Head gardener at Yeo Valley Organic farm, Andi Strachan, stars in Netflix series The Big Flower Fight, which is available to watch through the online streaming service from today (Monday).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6ZxASdQkVU&t=26s

Andi from Yeo Valley Organic farm in Blagdon will work alongside Helen Lockwood from Bristol gardening app Candide who feature in the show alongside nine other pairs of gardening gurus from around the world.

The Big Flower Fight challenges amateur gardeners to create spectacular, large-scale flower displays for a chance to design their own sculpture at London’s Royal Botanic Gardens Kew.

The series is hosted by comedians Natasia Demetriou and Vic Reeve and the show has been described as the Great British Bake Off of the flowering world.

Andi said: “It’s really competitive but a lot of fun.

Weston Mercury: Best friends Andi Strachan and Helen Lockwood feature in new Netflix series The Big Flower Fight. Picture: Andi StrachanBest friends Andi Strachan and Helen Lockwood feature in new Netflix series The Big Flower Fight. Picture: Andi Strachan (Image: Andi Strachan)

“You’re against the clock and it is tense with the judges and with the other competitors, but we had so many laughs.”

Each week, the winning floral design will be given a Best In Bloom prize, while the losing duo’s creation will be sent to the compost pile.

The highlight for Andi and Helen had been to bring nature, conservation and the Somerset countryside into the show, focusing on Andi’s day job at Yeo Valley Organic Garden, where farming and gardening have a positive impact on wildlife and the environment in the district.

Andi continued: “We tried to bring a bit of nature and conservation to the show.

“Living and working in the beautiful Somerset, with our lives surrounded by natural beauty, it was impossible not to show our love for wildlife and the county in our creations.

“I spend my working days sharing the Yeo Valley Organic Garden with visitors, telling them how our rich tapestry of flowering plants, shrubs and meadows are designed to encourage wildlife and support pollinators, as well as giving people tips and tricks for gardening organically and a better understanding of the benefits of organic living.

“We missed creating things together, so when I saw the advert to participate in the show, we jumped at the chance to apply.

“It’s not often that you get to work with one of your closest friends in the very thing you both love doing most and to share that experience with the world.

“I hope that when people see this show they see it is a lot more than flower arranging and observe the immense creativity that can be made from the natural world.”

For more information about Andi’s work, visit www.yeovalley.co.uk/blog/meet-andi-our-head-gardener/