Joseph Massie : UK Florist Of The Year
Oct 08, 2024Earlier this year you might've heard me I promised to put myself 'out there' a little more ... the result? Well,I entered a competition for the first time in a decade called the UK Florist of the Year ...
And today I get to say, I couldn’t be more delighted to win the UK Florist of the Year competition!
First and foremost, it has been an incredible experience. Immediate and immeasurable thanks must go to my team, my fellow competitors, the judges, and to the Association for their hard work, dedication and talent.
Some of you may know that competing in floral design competitions has in fact been integral to my career. It placed me on the world stage and initiated training and skills and techniques at an impeccable level. It brought me in front of mentors and challenges and opportunities that required a step up to be the best floral designer I could be. In one way, they were the making of me.
But for a myriad of reasons, around a decade ago, I stepped away from this world that I loved. That was until an overcast day, earlier this Summer when I snuck to Sheffield and without telling anyone, I entered last minute into the UK Florist of the Year competition. I won my first heat, the Sheffield heat, and that win took me through to the National final in the city of Nottingham, last weekend.
After an intense and inspiring weekend competing against some truly talented florists, I’m humbled to receive the title and share with you some of the inside details and news of what comes next.
Let's get into some of the competition details!
The competition took place in Nottingham, England with six finalists competing in four heats. Some of the designs were brought fully completed to the competition, some were half completed, and some were entirely 'surprise items' :
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Heat One; Bridal Bouquet Inspired by Nottingham Lace. For this piece, I crafted a bridal bouquet that paid homage to the intricate history of Nottingham Lace. I worked on this design prior to the final and brought it to the competition fully finished. Lace to me conjured images of intricacies and delicacy and this set the tone for the whole design. It was composed of hundreds of tiny hand-stitched lace pieces, each woven into a custom framework which I then delicately accented with white berries threaded onto chains. It felt amazing to see it score 98/100!
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Heat Two; Hand-Tied Bouquet Inspired by Lady Chatterley’s Lover. D.H Lawrence was born in Nottinghamshire, hence his acknowledgement in this floral final. Love and desire are prominent themes in the iconic novel, which lead to my utilisation of the classic English rose - albeit in a contemporary format. I used a frame made from dried rose petals, with each and every one individually glued into place, and of course interwoven with pressed rose chains. With just 45 minutes to add the flowers to the pre-prepped frame, it was important to have a clear vision and be intentional with my placements.
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Heat Three; Lobby Arrangement for a Famous Nottinghamshire Chemist. This was a fun one! Using an abundance of locally grown flowers sourced from Cheshire farms, I created an arrangement that featured clear glass chemistry bottles filled with dried herbs and seeds. I wanted to reflect the chemist’s roots in nature and science and blend together these elements in one cohesive design. For this heat we were permitted to bring only a container, no framework or other finished elements were allowed, and then I had only had 90 minutes to add the floral elements and bring it all together - hence letting the flowers do the talking.
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Heat Four; Surprise Task Inspired by Sherwood Forest
Sherwood Forest is the Nottingham home of the Robin Hood tale. In the final heat, we had just 90 minutes to discover the task, think, plan and execute. This can be one of the most difficult competition tasks because so much is out of your hands. I leant into the natural beauty of the forest and decided on my vision before starting the piece. Quickly deciding on a design plan and sicking to it is one of my competition tips when faced with a timed, surprise challenge.
Winning this national title is particularly exciting because it means that next August, I will be representing the UK at the World Cup of Floral Art in The Hague, Netherlands!
Competing at an international level again feels somewhat of a full circle moment to me. It's kind of crazy to say out loud, but this win marks my 20th national award, and it’s been 15 years since I won UK Young Florist of the Year, and I couldn't be more excited to be back in the ring, as it where.
I’m also really looking forward to sharing everything I’ve learned from this experience with our students. From the creative process behind each piece to the whirlwind of competition itself, there are so many insights to pass on, and so much to share with the Flower Class members.
It’s been an amazing journey, and I can’t wait to bring back all of these fresh ideas and techniques to inspire the next generation of florists!
Thank you so much for being a part of this community and sharing the journey.
Here's to our journey to the World Cup!