Netflix's The Big Flower Fight is the show you're going to binge-watch during lockdown

The Big Flower Fight is Netflix's exciting new eight-part series, which sees 10 pairs of talented florists, sculptors and garden designers, battle it out each week for the chance to design a sculpture at London's Kew Gardens.

Launching on Netflix on 18th May 2020, the show is presented by comedians Vic Reeves and Natasia Demetriou, and judged by florist to the stars, Kristen Griffith-VanderYacht.

Each episode, the 10 pairs will be given a different theme, which they have to create entirely from flowers and plants. Ranging from 'Green Giants' to 'Sea Creatures' and 'Fabulous Floral Fashion', the international teams will have to come up with a stellar display that fits in with each theme.

There are always elements to each challenge the teams have to stick to, in aid of the environmental and conservation, and no floral foam is used at all.

Once the teams have created their floral sculptures, they will be judged by Kristen, and one pair face elimination.

The Netflix series is like the Great British Bake Off but for gardeners. This is how Vic Reeves sums it up: 'It’s not Gardeners’ World. It’s punk rock gardening...a lot of the people here could be in bands. It looks like a documentary about some rock and rollers instead of gardeners. It’s really good.'

Take a look at the the cast of The Big Flower Fight, including presenters, contestants, judges and guest judges...

The competition will be hosted by comedians Vic Reeves and Natasia Demetriou. Vic is most famous for his comedy double act with Bob Mortimer, while Natasia is a comedian and actress who won the Skinny Debutant Award for her solo show, You'll Never Have All Of Me, at the 2014 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Kristen Griffith-VanderYacht, one of the world's most talented florists, brings a wealth of experience to the show. 'What's different about our show compared to other competition shows is that it takes art, creativity, and experience, and it allows the viewer to see design in a whole new world,' says Kristen.

'It's a similar concept to a makeover show: it starts with something quite basic, then the artist / designer comes in and reinvents it. There's a transformation element that I think is so appealing.'

Guest judges will be joining Kristen throughout the challenges. They are:

Humaira Ikram – garden designer and course leader for the Garden Design Diploma at the highly regarded KLC
School of Design.

Simon Lycett – one of Britain’s most famous floral designers, and the brains behind the royal family’s most special floral designs.

James Alexander-Sinclair (pictured)– leading garden designer and one of the most revered judges for the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), most famously the Chelsea Flower Show.

James Wong – Kew-trained botanist, science writer and broadcaster.

Melissa Richardson – founder of JamJar Flowers, a bespoke floristry business in London.

Sarah Eberle – garden designer with 17 gold medals in RHS Shows under her belt, and more than 40 years' of experience as a landscape architect.

Sophie Walker - Leading garden designer of her generation and the youngest woman to have designed a garden at the RHS Chelsea, aged 28.

RHS Chelsea Flower Show gold medal-winner, Yan, has been the director of florist company, Bespoke Flowers, for 20 years.

In The Big Flower Fight, Yan is competing in a team with Henck, from the Netherlands, who first discovered his love of flowers by working on family weddings.

Speaking about what viewers can expect from the show, Yan says: 'I don't think anybody has seen flower arranging on this scale! I think the living sculpture is something that is rarely done on this scale.'

Father and son duo, Jim and Ralph, enjoy working on creative projects together — and the show is their biggest challenge yet. Ralph is a groundsman at a school in Eastbourne and has a City and Guilds qualification in horticulture at Level 3, while son Jim studies 3D design and craft in Brighton.

Jim says: 'Through dad, I grew up with a love of the outdoors but I didn't love gardening so much. I was always the one who had to clear up after Dad had cut a hedge or whatever. That was a labour of love! I'm studying 3D Design and Craft, so this show is right up our street: it combines what we both do.'

Sarah and Jordan work together in the wedding floristry business, creating beautiful bunches of blooms every day. Sarah launched the business, Intrigue Designs, over 10 years ago, and Jordan – her daughter's best friend – joined her three years ago, becoming her 'right-hand woman'.

Talking about being on the show, Sarah says: 'My favourite thing about this show is that you have lots of different types of people. They have all worked with flowers or plants or design in some capacity, but not a single person out there does exactly this. So it's really interesting to watch artists, florists, plant specialists, fashionistas, coming together to figure out how to bring these living sculptures to life.'

We're looking forward to seeing what the duo design!

Head Gardener for Yeo Valley, Andi, has won silver medals at BBC Gardeners World and at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, too. Helen, who currently works as a YouTube presenter for Candide Gardening, also has a passion for gardening, plants and floristry. While the duo explain they have never done sculptures before, they are very ambitious.

What can viewers expect from the show? Andi says: 'It'll be funny, and very arty. For anyone who's creative in any way, it'll really float
their boat. It's not just working with plants, it's carpentry, metalwork, painting. It's a fun smorgasbord of crafty talents.'

London-based duo, Ryan and Andrew, say the show is like a 'high tension pressure cooker where we have to conceive, execute, and deliver high concept flower arranging'.

Ryan is a fashion and culture creator who has collaborated with the V&A Museum and the Tate Modern, while Andrew is a photographic artist. They met at a house party a year ago and
were a couple at the time of filming, but are now close friends.

Speaking about working with the judges, Ryan says: 'The set-up is brilliant, the hosts are phenomenal, and I think Kristen is a really great judge. He challenges you as much as he supports you. He's honest and he tells you how it is, but he says it with faith that you will do it better next time.'

Surrey-based Stephanie and Monet are the youngest duo in the competition, and they both run their own floristry businesses.

Speaking about the environmental message behind the show, Steph says: 'I think it's great that they put it in the show because that will attract those kinds of people who love nature and conservation as well as the sorts of people who like curated flowers and art and fashion. It's good to get outside. If you can bring the outside into your home, it's really good for your mental and physical health.'

Nick and Taylor, who met via Instagram three years ago, both have a mutual love of sustainability and urban horticulture. Taylor majored in Visual Arts at Columbia University, while Nick self-taught himself to become a plant coach and apartment farmer.

Speaking about the challenge of the show, Taylor says: We've never done anything like this whatsoever! Seeing the scale of things at
first was intimidating but soon we were just having fun with it, climbing up scaffolds and sitting on top of ladders. It's so fun, especially the creative problem solving.'

Fashion designer Chanelle runs her own fashion business and has worked with the likes of Cardi B, Stormzy and Idris Elba. Raymond has been running his own florist in East London — Sunflowers Florist — for the past 13 years. As well as having a shared passion for flowers and design, the two also love to sing in their local choirs.

'I like talking about the different plants and how they can
add to your garden and create an environment that is natural and good for wildlife,' says Raymond.

Duo Declan and Eoghan both have degrees in landscape architecture and met at the University College Dublin eight years ago. Before taking part in the show, the pair worked together covering residential and commercial landscape design and contracting.

Speaking about filming the show, Eoghan says: 'We've had a lot of fun, and I know the editing team will make it look even more
spectacular than it already has felt on the day. It's also very competitive and very creative. What people produce is spectacular. I think people will see it is much more than flower arranging.'

The final duo in the show is Rachel and Delilah, who entered the competition as they wanted to push their creative boundaries.

Rachel is a former contemporary dancer who loves to paint flowers and nature. Delilah has a degree in business and worked as a freelance floral designer before joining renowned Brooklyn florist, Rosehip Social.

Delilah says joining the show is a step in a different direction: 'It's allowed us to test our boundaries and see what we're really capable of. It's an amazing opportunity to work with plants and flowers.'

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