Harrogate florist wins third gold medal at RHS Chelsea Flower ShowGALLERY: Have you seen Harrogate’s innovative new floral displays?

Harrogate has been in full bloom this week following the Harrogate Floral Summer of Celebration, coordinated by Harrogate BID.

Nine innovative floral displays have been installed to represent the town’s international links, including its twinning with Luchon in France, Barrie in Canada and New Zealand in Wellington.

They displays follow the BID’s success at Yorkshire in Bloom 2022. Harrogate won overall winner in the Yorkshire Rose Town/City Centre BID category and was a finalist in this year’s RHS Britain in Bloom UK Finals.

It is in partnership with Helen James Flowers — who won a gold medal in the Floristry Awards at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2023.

The summery showcase will be on display until Friday, August 4.

Take a look at our gallery below in case you missed it.

Pic: Harrogate BID Facebook page

Pic: Harrogate BID Facebook page

 

Pic: Harrogate BID Facebook page

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Harrogate Floral Summer of Celebration blossoms across town

The Harrogate Floral Summer of Celebration has come into bloom across the town.

Harrogate BID has coordinated the floral celebration following success in Yorkshire in Bloom 2022.

Harrogate won overall winner in the Yorkshire Rose Town/City Centre BID category and was a finalist in this year’s RHS Britain in Bloom UK Finals.

The event is in partnership with local florist, Helen James Flowers, who was recently awarded a gold medal in the Floristry Awards category at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2023.

The event will showcase several floral installations around the town, with help from Harrogate International Partnerships, RHS, Harrogate in Bloom, and North Yorkshire Council. These include props, an interactive floral trail, and a shop window competition.

The aim is to mark the town’s international links including the twinning of Harrogate with other towns such as Luchon in France, Barrie in Canada, and Wellington in New Zealand.

The shopfront of Helen James’s store on Station Parade.

The Yorkshire Air Museum, in York, has donated a wicker airplane from Canada to feature in the display, while Harrogate’s own Resurrected Bikes has provided bikes to form part of the display also.

Matthew Chapman, Harrogate BID Manager, said:

“We are proud to be recognised as a finalist for the Britain in Bloom UK finals, especially as we are the only town in Yorkshire that made it through to this stage in the competition.

“The Harrogate Floral Summer of Celebration will feature unique, vibrant and eye-catching floral displays, each telling a story of how international relations have flourished to bring together the very best of our respective cultures. From a giant Buddha to a floral musical wall, there will be plenty of exciting things to see and experience!”

Parts of the floral trail can be found near Nicholls Tyreman on a corner of Princes Square , Bettys, and the Victoria Shopping Centre.

The event draws on international links.

Helen James, from Helen James Flowers, said:

“We are so honoured to be involved with this special event, which aims to celebrate the town’s beauty and horticultural heritage through an array of stunning floral displays.

“We can’t wait to see the reaction from residents and visitors, as well as welcoming the Britain in Bloom judges.”

The Harrogate Floral Summer of Celebration will be on display from Friday July 21, to Friday August 4.

More information on the event can be found here.

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Harrogate florist strikes gold at Chelsea Flower Show

A Harrogate florist has won gold at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in London.

Helen James Flowers was one of three gold medallists in the floristry and floral design awards category.

The florist, which has a shop on Station Parade, was selected for its lamppost design ‘On the verge’, which was inspired by recent planting projects on areas of wasteland.

Helen James Flowers

Helen Pannitt, of Helen James Flowers, with her prize-winning blooms.

It shows how mini wildlife havens can be created to counteract the impact of human life on the environment.

The display contains hundreds of water filled test tubes attached to a hand made trellis, and the base materials were arranged on metal pin-holders — a process that took many hours.

The result was a colourful and seasonal display incorporating flowers such as eremurus, dahlias and ranunculus.

Helen James Flowers’ shop is closed until May 30 due to the team being at Chelsea.

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Boroughbridge business leader wins Northern business mentor of the year award

Boroughbridge business leader Richard Doyle, the founder of Pabasso, has been awarded Northern mentor of the year at the Northern Leadership Awards. 

Pabasso is a peer advisory board, which connects business leaders across the UK to support the growth of their businesses. The company organises weekly meetings, 1 to 1 mentoring sessions and peer coaching events.

Richard Doyle said the award was “unexpected but gratefully received.”

