Member Article

Cheshire designer celebrates the Peak District in iconic RHS letters display

Penny Williams from Modern Farmhouse Flowers showcases her passion for using sustainable materials, locally sourced flowers and love of the Peak District in this year’s RHS letters show feature.

Sustainable materials and locally grown blooms were the welcoming sight to more than 80,000 people who visited the annual RHS Flower Show Tatton Park this July.

After being awarded the design for this year’s coveted RHS letters installation, up-and-coming Cheshire based floral designer Penny Williams from Modern Farmhouse Flowers decided to make the iconic signage a homage to the beauty of Derbyshire’s Peak District National Park featuring stunning Cheshire grown cut flowers.

One of the most photographed installations of the event, generating thousands of Instagram impressions every year, this year’s RHS letters display is the brainchild of Penny Williams who launched her Cheshire-based floristry business, Modern Farmhouse Flowers, less than 12 months ago.

Inspired by the dramatic beauty of the Peak District, the display embraces Penny’s passion for working with locally sourced and naturally derived materials, incorporating cut flowers grown in Mobberley; natural stone borrowed from a farmer in Macclesfield and a path of crushed whelk shells, the bi-product of a fish factory in West Wales – providing a sustainable alternative to grit.

Speaking about the commission, Penny said: “It was an absolute honour to be asked to create the letter installation for this year’s show. As an avid visitor to the event, I know just how hotly anticipated the RHS entrance display is. It’s a key landmark of the show and plays a pivotal role in welcoming visitors to the annual event. To think that around 80,000 people will see the display is absolutely mind blowing. It’s an amazing way to mark my first year in business.

“My creation is inspired by the dramatic and varied landscape of my home, the Peak District. A visit to this area of natural beauty is a feast for the senses as the fierce ever-changing weather makes its mark on the landscape. Every year thousands of ramblers beat on charming public footpaths; climbing its wild moorlands, weaving through atmospheric forests and often stopping for rest in its charming villages. The installation has been designed to capture the magic of this wonderful sensory experience.”

Penny Williams trained at the Tallulah Rose Flower School and worked as an innovation manager for Bloom and Wild before opening Modern Farmhouse Flowers in 2022. She specialises in event and wedding styling and has attracted a loyal local following since opening a showroom located within the Arighi Bianchi store in Macclesfield. She also has an online shop offering same and next day local delivery and a flower subscription service.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Kirsty Hunt .