Spring Florabundance
Chatsworth Bursts Into Flower with Spring Florabundance
1 to 6 May 2010
Chatsworth will be transformed inside and out for its spectacular floral festival, as more than 25,000 tulips and other spring flowers are used in traditional and modern displays to decorate the opulent rooms in the house.
Spring Florabundance will also feature 16,000 top quality, top size tulip bulbs donated by the bulb specialist de Jager and planted in the garden in 2009 to come into flower for the festival.
Visitors looking closely will also notice an installation of several hundred ceramic flowers set in flower borders for a three week period [24 April to 16 May] to coincide with the May festival. ' Floralia' is the work of ceramic artist Paul Cummins. Each tulip head is thrown on a potters' wheel and hand-carved, and many are inspired by the tulips in the famous Dutch flower paintings that hang at Chatsworth. The richly coloured, lustrous, tin-based Maiolica glaze is painted by hand to create each unique flower head.
Chatsworth's Simon Seligman said: "This is a fantastic opportunity to enjoy the freshness of spring brought into the magnificent rooms of the house. As ever, the scale of displays at Chatsworth, masterminded by noted floral arranger Jonathan Moseley, and our own garden team, has to be immense to balance with the stunning interiors and this will be achieved wonderfully through the use of cutting edge floral design and striking flowers such as Parrot Tulips and tall tulips standing up to one metre in height."
Chatsworth's collection of Victorian terracotta pots will be given a new lease of life as they host colourful spring bulbs displayed around old boxes, trugs and original artefacts from the potting sheds and glasshouses.
Inside the house, inspirational floral designs will tell the story of the tulip from its Turkish origins through to the present day. Visitors will see the Dining Room dressed with magnificent tulips in an array of breathtaking colours fit for the wealthy Dutch bulb merchants of 17th century Holland.
The traditional Dutch flower paintings displayed at Chatsworth will be recreated and brought to life as 3d floral arrangements shown within frames in the Painted Hall.
The Sculpture Gallery will be a stunning sight with breathtaking displays of floral sculpture combining flowers with structures made from hazel, willow and bamboo.
In the garden, the de Jager Tulip Festival will focus on the beds around the famous maze, and de Jager staff will be present throughout the week to give visitors advice and information on selection, planting and care as a well as giving out a handy pocket guide.
Floral Demonstrations
Chatsworth will also host a series of demonstrations led by leading floral designer Jonathan Moseley in the beautiful 19th century theatre at Chatsworth.
Participants will learn how to create breathtaking designs with tulips and other spring flowers and bulbs, many of which have been grown on the estate at Chatsworth and come away with lots of contemporary and classic design ideas for displaying flowers creatively at home.
The demonstrations take place on 2, 4 and 6 May and are priced at £16.95 including house & garden entry.
House, garden, farmyard and adventure playground, restaurants and gift shops are open every day from 14 March to 23 December 2010. The park is open every day during daylight hours.
Visit www.chatsworth.org for more information. Chatsworth is only 16 miles from the MI, 10 miles east of Chesterfield, and 8 miles north of Matlock, in the heart of Derbyshire's Peak District National Park and is well served by transport links throughout the UK.
Ends
Notes to editors:
• Jonathan Moseley is a member of both the North East and North Midlands Areas of NAFAS (National Association of Flower Arrangement Societies) and Vice Chairman of the National Demonstrators' Committee.
• For more information about de Jager, visit www.dejager.co.uk
• For more information about artist Paul Cummins, visit www.paulcumminsceramics.com
For further information or images please contact:
Liz Bee (lizb@redbrickcommunications.com)
Helen Morton (helenm@redbrickcommunications.com)
Redbrick Communications, 68 St James's Street, Nottingham, NG1 6FJ
T: 0115 910 1500 F: 0115 910 1490 www.redbrickcommunications.com