He added:

“It’s always nice to be publicly recognised but it’s really about the business leaders that we are working with and helping to grow and develop their businesses.”

The awards ceremony took place last week at The Queens Hotel in Leeds, and it was attended by around 300 people.

The event was hosted by TheBusinessDesk.com and included a leadership conference before the awards were announced.

Harrogate florist awarded silver-gilt medal at Chelsea flower show

Harrogate florist, Helen James Flowers, has been awarded a silver-gilt medal at the RHS Chelsea flower show.  

The floristry exhibit ‘Nature’s Table’, was praised by the judges and members of the public who attended the show.  

The ‘Roots for Life’ brief was to design and create a tablescape that took inspiration from the beauty of the natural world, and included a horticultural message. 

Sustainable techniques and materials were used in the installation, as oil based floral foams & plastics are now banned from RHS Shows. 

Helen James said:  

“Chelsea was amazing and although we have competed at Chelsea before, the competition format was completely different this year.

The exhibit was much bigger and took three days to install but preparations have been ongoing since January.” 

She added:  

“We even had a few visitors from Harrogate who made a point of coming to say hello and offer their congratulations.” 

The silver-gilt medal at the Chelsea flower show comes between silver and gold. This year, it was awarded to three other tablescape installations alongside Helen James Flowers. 

Ms James has previously won RHS Chelsea Florist of the Year in 2019.  

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Harrogate law firm Hempsons sponsors play

Harrogate law firm Hempsons has sponsored a play about the struggle to access care for elderly relatives.  

Hempsons specialises in the health, social care and charity sectors so the theme of the play Fighting for Life chimed with its work.

The play was performed last Thursday at Harrogate Neighbours, a not-for-profit care organisation for the elderly.  

The performance was followed by a Q&A session where audience members could ask questions relating to the themes discussed in the play.

Audience members at Harrogate Neighbours’ play.

Philippa Doyle, head of social care at Hempsons, said:  

“As leading health, social care and charity lawyers, we assist these sectors with the challenges they face and take pride in offering support via free advice lines and training.” 

The play, written by Brian Daniels, is currently touring the UK after premiering in 2018 at Hampstead Marie Curie hospice in London.  

Harrogate Neighbours’ care fest event in July will see local companies including Powell Eddison Solicitors, Avery Walters and Full Circle Funerals give advice and support for people going through bereavement.  

Harrogate garden centre launch new hydrangea at Chelsea Flower Show 

Harrogate Garden Centre has launched a new hydrangea plant at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.  

The signature Red Butterfly Hydrangea is an exclusive at the show, and will be available to buy in garden centres across the country later this year.  

The Red Butterfly Hydrangea launched by British Garden Centres

£10 from each plant sold at the show will be donated to the charity Greenfingers, which create gardens for children in hospices around the UK.  

Tom Cook, plant buyer at British Garden Centres, which owns Harrogate Garden Centre, at Bishop Monkton, said:

“When looking for the perfect plant to launch as the group’s signature at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, a red hydrangea was the only option. It links to the group’s symbolism for passion through the colour and name, which is the Red Butterfly.” 

First established in 1913, the RHS Chelsea Flower Show will be open until Saturday. 

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Harrogate distillery wins RHS branded drinks licence

A Harrogate distillery has partnered with the Royal Horticultural Society to create branded spirits including whiskey, gin and rum.

The RHS has handed the licence to Harrogate Tipple to prepare the products for the Chelsea Flower Show in May.

The bottle and labels are still at the design stage but will use imagery that, like the spirits, captures and combines Harrogate Tipple’s artisan ideals with the inspirational aims of the gardening charity.

Steven Green, founder of Harrogate Tipple, said:

“We were thrilled to be asked to develop a series of spirits that reflected the excellence and love of British gardens that is the hallmark of the RHS.

“It has been a delight to work with the UK’s favourite gardening charity and a strong supporter of British craft company produced food and drink.”

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The range will then be available at retail from the beginning of June, selling at several physical and online outlets that include spirit retailers, garden centres and independent wine stores.

It will also be sold via the Harrogate Tipple and RHS websites and at RHS Gardens.

Cathy Snow, licensing manager at RHS, said:

“Our intention was partnering with a distillery that combined a true artisan approach with the creativity and excellence that would make RHS gin, whisky and rum stand out.

“Not an easy task, but in Harrogate Tipple we have found the ideal partner for a range of spirits that are both memorable and delicious.”