In 2011, Gill Hodgson sat at her Yorkshire kitchen table and searched online for a membership association to help grow her fledgling flower farming business. Finding that such a organisation didn’t yet exist, she decided to set up Flowers from the Farm there and then. Read the story of our first 10 years.
From its humble beginnings, Flowers from the Farm has blossomed to become the voice of nearly 1000 local, seasonal flower farmers nationwide. The UK flower farming movement has grown in reach and confidence every year, winning awards at renowned flower shows including Gold at the prestigious RHS Chelsea Flower Show in 2018, partnering with the Royal Horticultural Society at Hampton Court and with London’s Strawberry Hill House to produce the UK’s most sustainable flower festival.
In 2023 Flowers from the Farm worked closely with Shane Connolly, the floral designer and sustainable floristry advocate, to bring seasonal, sustainably, UK-grown flowers to the heart of Westminster Abbey, a gift from Flowers from the Farm to HM King Charles and Queen Camilla on their coronation.
Flowers from the Farm’s Honorary President, Gill Hodgson, said:
“It feels as though flower farming has come of age and I could not be prouder of Flowers from the Farm. A decade ago, we were told that our flowers were just for bunting and jam jars, so to see them in Westminster Abbey designed by Shane Connolly, an internationally acclaimed floral designer, is a very special moment. It is incredible to think that the flowers that were just a few days previously growing in my Yorkshire field are now on display to the world in a building of national importance on such a momentous occasion.”
Like our Chelsea Flower Show triumph in 2018, the Coronation is a landmark moment in the UK and wider international ‘Slow Flowers’ movement and demonstrates that local, seasonal flowers deserve to be seen at state occasions just as much as they do in bridal bouquets, funeral tributes or vases in the home.
Jo Wright, Co-chair of Flowers from the Farm said:
“We are delighted and honoured to be involved in this historic event, which places British flowers and small-scale growers centre stage. It has been a pleasure collaborating with Shane Connolly on the design and with Flowers from the Farm members from all corners of the UK to showcase the beauty and rich diversity of UK grown spring flowers.”
Our aim is to support flower farmers across the UK and to get our seasonal, local flowers onto the biggest stages where their beauty and perfume can speak for themselves.
Read how we worked with floral designer Shane Connolly to see flowers grown by our members from across the UK gracing the coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey.
Why flower shows proved the perfect platform to launch our fledgling organisation onto the national stage as we set out to promote local, seasonal flowers.
Find out more about those who have made the leap into flower farming and what it’s like.
