Galloway Flowers
  • Home
    • Flower Farm Tours
    • Farmers Markets 2020
  • Order Flowers
  • Wedding Flowers
    • Gallery
    • Wedding Flowers Enquiry
  • Funeral Flowers
    • Funeral Flowers Enquiry
  • Workshops
  • Blog
  • Contact
    • About
    • Join Our Newsletter
    • Environmental Policy
The 'Galloway Flowers' Blog
​by Rosie Gray, Flower Farm Florist

British Flowers Week 2019

11/6/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
  British Flowers Week is from 10th - 16th June and is an opportunity for British Flower growers to showcase the fabulous flowers available. Over 90% of the cut flowers sold in the UK are imported - grown in Africa, South America, Israel, India. I even saw Sweet Peas imported from Japan earlier in the year at New Covent Garden Market!
   Not very green, is it?
  Well, I want to show you there's a choice!
  We're becoming aware of the excellent quality fresh food grown in the UK & many now seek out locally grown vegetables, fruit, eggs & meat, concerned about 'food miles'. Top Chefs are proud to tell the story of the produce they use, it's provenance.
 But fewer people consider the 'Flower Miles' travelled by that bunch of flowers grabbed in the supermarket! Yet why not? 
  Britain used to have a thriving flower industry - I remember this as a child growing up in the Fens. We were surrounded by a farm growing Peonies.
  Gradually the British flower growers gave up, finding it impossible to compete with imports, an industry heavily subsidised by governments, poor transport links. The British Horticultural sector receives no government support. It's hard physical work too.
  Yet we can grow fabulous flowers in this country & a growing band of enthusiastic Flower Farmers are proving it. Many are members of an organisation 'Flowers From The Farm' (including ourselves) sharing knowledge & experience. Most are working on relatively small acreage, planting very intensively to maximise the space.
  And that's how we work too. Although we have 4 acres in total, at present only about an acre is used to grow flowers. That's manageable without heavy machinery & our focus is on growing a wide variety of cut flowers, often in small quantities. This means we can make up interesting bouquets & arrangements using flowers rarely available, except from a small grower. The flowers available changes through the seasons.
  These cut flowers are an important part of our cultural heritage - selected over many years to be the best they can be. Selected for colour, flower form, stem length & strength, for longevity. This diversity of cut flowers is interesting for those who love flowers in their vases & at those life events when flowers are a part of the celebration - weddings, birthdays, parties & of course, when it's time to say farewell to a loved one at their funeral.
  It's positive too for our environment - we've seen an increase in pollinators & birds since we began growing the flowers here at the Flower Farm near Castle Douglas. We grow with respect for the special environment of the UNESCO recognised Galloway & South Ayrshire Biosphere.
  The Lupins pictured are a great example of a classic British cut flower- tall, bold stems with character. They twist to form beautiful curves after arranging, perfect for large churns or an urn, or perhaps simply placed in a large jug on their own. Lovely from Late May to early June, & another burst in late summer if I'm lucky. Once they're gone, they're gone for another year. You'll never find these classics in a supermarket!
  So I invite you to discover the wonderful world of British cut flowers!  Ask questions whenever you see flowers for sale - where did these flowers come from? Who grew them? How many 'flower miles' have they travelled?
  At the Farmers Markets I attend, a 'Provenance Board' proudly displays the county every stem we sell comes from, all year round. Most are grown here in Galloway, others come from the Scilly Isles, Cornwall, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Lincolnshire. I know many of the growers personally & appreciate the care they take to grow top quality flowers.
  Above all, enjoy the wealth of blooms available when you seek it out. 

0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Rosie Gray of Galloway Flowers. Artisan Florist & Cut Flower Farmer near Castle Douglas, in South West Scotland. Using 100% Flowers & Foliage grown in British Isles, all year round.
    ​More info

    Picture

    Archives

    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    November 2016

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

    Picture

Love Cut Flowers?

    Join today for free flowery inspiration, growing & care tips, offers, news & more! Always hear about workshops & events at the Flower Farm first.

Join Now
Small posy of bright seasonal flowers grown & arranged by castle douglas florist copyright www.GallowayFlowers.co.uk
Picture
Galloway Flowers Regional Winners Scottish Wedding Awards 2020
Picture
Member
Copyright Galloway Flowers 2015 - 2021   All rights reserved
Growing Gorgeous Seasonal Cut Flowers & Foliage  in Castle Douglas, Dumfries & Galloway, Scotland
Artisan Flower Farmer Florist Castle Douglas, Flower Farm Scotland, Wedding Flowers Castle Douglas, Florist Castle Douglas, Funeral Flowers Castle Douglas, Sympathy flowers Castle Douglas, wedding florist Dumfries & Galloway, Wedding florist Kirkcudbright, wedding florist Gatehouse of Fleet, natural funeral flowers Dumfries & Galloway, wild wedding flowers Dumfries & Galloway 
​ 
  • Home
    • Flower Farm Tours
    • Farmers Markets 2020
  • Order Flowers
  • Wedding Flowers
    • Gallery
    • Wedding Flowers Enquiry
  • Funeral Flowers
    • Funeral Flowers Enquiry
  • Workshops
  • Blog
  • Contact
    • About
    • Join Our Newsletter
    • Environmental Policy