and that's a wrap.... or is it?

And just like that the flower garden has receded into its winter slumber! There is still the odd Dahlia and Zinnia desperately trying to bloom but to be honest they just look a little tired and sad, especially after all the rain and winds this weekend. So is that it? Is the British Flower season over? Well, my garden Hellebores are waking and making a nice appearance, the Viburnam tinus has some promising buds and the foliage, berries and evergreen leaves are beautiful and in abundance so I don't think so.

The British flower year isn't over, its just different.... but do my customers want different? Or, do those in need of a floral gift or display want the traditional array of unseasonal flowers that have been hot housed, chemically treated and/or flown many many miles to get here? My task this month is to create some stunning arrangements with the beautiful selection of evergreens and berries available to me. I can always supplement these with dried British flowers (although personally I need to get better at preparing these)!

The daunting task of trying to change attitudes and expectations lies ahead. We need to make it easier for the public to buy more sustainably. If nowhere stocks a sustainable option then what is the customer supposed to do? I see it as a perpetual circle - the customer wants flowers from the florist, the florist buys from the wholesaler, the wholesaler imports what the customer wants... flowers. The customer has their flowers and they are happy. But what if the customer asks for British? What if we show the customer beautiful sustainable creations with foliage and winter flowering blooms? What if the stylists feature more sustainable arrangements in their marketing shots, their magazine shoots etc etc. I could go on for hours!

I'm going to start by simply asking you to help me create awareness. If you do just one thing when you next buy flowers, please just ask the seller where they were grown. I'm not saying don't buy them if they are imported (that's entirely up to you) I'm just saying that the more we ask this question, the more people will think about it.