I hope you enjoyed reading Part 1 and Part 2 of my visit to the Christmas Preview event at New Covent Garden Flower Market, featuring Simon Lycett and David Denyer.
Today, it’s the turn of former Interflora UK Florist of the Year and four times winner of the RHS Chelsea Gold Medal, David Ragg.
David is the owner of Lansdowne Florist in Bournemouth and David Ragg Flowers in Wimborne. He’s also written a floral design book called ‘Monograph‘.
Prior to his floristry demonstration, David held a two hour workshop where he showed participants how to create the lovely design in the image above and immediately below.
On the main stage, David started off with a mini ‘Christmas tree’ design. He inserted pine needles from Porters Foliage into oasis foam which he’d placed in a silver birch-like vase from C.Best.
He then added lime slices mounted on stub wires, waxflower and shiny baubles. The design was finished off with viburnum flowers on top.
For his second arrangement, which would make a perfect low tablecentre, David took an aluminium boat-shaped container filled with oasis foam.
He added spruce, magnolia leaves and senecio foliage. Then he inserted Vendella roses in groups, silvery-blue eryngiums and shells to catch the light. The design was finished off with contorted hazel.
For the next design, he used a glittery gold wreath wired on to a metal bowl with bullion wire, with a candle secured in the centre.
He inserted Green Trick sweet williams, pine, white nerines and shells…very simple but very effective.
Into a tall silver vase, David placed contorted hazel and pussy willow. He then added euphorbia, nerines, hydrangeas, skimmia, senecio, viburnum, eryngiums and baubles.
He said that it would make a ideal arrangement for a function or reception.
The next design was my favourite. It started though from very humble beginnings… a glass dish with twigs secured with paper-covered wire.
David added Star Mint chrysanthemums, Sweet Avalanche roses and eryngiums.
For the last arrangement, David used an oasis frame on top of a metal container.
He inserted magnolia leaves, rosemary, skimmia and viburnum, plus wired lime slices.
Then he added Prado Mint carnations, cones and waxflower, followed my green apples mounted on sticks and glittery stars.
What a lovely collection of Christmas arrangements with a white and green colour theme. David is passionate about texture, form and structure and I think this really came across throughout his demonstration.
From next week, David and his colleague, David Denyer, will be running workshops at their studio in Bournemouth. So, if you’re in the area and would like to make a Christmas door wreath or tablecentre, why not book a place?
To keep up-to-date with David’s news, you can follow him on Twitter. He’s also on Facebook and has a blog.
Shortly, I’ll be featuring an interview which I did with David at the market that morning.
Next week, in Part 4, it’s the turn of Joe Massie, so please do pop by…
I hope you all have a lovely weekend. And as it’s a month today until Christmas, I think I may have to start thinking about buying some presents!
(Images : Rona Wheeldon for Flowerona)
[…] I hope you’ve enjoyed seeing Joe’s lovely designs. If you’d like to see the other blog posts from the Christmas Preview event, simply click on the links here: Simon Lycett, David Denyer, David Ragg. […]