Rutland Flower Club take sustainability to the showground

When Rutland Flower Club brought foam-free floristry to the 192nd Rutland County Show, they didn’t just make beautiful arrangements. They spread the word about sustainable floristry, British-grown blooms, and they took home the gold rosette. 

We’ve seen the world fall in love with Slow Food — the movement that reconnected us with provenance, seasonality, and the people who grow what we eat. Then came Slow Travel, the antidote to airports and tourist traps. Now something similar is taking root in the world of floristry. We’ll call it Slow Flowers for now: a growing commitment to British-grown blooms, seasonal stems, and arrangements that leave no harmful trace.

It’s a shift Helen Chambers NDSF has been championing for years. At this year’s Rutland County Show, the cause was recognised with a gold rosette for the Rutland Flower Club.

The 192nd Rutland County Show took place on 31st May 2026 at Rutland Showground, the heart of rural life in England’s smallest county. This year’s horticultural theme was rewilding, and it was a natural fit for the Rutland Flower Club (RFC), who decided that sustainability hit the rewilding mark.

The club decided to source all their flowers through Evolve: British-grown, seasonal, and traceable. And they took it further, designing and building their entire display without a single block of floral foam. Instead, they worked with Evolve’s Oshun pouches and eco transit gel, chicken wire, pin holders, and elastic bands — the toolkit of a new generation of sustainable arrangers.

The emblem of Rutland is the horseshoe, and the RFC honoured that with a striking horseshoe arrangement built entirely using Oshun pouches. There was also a tall urn with chicken wire mechanics, and even Kokedama tulips. A display that was rooted in place, in principle, and in practice.

“It was better than winning at Chelsea.” Sue Sewell, Rutland Flower Club

Why British flowers? 

Sue Sewell has known Helen since attending her demonstrator’s test — watching her work up close, learning from her technique, and absorbing her philosophy. This year, Sue attended Evolve’s Discovery Day at Collison’s, a hands-on experience Helen set up to connect those interested in British flowers directly with the growers.

For Sue, the case for British flowers is not simply ideological, it’s sensory and practical. British blooms are often cheaper than imported alternatives. They arrive fresher. Their perfume is stronger, more vivid. They last. And they come from growers whose work the RFC actively wants to support.

“We like to support British growers wherever possible,” says Sue. “We love working with Helen because she shares that passion — for British-grown flowers and for sustainability.”

The peonies, in particular, drew admiring comments from visitors throughout the day. Conversations sparked. Leaflets were taken. A few Oshun pouches were sold on the spot. But the bigger impact may come in the weeks ahead, as those conversations turn into intention, and intention turns into a changed habit.

Evolvers

For Helen, this moment means something beyond a rosette. The RFC members have attended her demonstrations, worked through the techniques, and now they’re sharing what they’ve learned with fellow members and friends. In Helen’s own words, they are officially “Evolvers”, part of the growing community of florists and arrangers who are taking sustainability from intention to practice.

It’s a grassroots movement, spreading club by club, show by show. The RFC is now selling Oshun pouches at their own meetings, their membership is growing, and their confidence in foam-free work is evident — they have a gold rosette to prove it.

This is also part of the story behind Helen’s Sustainability Influencer Award 2025 from the Sustainable Wedding Alliance: recognition not just for what she creates, but for what she inspires in others.

The Rutland Flower Club isn’t stopping here. Later this summer, they’ll be back at Rutland Showground for the Rutland Flower Show, this time with a full installation celebrating Rutland life and history. We’ve got the inside scoop on their plans and cannot wait to see what they create.

Want to try foam-free floristry?

Whether you’re a flower club member, a professional florist, or simply someone who loves flowers and wants to make a more conscious choice, Evolve has everything you need to get started. 

Explore our range of sustainable floristry mechanics — including Oshun pouches, eco transit gel, and more — and join the growing community of arrangers choosing British-grown, foam-free, future-forward blooms.

And if you're looking for a flower club near you, head to NAFAS.

Every Week is British Flower Week at Evolve Flowers