A NELSON florist is toasting her success after being placed second in the prestigious Interflora Florist of the Year Final at the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show.

Katherine Murray, 33, of Going Dutch in Nelson beamed from ear to ear as the results were announced, putting her in contention right up until the overall scores were revealed.

During the final, which took place in front of a live audience, Katherine had to create three floral items; a floral parasol and table decoration which were each completed in 90 minutes and a gift arrangement including a bottle, the brief for which was only unveiled on the day. A fourth item, a floral picnic basket, was made in advance.

Katherine was awarded top marks for both her table decoration and gift arrangement and the judges praised the overall design and balance of the pieces as well as the intricate details. Katherine’s table decoration scored almost full marks, with just five points lost – the highest score of the competition.

The designs were planned weeks in advance with Katherine handmaking elements such as the mini macarons from Fimo clay. Inspired by the idea of an upmarket British garden party, Katherine said she based her designs on what she would want to see at such an event and used colours and flowers that are traditionally associated with the summer season.

She added: “I can’t believe how well I’ve done, against such strong competition too. I’m absolutely delighted with my scores, especially for the table decoration as to lose only five marks is really something. My favourite piece to create was actually the gift arrangement as that was the one that was unveiled on the day. I know I’m unusual in that as most competitors hate the surprise item, but I love the challenge and the adrenaline definitely kicks in at that point!”

Interflora Director Nick Priest said: “Florist of the Year is about celebrating creativity, passion, flair and design skills in floristry and these five have certainly demonstrated they have plenty of those things. We knew there were going to be some really great pieces created because of the calibre of the florists we had in the final and we weren’t disappointed. Katherine’s creations are a great example of the level to which our florists work and every finalist should be truly proud of what they’ve achieved here today.”

Interflora is the UK and Ireland’s most recognised and trusted flower delivery service, with a network of over 1,200 expert florists in the UK and Ireland. The Interflora Florist of the Year competition has been running for over 60 years and winning the coveted title is seen as a premier accolade within the industry.

The finished designs will remain on display in the Floral Design Marquee at the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show until the 8 July. Floral demonstrations by Interflora’s expert florists will also take place daily. RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show is the world's largest annual flower show, stretching over 34 acres and flanking both sides of the Long Water at Hampton Court Palace. Tickets to the event can be purchased online at www.rhs.org.uk.