British Blooms

January. A month where we set goals or resolutions.  Much of this off the back of over indulging over the Christmas period and a need to get back on track. It’s probably the hardest month to do this. Denying ourselves in what is arguably the most miserable month of the year. It’s not all bad though and in many ways January promises that brighter times are on the horizon.  The days are getting longer and the snowdrops start to appear in the ground. In the language of flowers the snowdrop symbolises hope. Snowdrops are one of my favourite flowers. (Incidentally they don’t make very good cut flowers, the snowflake makes a great cut flower alternative). The snowdrops have started to appear in our London garden, and are the perfect antidote to the winter blues.  Every year we head to the Chelsea Physic Garden where they have an amazing display of numerous varieties of snowdrops.  “Heralding spring’ starts Saturday 26th January.

January is also a challenging time for buying British grown flowers. There is very little available to choose from. Beautiful paper whites and different narcissi are however in abundance but it’s not really enough.  As the month progresses we start to have more of the amazing British tulips from Smith and Munson. We are all very aware of the efficiency in which the Dutch have come to grow tulips, however, for me there is no better tulip than those grown in Lincolnshire by the amazing family business Smith and Munson. They are exceptional.  Not everyone is a fan of lillies as they tend to be very much like marmite, yet Smith and Munson lillies are incredible too.

I always try where possible to use seasonal, British flowers, however, we find ourselves relying on imports at this time of year. There is an abundance of British grown foliage at this time of year which is fantastic. Not so much the flowers. You only have to look at the weather at this time of year to realise why there is very little around. Flowers don’t tend to thrive in the cold. Most of the amazing British flower farmers finish supplying flowers after the first frost. At this moment it feels like so long ago. In reality it was only a couple of months back where most of my arrangements had beautiful British grown Dahlias. In fact they featured in my last wedding of 2018 on November 4th.

As a London based florist I don’t tend to visit the many different flower farms during the months when they sell their wonderful blooms (I am going to visit this year though that’s my resolution). Not because I don’t want to but mainly because it involves a 45 minute drive to the closest farm. I am located just over a mile from New Covent Garden Flower market where I pretty much buy all of my flowers.  My first stop is aways Pratleys and I try to buy as much as i can from them. They specialise in everything British. Most of the flower farms supply daily seasonal flowers to Pratleys over the spring and summer months.

So why choose British flowers? In many ways it follows the same principal as us buying locally grown food.  Firstly you are supporting our local farmers.  

The quality of British grown flowers in season tend to be better and fresher as they haven’t been packaged up to travel across land and sea to get to you.  Again a parallel with our food choices. For example, It’s hard to beat British asparagus when in season. The freshness will always beat asparagus flown in from afar. It’s better for the environment as put simply the blooms don’t have to travel as far.

For me as a florist buying seasonal British flowers when I can keeps everything more interesting and certainly more varied. I feel inspired by the changing of the seasons. It’s exciting to find what will be available on any given day at Pratleys in New Covent Garden Market. Every box as intriguing as the next.
People are defiantly taking on board the journey that our flowers take to get to our vases in our homes.   ‘Flowers from the farm’ (a cooperative of British flower growers) who promote British flowers  won gold at the Chelsea Flower show last year.

With the relationship with the EU somewhat up in the air I feel this year we really will have to embrace the British flower industry as much as we can.  It is unknown how we are going to use flowers from abroad as even flowers that come from further afield  than the Netherlands most are transported into and out of the Netherlands.  We are yet to know the full impact of Brexit on the market for flowers. Currently flowers leave the Netherlands at lunch time and they are driven across the channel freely and are dropped off in our shops, studios and markets around 5am in morning.  If you live outside of the South East of England it probably takes a little longer for the flying Dutchman as they are called to get to you but it will still be the next day. When we leave the EU this free movement of flowers will be removed. The lorry arriving at the port with the flowers from Holland will have to declare their goods. So, for example £20,000. Time will be lost here as every lorry will be checked. On returning to the Netherlands with their empty lorry they will declare they have sold the £20,000 of flowers. At this point there is an amount of tax to be paid. Who absorbs this cost remains to be seen.

Even if  we do fully support British flower farms and growers it should be remembered that we do still need flowers from outside of the UK especially on these later colder months of the year.

Happy 2019 to you all. 
Kelly x