ERICA Tippett, who established and runs Bleujen Florist in Bude, has qualified to compete in the 2010 Royal Horticultural Society's Chelsea Flower Show.

Despite setting up her business just over 18 months ago, Erica has already competed in several prestigious competitions. Last she year she finished second in the BFA (British Florist Association) 'Young Florist of the Year' category, which was held at various national venues and featured a wealth of competitors from across the country.

Now, she has managed to qualify to for the under 25s category at the Chelsea Flower Show, to be held this month. Erica said: "I am totally chuffed. This is a big thing for any florist.

"To get this far we had to enter a funeral tribute for a keen gardener. The entries are regional, so I entered at St Mellion, Saltash.

"Only the person who won would go through from each region, and unfortunately I came second so I didn't think I got through. However, after a couple of months someone dropped out and I had the second highest points total in the UK."

The challenge for competitors in Erica's category is to design and construct a fantasy parasol. The construction includes the framework of the parasol, which will be made by the individuals themselves. The diameter of the parasol must be over 50cm but no bigger than one metre.