On the campus of Moreton Morrell Agricultural College, tucked into a corner between the muck heap and the tractor shed, is a small, single-storey building, Moreton Morrell’s Floristry Department. But don’t be fooled by the slightly underwhelming appearance of this unassuming collection of classrooms, inside is a floristry powerhouse, training florists who have competed all over the world.
It all started in 2016 when lead tutor Jane Benefield, dedicated to passing on the knowledge and skills of the art of floristry to the next generation, created a central training base for international competitions.
First through the door was florist Laura Leong, training for the Europa Cup in Genoa, then Elizabeth (Lizzie) Newcombe, who represented the UK at World Skills in Kazan in Russia. Then came the most prestigious floristry competition of all, the Interflora World Cup. Both Laura (Philadelphia 2019) and Lizzie (Manchester 2023) used Moreton Morrell as their base. In fact, Lizzie moved into the college over the summer to fully immerse herself in the skills and psychology of competition work.
Although the floristry department is based in a rural location, its students do get out and about. In May 2024 they will be in a very different environment, right in the heart of London exhibiting at Chelsea Flower Show, having won the single place offered by the RHS to represent floristry colleges across the UK.
‘We put a huge amount of work into our proposal and were absolutely delighted when we were accepted.’ Commented Jane. ‘The title is ‘Awakening: Rooted in Nature Together’ so we are creating an exhibit that will take the viewer from birth to decay. Afterall, as florists, we are at the beginning, middle and ends of people’s lives and this is an opportunity to remind people the important part that we play.’
