By Sophie Swain Stand Up For Southport
Brighter Blooms was one of the winners of a Gold Medal Award at the 100th anniversary Southport Flower Show.
Run by Matthew Smith, 43, and based in Preston, Brighter Blooms sees Southport Flower Show as a special event on the calendar.
Matthew set up the business in 2010. He runs it on his own with the occasional help from his wife.
Though based in Preston, Matthew grew up in Southport and got into gardening because of his mother.
Matthew used to visit the show as a child, with his mum taking part in exhibitions ‘now and then’.
Then when Matthew set up his own business, he decided to enter into various Flower Shows around the country, including the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, where he has won numerous gold medals and even the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Award for ‘Best in Show’ for his displays.
Brighter Blooms is an award-winning specialist grower of Zantedeschia (Calla). Matthew also sells his plants and rhizomes at shows, proving to be popular at the Southport Show due to his long line of customers.
When asked about why he likes the Southport Flower Show, Matthew said: “It’s friendly, everyone likes to talk and it’s good to meet new people.”
Not only does Matthew sell award-winning plants and put on colourful displays, but he also holds fundraisers for two charities ‘close to his heart’.
At his events, which include a bulb sale day, the ‘Preston Potato Day’ and tulip open weekend, hot drinks and cakes are available to purchase, with all the money raised going straight to the charities – Rosemere Cancer Foundation and Motivation Romania.
This May he raised £2,100 for both of them during his sixth-annual tulip festival.
Matthew will be exhibiting in the Grand Floral Marquee throughout the rest of the weekend, where ‘only the best horticulturalists are accepted’.
Visitors will be able to buy directly from Matthew who has a huge variety of tulips on display including Gladioli, Dahlia and Macau.
- For more details and tickets for Southport Flower Show please visit: www.southportflowershow.co.uk
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