Burgeoning opportunities 

Every year, an estimated 157,000 visitors travel to West London to experience the UK’s most anticipated horticultural event, the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, which starts on 24 May. For garden designers, it’s a time of intense competition and excitement, but what opportunities does it create for local florists?

Pimlico-based flower shop Wild at Heart has drawn inspiration from the show by designing its own ‘miniature gardens’ – displays of flowers, herbs or vegetables that are planted in attractive containers.

“The Chelsea Flower Show is a busy time of year for us, as a lot of people come to visit the area,” says Kirsty Frost from Wild at Heart’s events team. “We hope to excite their interest with the range of colours and textures in our miniature gardens.”

Colour, for Kirsty, is the number one factor in creating a display that will appeal to the public, whether it’s for the shop or a competition. “What fascinates me about the Chelsea Flower Show is the dazzling array of colours and the magical displays that seem to have been created out of nothing,” she says.

Wild at Heart has plenty of experience of creating the ‘wow factor’, having designed displays for corporate clients as diverse as Formula One and the BBC, and for competitions such as last year’s ‘Sloane in Bloom’. Kirsty says that success at such events depends on “preparation and organisation”, and recommends creating sample displays to ensure that the desired result is achievable.

Nikki Tibbles, Founder and Creative Director of Wild at Heart, picked Pimlico Road as the location for the shop because she felt that the street’s historical association with design would help to attract customers who are looking for quirky purchases. Kirsty explains: “People come to us for abundant, inspirational flowers, with an emphasis on seasonality.”

Wild at Heart, 30a Pimlico Road, London SW1W 8LJ: 020 7229 1174.
www.wildatheart.com