The T&T Horticultural Society is the winner of the silver gilt medal at the 2015 Chelsea Flower Show in London, England. The annual springtime event, which took place last week, was started in 1913 and is hosted by the Royal Horticultural Society under the patronage of Britain’s royal family. It is one of the most popular flower shows in the world where thousands of visitors spend time viewing the most imaginative horticultural designs over an 11-acre site in Chelsea’s Royal Hospital Gardens.
The T&T 2015 prize-winning presentation designed by Dave Ramlal highlighted 100 years of the Horticultural Society of T&T and depicted how every ethnic background has influenced floral designs in T&T today. Ramlal, who has been in floral design for 18 years, said it has been an amazing achievement. “I never thought that my work would have been displayed as such an auspicious show.”
Ramlal, co-owner of a flower shop formally known as Function’ all Designs, said that he was invited to present a design for the show by Paul Duval, president of the Horticultural Society of T&T. “It was my first time at the show, and the experience has boosted my confidence,” said Ramlal. He believes that his work can only get better from this point. As a matter of fact, Ramlal said that the chief judge at the show was impressed with his design and encouraged him to return next year.
Guardian photographer Andre Alexander attended the show and captured some of the designs.