Igniting the Passion for British Flowers: British Flowers Week

Putting British grown cut flowers and foliage firmly in the spotlight, the 2024 British Flowers Week will take place on from the 3rd to the 9th June.

Quirky Flowers featuring grower Nicola Stocken
credit: Quirky Flowers

Initially organised by New Covent Garden Market, Flowers From the Farm, the industry body that promotes small-scale growers of local, seasonal British cut flowers, has taken over the coordination of British Flowers Week. Flowers from the Farm, with its membership of more than 1000 flower businesses across the UK, is uniquely placed to lead the industry-wide campaign to increase the share of the UK market occupied by flowers grown in this country.

Shining the spotlight on the industry, British Flowers Week raises the profile of growers, wholesalers and the florists who work with UK-grown flowers. All retailers, wholesalers and growers of British-grown flowers are invited to get involved by organising flower-filled events to inspire and engage; from flower flashes, pop-up stalls and window displays — to talks, flower-field tours, sustainable floristry workshops and demonstrations. According to the new organisers, all events and activities organised for British Flowers Week will outlined on the new website, which will go live in Spring 2024.

Wendy Paul, Co-Chair of Flowers from the Farm said: “New Covent Garden Flower Market’s work in coordinating British Flowers Week for the past decade has helped put British cut flowers on the map. It’s now Flowers from the Farm’s turn to take the campaign forward into its second decade and we cannot wait to get started! Today, UK-grown flowers have just 14% of the UK cut flower market. We want to change that and we’re looking forward to working together with our friends and colleagues across the industry to ignite a passion for British cut flowers.”

From 2025 onwards British Flowers Week will run from the second to the third Saturday of June.

Garden Museum British Flowers Week

Highlights include the annual Garden Museum British Flowers Week celebrations by means of their exhibition of floral installations, which this year will take place from 6th – 10th of June. Five of the country’s top floral designers have been invited to build show-stopping floral installations around the museum using seasonal, British-grown flowers. Exhibiting this year are Debrah J Flowers, Hamish Powell, LUNARIA, Milli Proust of Alma Proust Studio and Swallows & Damsons, chosen to represent the diverse range of styles blossoming in floral design across the country.

New Covent Garden Flower Market will also be hosting daily tours focusing on the market’s wholesalers trading in British flowers and foliage.