Learn About Seasonal Flowers
You will often read that British flowers are seasonal - but what does this mean and how do you know what might be available and when?
It would be easy to assume that some flowers are available all the year round, especially if you consider the typical flowers available in your local supermarket. But those flowers have probably been grown overseas with heat and in a protected environment, such as a glasshouse and with specialist lighting.
But just like home grown food, British flowers are seasonal, changing week by week and having a particular time when they are at their best. If you are planning a wedding, understanding the seasonal availability of different flowers will enable you to select the very best for your special day.
Many of the cut flowers we grow have been developed from native wild species here in the UK or around the world and grow in tune with the natural seasons - for example by responding to changing day length, temperature and weather conditions. By growing in sync with these natural patterns it is possible to have a changing palette of flowers from April to October with each flower being celebrated for its natural, sometimes fleeting, season.
The term seasonal is often used to describe when a particular flower is at its peak - when both quality and quantity are greatest and flowers are growing well. The term can also be applied to colours - for example, seasonal autumn colours are usually orange, red and burnt colours.
But there are also many variables in predicting what might be available - most notably due to the great British weather! A long cold Spring may delay the first flowers whilst an early frost in Autumn will usually bring a premature end to the fresh flower season. We do not grow under glass so all our flowers are subject to the vagaries of local growing conditions.
