Spring Awakening - a return to colour and joy

“And now we welcome in the New Year

Full of things that have never been”

RAINER MARIA RILKE

In late January, we had the pleasure of being invited to attend the most wonderful celebration of the new year at The Garden Museum, London - and after months of cool, dark days of winter, it was a veritable treat for all the senses!

The museum itself explores and celebrates the art, history and design of British gardens and their place in our lives today, so was a fabulous location in which to celebrate the forthcoming arrival of spring and to really set the tone for a joyous and re-energising start to the new year. Housed in the deconsecrated church of St Mary-at-Lambeth, the iconic Nave offers a truly unique setting with high its ceilings and grand stained glass windows, all wrapped up in a setting where history meets horticulture.

On arrival in the foyer, we were treated to refreshing Champagne, mouthwatering canapes and a welcome speech by the Museum, before being invited through to take our seats for dinner in the most breathtaking setting - the Nave had been transformed from its usual daytime look to the most gorgeous interpretation of Spring - bright, colourful and joyous! The combination of the subtle dappled lighting effects, the chic floral designs and the thoughtfully curated table settings was absolutely stunning. We were then treated to a delicious sharing style menu followed by a dessert station and a late night cocktail bar.

Anna Donner, lead floral designer at Mary Jane Vaughan Floral Design, says of the concept “We loved the idea of creating a stylised and contemporary garden down the elegant long tables for this fabulous event – fresh, luminous, and evocative of crisp spring days. We chose contemporary shaped vessels filled with layers of soft ruffled roses, hyacinths and ranunculas alongside simple glass vases with the tall graceful stems of nerines, French tulips and poppies. Spring flowers at their most beautiful for a venue that truly celebrates the seasons”.

It was so fabulous to not only catch up with some of our favourite vendors and to explore new designs and styling options for 2024 but also to catch up with industry pals and make new connections. With grateful thanks once again for our invitation - we loved every minute of it!

With huge thanks to all the teams involved in designing and delivering this most wonderful evening:

Venue: The Garden Museum / planning: Lettice Events / FLOWERS: Mary Jane Vaughan Floral Design / PRODUCTION: Oxygen Production / Photography - Philippa Sian Photography