As a florist, Glenda Stansbury has a natural flair with flowers.

But she is equally passionate about bringing her local community together - which is exactly what she hopes to achieve with the second annual FlowerFest event.

Glenda, who lives in Christchurch, hosted the inaugural festival last year, after being inspired by a similar, long-running event – the Temps de Flors in Girona, Spain.

Following the success of FlowerFest18, plans are now in full swing for the 2019 festival, which is set to take place in and around the town's most picturesque locations from June 14 to 16.

Glenda was delighted to see local businesses and members of the community coming together last year to create beautiful floral installations, making a trail around the grounds of Christchurch Priory and down onto the Quay.

She is hoping to emulate the success of 2018 and continue to grow the event, which also raises money for local charities - last year Dorset Mind benefited from donations, while Macmillan Caring Locally has been named as this year's benefactor.

"We all need TLC and Together we Link the Community," says Glenda, "that's the ethos of it."

"Each year I hope to be able to support a different charity, but to have that core of the community working on it."

Macmillan Caring Locally has even adapted the name of its Brick by Brick Appeal to include a "Plant by Plant" strap to reflect the FlowerFest's support. The campaign is raising money for a new unit at Christchurch Hospital.

"FlowerFest19 will support the garden element and increase awareness of the importance of having a calm and peaceful environment for not only the patients receiving palliative care, but also for friends and families to find some solace," explains Glenda.

A number of local business have already signed up to take part in this year's event. Companies such as Purewell Electrical, The Kings Arms Hotel, Captain's Club, Castle Cameras and Stewarts will be running a range of activities including workshops, demonstrations and competitions.

"Bournemouth Boating have said they would do little boat trips up and down the river and we are also going to develop a FlowerFest gin liqueur," says Glenda.

She is now looking for more corporate sponsors and participants, who are allocated an area of the town to decorate and advertise their business using flora and fauna. Each location forms part of a trail around Christchurch, depicted on a map given to visitors, with packages including "start up flowers", with the option to increase floral content for larger, bespoke designs.

This year's event will also feature a trade stands area on the Quay, with a mixture of horticultural-themed and other, complementary businesses helping to bring a little of the thriving gardening industry to Christchurch.

"It is a creative advertising forum, but 80 per cent of what we see visually is retained more than just seeing an advert in a magazine," explains Glenda.

"There's an opportunity for companies to do it on their own, to encourage them to think outside the box a bit with advertising, to think about their logo and how that could be emulated.

"Or I can go and see them and throw some ideas at them. I go back to the volunteers and say 'we've got to do this, how are we going to do it?' That's the nice side - I like the creative side."

Glenda's team of volunteers once again include students from Bournemouth's The Academy of Floristry, and she is now on the lookout for more carpenters who can offer their skills to help with the installations.

"Supporting each other we can achieve different things," she smiles.

"Every year I look at the Temps de Flors website and it's inspiring - but they are 60 years down the line, still being an inspiration.

I would like to think, five years down the line, we've got a mini Hampton Court or Chelsea on our hands. I like the fact that it's a feel-good factor and it's something that could really grow – my passion is in this."

W: theflowerfest.co.uk