All For Love London are delighted to reveal their collection of Floral Safari animals for this year’s Chelsea in Bloom.
Celebrating its 12th Anniversary, the world class alternative floral art show has been produced by Cadogan Estate in association with the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), and transforms the streets of Chelsea from the 22nd to 27th May with breathtaking floral displays.
This year’s theme is Floral Safari, inspired by adventure, discovery, exotic animals, savannahs, plains and jungles. As the show’s florist, All For Love London have created life-sized feature floral pieces including an Elephant at Sloane Square, Lions at Duke of York Square and a Rhino down Pavilion Road, to bring to life this year’s theme.
Working in partnership with the show’s producers, Cadogan Estate, and in support of international charity, Elephant Family, the project has been a dream collaboration for All For Love London. Elephant Family are an international NGO dedicated to protecting the Asian elephant from extinction and the animals are all available for sale after the event, to raise funds for the charity.
Ruth Davis, Founder & Artistic Director, All For Love London says: “The ‘Safari Trail’ has been a highlight of my career, working on this wonderfully creative and inspiring project has been a fantastic experience. It’s such a great theme this year and has allowed us to create Chelsea’s very own safari trail with life-sized floral animals roaming the streets.”
Highlights of the animals include an Asian elephant as the jewel in the animal world standing proud in Sloane Square. Made out of bleached birch bark, it has a beautiful, lifelike wrinkly texture to its skin. The pop of colour and ‘wow’ factor comes in the form of the floral ‘swoosh’ that shoots from the trunk like water. A bright seasonal mix of flowers including dahlias, hydrangea, roses, delphiniums, peonies, ranunculus are met with a meadow base made out of mixed grasses and sunny solidago.
The pair of lions are the Pride and Joy of Chelsea in Bloom, woven out of pampas grass, from head to toe, stand in Duke of York Square, majestic and proud. The male lion’s mane is dressed with shades of caramel, and burnt yellow and orange cymbidium and Singapore orchids to add to his splendour as King of the Animal Kingdom! The sculpting of these lions in pampas grass has taken our team two weeks to create from scratch.
Two elegant zebras will stand tall on Sloane Street, with one in black and white and one in rainbow colours, providing a fun and colourful twist to the installation. Made entirely out of fresh carnations, there are over 5000 flowers in the pair.
For Ruth, “Being a part of this Chelsea flower project is an absolute dream come true for me. As a teenager growing up in the Lake District I always remember for a week each year seeing Alan Titchmarsh take over our screens with beautiful flowers and gardens in London during the Chelsea Flower Show. I would watch in awe of all the beautiful creations on display and wanted to find my own way there to be a part of it one day! It’s a wonderful British institution and as a flower festival, it’s the pinnacle for every florist to aim to play a part in. For me, it is a career high to be involved, and I am truly honoured to have been commissioned by Cadogan Estate to design and create their public art installations for this year's Chelsea in Bloom. We hope that they make commuters and shoppers smile and stop in their tracks. Each animal is made completely differently and all are sculpted entirely out of natural, fresh material. The whole process has been an absolute joy and if all goes to plan, then without a doubt it will be the greatest achievement in my floral life.”
To experience and explore the Floral Safari as a real adventure, be sure to take a complimentary safari inspired rickshaw tour. The life size elephant at Sloane Square is your starting point, where you can collect a free activity map from the Information Point. Alternatively take in the Chelsea safari plains at your leisure by a self-guided walking tour. Visitors to the areas can also enjoy a range of in-store events, exclusive products and offers throughout Chelsea in Bloom week.
Full information at www.chelseainbloom.co.uk.
Photography Credit: Amy O'Boyle http://www.wookiephotography.com
