Daisychain Made For Chelsea

Made For Chelsea

 A blooming great time’s being had by all, as VQ’s luxury florist Daisy Chain gets ahead with a floral hat creation that’s attracting admiration from celebrities at The Chelsea Flower Show this week. It’s flower power to University of Leeds graduate, Abra Dunsby-Sircana, as she’s been turning heads at the event in the stunning bee-friendly hat made entirely of living flowers. The amazing design is causing quite a stir, catching the attention of TV personality Christopher Biggins and Olympic swimmer Mark Foster who stepped closer to admire the intricate detail. Created especially for The Chelsea Flower Show, The VQ’s Daisy Chain design features 15 different types of flowers plus various herbs and foliage plants, all of which have been selected for their bee-friendly qualities. The hat reflects a key theme of the University’s Chelsea garden entry, encouraging gardeners to make small changes, such as planting pollinator friendly flowers, to make a positive impact on urban ecosystems. “Our garden is all about ecosystem services,” explains Dr Rebecca Slack, one of the key academics behind the project. “And the fantastic hat created by Daisy Chain is a great way to draw attention to one of the key elements of this: pollination”. Bees are an essential part of the pollination process and as such are vital to a garden’s productivity, as well as to the wider ecosystem. Planting pollinator friendly flowers, such as the ones included in the hat, is just one of a number of the easy measures people are being encouraged to adopt in order to help their gardens, and Britain’s bees thrive. “It’s great to be involved in such an exciting project that showcases the University’s research in a creative and innovative way,” enthuses graduate and Daisy Chain hat model Abra. “One of the best things about being a student at the University of Leeds was having the opportunity to get involved in so many different things – this is definitely one of my highlights!” The hat is part of The University’s entry, entitled “Gardening For Champions!” exhibited in the RHS’s Environment section. It shows simple yet effective ways gardeners can support pollination, conserve and recycle water, and manage carbon. The design draws on a recent PhD study by Dr Mark Goddard that found bees prefer wilder gardens to conventional manicured plots. This is the first scientific study of the relationship between pollinating insects and people’s socio-economic status. AND it is huge congratulations as it’s just been announced that the first time exhibitors at the Chelsea Flower Show have just won gold for their garden entry, so well done to the University of Leeds! You too can bee a winner, buzz off to Daisy Chain and pick up your own bee friendly beautiful bunch! Daisy Chain, 65 Vicar Lane, The Victoria Quarter, Leeds, LS1 6BA T: 0113 247 1939 W: http://www.daisychain-leeds.com/