THE ROYAL ROSE
After learning the art of floristry from ‘how-to’ books, Edinburgh’s Philippa Craddock has gone from kitchen table experiments to designing spectacular displays for the royal family, discovers Rosie Morton
Self-taught florist Philippa
No matter how grand or how modest, flower displays bring light to any corner, and their fleeting beauty is what world-renowned florist Philippa Craddock is so fond of. ‘It can never be recreated by somebody else again,’ she says. ‘It’s created for that particular person, in that particular moment, then it goes. You’re just left with these lovely memories.’
With an extraordinary list of clients which includes Christian Dior, Vogue, BAFTA and the royal family, Philippa’s unique style was firmly cemented on the world stage when she was commissioned to create Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s cascading wedding archway, in which she adorned the facade and interior of St George’s Chapel in Windsor with an abundance of white flowers.
Having been schooled at St Leonards in St Andrews, studied at the University of Aberdeen, and frequently holidayed in Elie and also on the west coast as a child, Philippa maintains that her Scottish roots have helped her keep a level head during high-profile commissions.
‘Being Scottish allows you to remain really down to earth and not take things too seriously,’ she says, explaining that she still regularly travels from her current home in Dorset to visit siblings in Perth, Edinburgh and Fife.
‘That definitely helps me get through what I do. Not taking things too seriously and being a little more chilled out, allowing yourself to be a bit foolish sometimes – that’s quite Scottish, isn’t it?’
It was just over ten years ago that Philippa bought some floristry books ‘on a whim’, quickly discovering her natural gift for crafting flower displays. Developing table centres for weddings, beautiful bouquets and posies was only the beginning for Philippa, and commissions quickly piled up.
Philippa believes that intuition is key to floristry, and her own designs have become wilder and more relaxed over the years. She also explains that flower displays should enhance a space, not dominate it. ‘I pay a lot of attention to the architecture of the space and the surrounding landscapes, taking inspiration from outside and taking it indoors so the whole scene works in harmony. I really feel that bringing the right flowers into a space changes the energy of a room.’
Constantly striving to use sustainable techniques and methods, Philippa uses both local and international growers, like Kenyan rose grower Tambuzi, all of whom are fair trade and meet her exacting environmental standards. ‘Tambuzi provide hundreds of jobs to the local community,’ she says. ‘They’re also doing lots of research into soil structure and water retention, which is being adopted by other farms.’
Charitable work is also at the fore of Philippa’s mind, and she is an ambassador for The Prince’s Trust, Women Supporting Women – an inititative that aims to nurture, inspire and empower young women into education and employment. One of her most memorable installations – a Frida Khalo sculpture that was commissioned by London’s V&A museum in 2018 – was in fact sold at auction by Sotheby’s, raising thousands for the women’s charity.
Standing at over two metres tall, the sculpture was a kaleidoscope of colour, with hundreds of silk zinnias, peonies, dahlias, hydrangeas, garden roses and poppies making up Frida’s iconic headpiece.
‘The Frida Khalo sculpture was bonkers but brilliant,’ says Philippa. ‘It was interactive – people could get inside of Frida Khalo’s head. It was bought by somebody in Central America, so it was cool that it returned home.’
Of course, the royal wedding was a highlight of 2018, and seeing the Duke and Duchess of Sussex emerge beneath her spectacular floral archway made the hours of titivation seem worth it.
‘That was an insane and brilliant job to have. Everything was very smooth, but absolute testament to the couple because they really trusted me and the team so we were just able to get on and do what we do best.’
As we move towards the autumn months, Philippa’s designs are becoming richer and warmer, with dahlias and hydrangeas available once more. Meanwhile, at her home in rural Dorset she is currently establishing her first
Philippa bought some floristry books on a whim, quickly discovering her natural gift
proper cutting garden which she says will be up and running next year.
Combining wild designs with structure is a technique that Philippa enjoys playing with at home, merging architectural pieces with untamed plants.
‘I love mixing old with new. We live in a very old cottage but it’s got a new extension on it. I love that contrast between dated and slick design. I would say exactly the same for a garden. I love the idea of gardens being really wild and abundant, but also having something very orderly like a statue or an incredible pot.’
Philippa maintains that it’s never too late to start floristry, and wholeheartedly encourages anyone to give it a go, regardless of previous experiences. In 2014, she launched the Philippa Craddock Flower School where she hosts masterclasses for complete beginners, as well as for experienced florists.
‘I believe that somebody without any floristry experience is quite easily capable of creating a really breathtaking archway,’ she says. ‘It’s near impossible to create something that doesn’t look nice.’
www.philippacraddock.com