British Craft showcased at RHS Chelsea

The highlight of the gardening calendar is undoubtedly the Chelsea Flower Show and neighbouring Chelsea in Bloom, where designers, florists and brands compete to create some of the most imaginative floral displays in the country.

This year, two British businesses made their mark on the prestigious events, showcasing outstanding design and creative talent on one of the biggest horticultural stages in the world.

David Mellor Hathersage

The theme for Chelsea in Bloom 2026 was "Out of this World", inspiring installations based on space, science fiction and intergalactic adventure. Among the standout displays was an eye-catching floral rocket created by luxury cutlery and tableware company David Mellor, based in Hathersage.

Titled Pan-Galactic Voyage, the installation transformed the David Mellor Pavilion Road, Chelsea shop into a theatrical floral launchpad, centred around a striking saucepan rocket appearing to blast skywards through smoky dried botanicals and fiery blooms.

Hay and chicken wire were used as a sustainable base, while the smoke effect was created using Limonium, rice flower, smoke bush and lunaria, layered with fluffy white carnations and chrysanthemums. The fire effect combined bold reds and oranges with flame-shaped anthuriums and calla lilies, alongside rusty-toned foliage, cascading amaranthus and asparagus fern.

Capturing the magical instant of lift off, the display combined humour, engineering and floral artistry, earning the team a Silver award at this year's Chelsea in Bloom competition.

Although the installation was displayed in Chelsea, its roots were firmly planted elsewhere. The rocket itself was designed and built at the David Mellor cutlery factory in Hathersage, in the heart of the Peak District National Park. Created by the David Mellor team, it showcased the same precision engineering and attention to detail that have defined the business for generations, reimagined through flowers and foliage in a space-themed display.

This year, the team decided to collaborate with a florist for the first time. Rather than choosing one of the large London floristry firms often associated with the event, they worked with someone closer to home, Anna Potter of Swallows & Damsons.

Known for her creative and thoughtful approach to floristry, Potter brought the rocket dramatically to life. Her brief, regarding the display, was to recreate the smoke and flames of lift off using responsibly sourced flowers and dried plant materials. Rich reds, burnt oranges and smoky neutral tones exploded beneath the spacecraft, while hidden mechanics and a concealed smoke machine added movement and atmosphere to the installation.

Sustainability also played an important role in the project. The display avoided the use of floral foam and embraced environmentally conscious techniques, reflecting a growing movement within floristry towards more sustainable methods and responsible sourcing.

Its appearance at Chelsea in Bloom highlights how independent British businesses continue to gain national attention, not only for manufacturing and design excellence, but also for creative collaborations and imaginative public installations.

The connection between design and landscape has always been central to the David Mellor story. David Mellor moved production from Sheffield to Hathersage because he drew inspiration from the surrounding countryside, and the woodland factory was carefully designed to sit quietly within its natural setting. Blending architecture, manufacturing and nature, the site was pioneering in its approach and remains an important part of the company's identity today.

More than simply an eye-catching floral display, Pan-Galactic Voyage became a celebration of northern creativity, craftsmanship and collaboration. Beneath the playful rocket and theatrical flowers was a story of design inspired by landscape, and of independent talent brought to one of Britain's most celebrated flower festivals.

As the team behind the project put it: "It's one small step for a pan, one giant leap for Pankind."

Full Grown, Wirksworth

From a childhood fascination with a misshapen bonsai tree, to a revolutionary approach to sustainable craftsmanship, the story behind "Full Grown" is rooted in patience, innovation and a deep respect for nature.

Founded by Gavin and Alice Munro, the UK-based company captured attention at this year's Chelsea Flower Show, where its remarkable Gatti Chair became the focal point of the "Plant Heritage Missing Collectors Garden". Designed by Sally-Anne Rees, Kate Campbell and William Murray of the Planting Design Collective, the garden explored themes of preservation, succession and the future of specialist garden knowledge.

Working alongside Plant Heritage, the designers highlighted a growing concern that many rare plant collections are maintained by collectors who are no longer able to continue their work, while some plants have no dedicated collector at all. Through its National Collections scheme, Plant Heritage works to preserve rare cultivated plants, many of which are no longer commercially available in the UK. The garden, which was awarded a Silver Gilt Medal by the Royal Horticultural Society, asked visitors a simple but important question, "Could you become the next collector?"

That idea strongly connected with the philosophy behind "Full Grown", as Gavin and Alice Munro are increasingly focused on passing their own knowledge on to future generations.

The origins of "Full Grown" trace back to Gavin's childhood. His parents owned an overgrown bonsai tree that resembled a throne to his young imagination, planting the first seed of an idea that would stay with him for decades. Long periods spent in hospital during treatment to straighten his spine also shaped his fascination with trees and woodland, which became both a comfort and an inspiration.

Years later, while studying at university, Gavin explored the lifecycle of a Coca Cola can in a project about consumption and waste. The experience proved transformative, prompting him to question whether objects could be created in a way that worked with nature rather than against it.

Together with Alice, he began experimenting with shaping and grafting trees, encouraging them to grow directly into the forms of chairs. The philosophy behind "Full Grown" is deceptively simple, make fewer things but make them better. Rather than cutting, assembling and manufacturing materials into furniture, the process allows the tree itself to become the final object, reducing waste while creating entirely unique pieces.

Today, the "Full Grown" creations challenge conventional ideas of manufacturing and sustainability. Their appearance at Chelsea demonstrated not only extraordinary craftsmanship, but also a vision for a future where design and nature can grow together quite literally. Seamlessly blending horticulture with design, the chair stood as both a functional piece of furniture and a living work of art.

The chair featured in the garden was a bronze cast of the original Full Grown Gatti Chair, the company's first fully "sittable" prototype. Named after Laura Gatti, agronomist for Bosco Verticale, it was generously loaned by Sarah Myerscough Gallery.

Another exciting milestone for "Full Grown" came with the recent sale of an ash grown chair prototype to a major museum. Asked to name the piece after a historical female British gardener, Gavin and Alice chose "The Beatrix" as a tribute to the much-loved Beatrix Potter.

During the show, another of Full Grown's chairs was displayed in the New Craftmaker Gallery window as part of the Chelsea Floral celebrations. Known as the Sterry Chair, the piece reflected the extraordinary timescale behind the company's work: the tree was first planted in 2009 and coppiced in 2011. Cultivation began in 2012 before the final chair was harvested in 2025.

Today, Gavin and Alice are increasingly focused on sharing their knowledge through workshops, in-person teaching and online courses such as Think Like a Tree. Inspired by the story of an American craftsman who regretted not passing on his expertise before his death, they are determined that their own hard earned lessons will not disappear. Through platforms such as Patreon, they continue building a community of "Chair Farmers", learning together how to shape trees into art, benches and chairs.

Together, the Planting Design Collective and "Full Grown" created more than a show garden at Chelsea. They presented a shared vision of stewardship, creativity and continuity, whether protecting rare plants, preserving specialist skills or imagining a future where orchards could function as living production lines filled with bees, birds and butterflies. It was a reminder that nature thrives when knowledge is nurtured and passed on.

Guineveres Garden | Garden Writer