RHS Gold medal winning flower arrangers Coral Gardiner and Lucy Ellis are to appear on stage at The Mowlem in Swanage, Dorset, at the invitation of the Purbeck Flower Club.
The talk and demonstration called Diamonds and Rust will be in the main auditorium at 2 pm on Thursday 21st May 2026, and is open to all, with club members and the general public invited to come along and get inspiration.
Coral Gardiner enjoys working with bold, vibrant colours
Lucy Ellis with some of her intricate and beautiful floral displays
Humour, expertise, and stunning floral designs
Coral Gardiner from Bath in Somerset and Lucy Ellis from West Wiltshire are both renowned NAFAS (National Association of Flower Arrangement Societies) national demonstrators, known for their humour, expertise, and stunning floral designs.
Coral likes using vibrant colours, rich foliage, and often incorporates unique items like milk churns, driftwood, and unusual, textured blooms.
She is a seasoned competitor, winning Gold as part of the South West team at the 2015 Chelsea Flower Show, and has featured in BBC’s Countryfile.
Lucy has more than 20 years of experience as a flower arranger and demonstrator, travelling nationwide, where she creates bold, large-scale floral designs to engage and entertain live audiences.
She has received multiple awards for her work, including several RHS Gold medals.
Chair of Purbeck Flower Club Pat Cherrett
“We are going to be in for a treat!”
The main calendar event of the Purbeck Flower Club promises to be an inspirational afternoon and the ticket price of £20 includes refreshments.
Chair of Purbeck Flower Club Pat Cherrett said:
“I’ve seen Coral and Lucy demonstrate their art before and they are both very entertaining and accomplished, combining floristry with amusing anecdotes. We are going to be in for a treat!
“I’m not exactly sure why they have called their talk Diamonds and Rust but it is intriguing and bound to be interesting to find out.
“This is our annual open event, so everyone is welcome to come along, whether they are interested in flowers, floristry, creative arts, or just wish to experience an enjoyable afternoon out.
“We are very welcoming, and tea, coffee and home made cake is included in the price of a ticket – what could be better?!”
The demonstrator at Purbeck Flower Club’s meeting in April 2026 was Sue Wall from Lymington who showed how to reuse and recycle interesting containers for flowers
One of Sue’s beautiful floral displays
Demonstrations and workshops
The long established Purbeck Flower Club is part of The National Association of Flower Arrangement Societies and runs a full programme of demonstrations and workshops throughout the year.
Normally, members meet every third Thursday of the month in The Studio at The Mowlem, however once a year, a special guest or guests are booked to perform in the main theatre.
The special guest in 2025 was NAFAS national demonstrator Mark Entwistle who dazzled on The Mowlem stage
Further information
- Tickets to see Coral Gardiner and Lucy Ellis are £20 to include tea, coffee and cake, and are available via emailing clive.cherrett1@homecall.co.uk
- Purbeck Flower Club meets on the third Thursday of the month except August and December at 2 pm in The Studio at The Mowlem in Shore Road, Swanage
- Follow The Purbeck Flower Club on Facebook
