The 2020 Potomac Floral Show and Design Competition will certainly be unforgettable! Due to COVID-19 and safety concerns, we took our annual event online with a webshow and livestreamed Q & A with the great designer and educator, Holly Chapple.
Watch as Holly walks through our cooler and explains the products that catch her eye, including novelty varieties of roses, unique foliage, and anything that has muddy, moody color tones!
Holly also touches on her experience pivoting from event work to retail during Covid-19 and explains how to work with specialty products and colors. Then, Holly answers viewers' questions live, covering everything from making flowers last, to using her Pillow mechanic, to her new line of vessels with Syndicate Sales.
In addition to our webshow, we took our other favorite component, the Design Competition, online. Eight incredible designers competed in the categories of Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water for our competition theme, 'The Elements.' The designs pulled inspiration from ocean waves, smoldering bonfires, floral scented breezes, and rich forests. It was a thrill to see how each designer interpreted their element.
It was our first time sharing the competition in this format and we had an unprecedented amount of participation, with votes received from around the world. After a week of close competition, we are proud to announce Erika Sierra of Gallery Blossoms as our deserving winner!
Despite it all, we could not have had a better time with this year's show. We are so grateful to all our staff and vendors who helped us with this terrific event. We can't thank Holly Chapple enough for sharing her considerable knowledge and positivity with our audience, and to all the incredible designers who contributed to our design competition, thank you for sharing your unparalleled skill and love of flowers with us!
Want to learn with Holly? Follow along on Instagram or check out her website for more. https://www.hollychappleflowers.com/learn-with-holly-1
Erika Sierra, Gallery Blossoms, Earth
Wynne Allen, Park Florist, Earth
Casey Hall, Country Blooms Florist and Gifts, Wind
Yekaterina Charnashei, CK Floral Design, Wind
Johana Bonilla, Jireh's Flowers & Events, Fire
Deb McDonald, Kate and Lily Floral Design, Fire
Ivanna Dzhulai, Ultra Violet Flowers, Water
Madeline Poe, The Enchanted Florist, Water