Sula and Oliver run Nice Bunch from their flower farm in Somerset. They grow their own flowers along with herbs, fruit and produce for local restaurants all with sustainability at the heart: “We set up Nice Bunch to be nice to work with, nice to work for, and nice for the environment.”

Inspired by their daughter, Koko, exploring the borders of their farm in summer, their installation for Flowers on the Edge was full of fruit, herbs, and edible flowers, designed to feel like a garden you could almost eat. “Living on a flower farm is a really beautiful thing, especially during the summer months when our daughter, Koko, is wandering around picking herbs, Alpine strawberries, currents from the bushes, and even peppermint. It just feels so magical to see her explore. We wanted to bring that childhood innocence and the sense of discovery together in our piece.”

The hero ingredients were currants and mallow, picked at just the right moment, the same way you would pick ingredients for chefs. “You’d have to have some sort of superpower to know exactly what’s going to be in the season so we like to kind of sign off on a concept, an idea, and then just pick the best of what’s available at that time of year when we get there.” This approach takes knowledge, skill and experience. From working in this way for a number of years, they knew the currants would be ripe. Then it was a case of netting them to ensure the birds didn’t get to them first.

Their piece was a real showstopper. Originally, it included the Alpine strawberries too but Koko ate the whole bowl before opening night! This is season-led floral design: part planning, part instinct, and full of life.