative, suspending the tulips upside down to form a rainbow, with each one transformed into a Kodama. After making over 200 tulip Kodama, they lost count. The tulip concept was even featured in Country Life's "30 Things You Can’t Quite Believe You’re Seeing at the World’s Greatest Flower Show."
Even the ribbon was biodegradable: “It's made from trees, it’s 100% compostable and should degrade in about three months once buried,” Helen explained. Jacqui adds, “Creating the yellow brick road from ribbon was a labour of love; it emerged from our Achillea path and transformed into a rainbow. We also included handmade details, like a wire heart for the Tin Man and a medal of courage, which was hand-painted by Susan from Past Imperfect. Jacqui then hand-stitched ribbons to create the ribbon and fashioned a handmade top bar for the medal to hang in our tree.”
Engaging and Inspiring RHS Visitors
The innovative and creative garden was well-received by visitors, inviting smiles, photographs, and many kind comments and questions. It prompted visitors to think about the growing process and what’s possible (no, tulips can’t be grown upside down—one of the most frequently asked questions—and yes, John does have an online shop!).
The visitors were excited to learn about British-grown cut flowers, John’s remarkable plants (with many being purchased), and the team’s sustainable approach. People were intrigued and even asked how this design could be adapted for a wedding arch or corporate award backdrop. The exhibit also allowed the team to share their knowledge on sustainable practices. Rest assured, all materials were reused, repurposed, and recycled to support a greener world.
Sponsors & Suppliers
@collisoncutflowers - British-grown tulips on the bulb
@calipso - Biodegradable ribbon for the yellow brick road
@worldwidefruit - Gala apples grown in Kent for the Haunted Tree
@Past.imperfect.uk - Authentic hand-painted Medal of Courage
@lincolnshireplantsupportsltd - Rainbow metalwork
@ukgloriouschocolate - British-made Lively Lemon Chocolate Tree Bark
@oasisfloralproducts - Floral mechanics
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