Maggie’s Dahlia Day with Shane Connolly

Tuesday September 13th, 2022

10.30am to 4pm at Green & Gorgeous Flower Farm, Little Stoke, Oxfordshire

In aid of Maggie’s Cancer Centre at the Churchill Hospital, Oxford, Maggie’s Dahlia Day offers the exciting opportunity to meet master florist Shane Connolly and witness his inspirational work. Selecting dahlias and other late summer blooms from the fields of Green & Gorgeous Flower Farm, Shane will work his magic to create a range of different imaginative displays, guided by form, contrast and texture as well as colour. He will be joined by flower grower Rachel Siegfried of Green & Gorgeous, who will give a tour around her amazing flower fields and a talk in which she will highlight her top favourite dahlia varieties and share some grower’s tips on how to get the best out of dahlias for cutting.

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The Dahlia Day takes place at Green & Gorgeous Flower Farm and the adjoining Coaching Barn in the grounds of Little Stoke Manor, a beautifully restored threshing barn dating back to 1800. A delicious lunch will be served, plus tea, coffee and cake to top and tail the day. Plants, seeds and other garden-related gifts from Bud to Seed will be on sale throughout the day.

Tickets: £275 including lunch and all refreshments. All proceeds to Maggie’s Oxford

Itinerary

10.30am: Arrival and Coffee

11am: Talk on Sustainable, British Flowers by Shane Connolly

11.45pm: Tour of the Green & Gorgeous Flower Fields

12.45pm: Lunch and the opportunity to shop for plants, seeds and garden gifts

1.30pm: Talk on Growing Dahlias for Cutting by Rachel Siegfried

2.30pm: Demonstration by Shane Connolly

3.30pm: Tea, cake and shopping

4pm: Day ends

Shane Connolly is one of the country’s foremost floral designers, having designed the flower displays for the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in 2011. Born in Ireland, he studied Psychology before a chance meeting with a flower arranger made him change the course of his career. He worked in London for Pulbrook and Gould before setting up his own eponymous company in 1989. His emphasis has always been on local, sustainable and seasonal flowers, and his beautiful arrangements are very much inspired by nature. Shane works with a small team from his studio in North Kensington and is the author of four books.  www.shaneconnolly.co.uk

Rachel Siegfried founded Green & Gorgeous in 2008 with her partner Ashley Pearson. Their mission was to offer a local, environmentally considerate alternative to imported flowers, and the farm now incorporates five acres of land with hundreds of flower varieties evoking a garden gathered style. Rachel grows all her own flowers for weddings and other events, runs courses, and sells farm gate flowers every Saturday from April to October. www.greenandgorgeousflowers.co.uk

The Coaching Barn hosts a range of inspirational courses for adults and children on subjects ranging from calligraphy and fashion to flower arranging and cooking. Run by artist Catherine Ducker, it has become a hub where people come together to learn new artisan skills. www.thecoachingbarn.com

Bud to Seed is the website of Clare Foster, Garden Editor at House & Garden. She offers a small online shop selling an eclectic range of garden gifts, and will be bringing a selection of botanically-inspired products to sell on the day, from pots and vases to trugs and pot tampers. www.budtoseed.co.uk