Plans blossom for celebration of British cut flowers

June sees the fourth celebration of British Flowers Week (13th to 19th June 2016), with a full programme of events taking place across the country.

The campaign, run by New Covent Garden Flower Market, unites independent florists and flower growers across the UK. Events will see British cut flowers in city centres, stately homes, gardening shows, flower farm open days and floristry workshops. #BritishFlowersWeek is set to be trending once again as images of exquisite British cut flowers, bouquets and spectacular designs from the Flower Market photoshoot hit the web.

It is no coincidence that British Flowers Week is held in the middle of June, just as the summer flowering season starts for flower farmers across the UK, when florists and the public alike can select from the best of British-grown sweet peas, peonies, lupins, alliums, delphiniums, snapdragons, flowering foliages, garden roses, garden pinks, cornflowers, lisianthus, stocks, sweet Williams, larkspur and countless more besides.

“British Flowers Week has become an exciting showcase for all that is truly brilliant about British flower growers and the independent British florist,” says Helen Evans of New Covent Garden Flower Market, the driving force behind the British Flowers Week campaign. “In the hands of professionals, British flowers and foliages are revealed at their inspirational best,” continued Helen.

It is good to see the British cut flower movement gaining momentum: during British Flower Week 2015 wholesalers noticed a marked sales peak in line with Mothering Sunday levels. The number of grower members of Flowers from the Farm (a network of artisan growers) is nearing 250, while DEFRA figures show an increase of 16% in land allocated to outdoor cut flower production in 2015 on the previous year.

You can get a full list of activities being held during British Flowers Week by visiting www.britishflowersweek.com

At BBC Gardener’s World live at the NEC Birmingham (16th to 19th June) Artisan cut flower growers from the Flowers from the Farm network will be exhibiting. Also planned for 18th June is a Flower Crown Portrait Day at the Electric Daily Flower Farm in Bath where you can make your own personal crown using flowers grown at the flower farm.

Popular floral demonstrator and Big Allotment Challenge judge, Jonathan Moseley, (pictured above left) will be giving floral demonstrations in Derbyshire and Yorkshire at two special workshops.

Coombe Blooms of Dorset will also open their beautiful cutting gardens for three days on 17th, 18th and 19th June.