A FLORIST who opened his first shop during lockdown has said he is “still processing” the news after winning a gold award at one of the world’s most prestigious flower shows.
David Morley, who runs The Plant Workshop, which has venues in Billingham and Northallerton, is exhibiting at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show as part of the houseplant studios.
The show started today (Tuesday) and is on until Saturday.
Mr Morley hailed his team’s “amazing achievement” after being awarded gold for their efforts.
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They created an exhibit showcasing plants to improve mental health and wellbeing while working from home.
He told the Northern Echo he wanted to make use of plants which are easy to care for and accessible to people with limited budgets and spaces – as well as taking inspiration from the first days of lockdown when he was getting the business up and running.
He said: “We didn’t do it to get a medal but we wanted to show how easy it is to improve your space, whatever budget you have or how much or how little space you have.
“We have 4m by 3m so it wasn’t massive but we managed to create a wonderful space really.”
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Mr Morley, who lives in Stockton, has shops in Billingham and Northallerton, as well as one at Fenwick’s in Newcastle.
Mr Morley put together the exhibition alongside his Fenwick’s team of Meg Holtom and Kirsty Emery.
He added: “We started our business in lockdown and we wanted to go back to our roots really. When we look at how people are now working from home, they are buying plants and really wanting something that will help with their wellbeing.
“People don’t want to sit and stare at a wall, they want greenery. Our whole focus is on materials and textures but also plants that are easy to care for.
“Chelsea can often be about more unusual plants but we did our exhibit with plants you can get from any shop. It’s all about affordability and inclusivity as well.”
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