Leeds Castle Festival of Flowers Review – 23rd to 28th September 2018

As well as being a Leeds Castle wedding photographer I am also a regular visitor. This week I decided to have a day off. I wanted to do something inspiring. The Festival of Flowers is now in its fifth year and I hadn’t visited before. It sounded perfect.

The theme was ‘An Enchanted Castle’. International and award winning floral designers are invited to create displays in the main Castle rooms. This year the displays were opened up to the outside spaces too.  Headline partner was OASIS Floral Products and sponsorship came from Country Baskets and Colombian Flowers.

As well as displays there are workshops, talks and demonstrations in a marquee on the pavilion lawn. The event was opened by Joe Swift, the garden designer and journalist.

Signposting was really clear and I worked my way from the Barbican, to the Castle entrance via the cellar, through the rear downstairs rooms, the Queen’s rooms, the Queen’s Gallery, Henry VIII Banqueting Hall, and the Chapel. Then up the spiral staircase and through the upstairs rooms and down via the main staircase. And finally the last two reception rooms and then out through the main entrance doors to the stunning display on the Castle lawn.

If you are thinking of visiting the 2018 Festival (15th to 20th September) I would allow 1½ hours once you arrive at the Castle plus ½ hour for walking to and from the car park. It is a very friendly, happy tour. The visitors are all fellow plant and flower lovers – well-informed and happy to share their knowledge. The atmosphere was very jovial. If you aren’t keen on crowds wait until the Monday.

I couldn’t possibly photograph everything since there were over 20 displays, so I have selected 12 below:

I have had the pleasure of photographing many bridal bouquets by Amanda Austin as she is based in Chelsea. Many of my Chelsea Town Hall clients choose Amanda for their wedding flowers. Her work is wonderfully romantic and she is brilliant with roses. It was such a lovely surprise to find her at the festival.

If you are thinking about getting married at Leeds Castle please take a look at my Leeds Castle page for more information.

Leeds Castle Festival of Flowers 23rd to 28th September 2017 Leeds Castle Barbican display by Tracey Rowbottom of Country Baskets for the Festival of Flowers: An Enchanted Castle Leeds Castle Festival of Flowers and the floating garden on the front lawn by Dennis Kneepkens (Once in a Blue Moon) Leeds Castle Festival of Flowers Review - September 2017 and a floating garden on the front lawn by Dennis Knnepken entitled 'Once in a Blue Moon' Dennis Kneepkens in a bubble display at the main entrance to Leeds Castle during the Festival of Flowers Angela Turner's Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair floral display in Thorpe Hall, Leeds Castle 'Nature Takes Over' by Heidi Lawley from Heidesigns at Leeds Castle Leeds Castle main staircase 'Stairway to Enchantment' by floral designer Philip Hammond (The Dorchester) for the 2017 Festival of Flowers Leeds Castle Flower Festival and Philip Hammond from The Dorchester Lady Baillie's Dressing Room at Leeds Castle with an arch by Amanda Austin Flowers for the Festival of Flowers Lady Baillie's woodland bower by floral designer Amanda Austin Flowers (based in Chelsea) at Leeds Castle for the Festival of Flowers (An Enchanted Castle) Amanda Austin Flowers at Leeds Castle Dressing room inside Leeds Castle during the flower festival with romantic pale roses wrapped around a candelabra by Amanda Austin Trudie Easton at Leeds Castle Festival of Flowers at Leeds Castle and Trudie Easton's fairytale The Swan Maiden of Leeds Castle by Trudie Easton at the flower festival at Leeds Castle A journey of love and reflection display by the academy of floral art in the Chapel at Leeds Castle for the Festival of Flowers 2017 Academy of Floral Art at Leeds Castle two chairs suspended A feast of total fabulousness by Simon Lycett in the Henry VIII Banqueting Hall at Leeds Castle for the Festival of Flowers (theme 'An Enchanted Castle') Simon Lycett at Leeds Castle in 2017 with a banqueting theme Florist Simon Lycett and his Leeds Castle display for the Festival of Flowers 2017 Table detail with flowers by Simon Lycett at Leeds Castle Leeds Castle Henry VIII Banqueting Hall for the Festival of Flowers by Simon Lycett Simon Lycett at Leeds Castle Solomon Bloemen (Hong Kong) floral designer Dr Solomon Leong at Leeds Castle in the Queen's Gallery 'The Gallery of Enchantment' by Dr Solomon Leong (Solomon Bloemen) in the Queen's Gallery at Leeds Castle for the Festival of Flowers 2017 Dr Solomon Leong at Leeds Castle A magical celebration by Jill Smith of Passion Floral Design - this display in the Queens' Bathroom at Leeds Castle during the Festival of Flowers A Queen's fairytale dream by Amy Curtis Foristry in the Queen's Room at the Leeds Castle Festival of Flowers