Florist News

Hi, This is my first post so a little about myself - I'm a self employed gardener , fully trained and also working part time in a plant nursery. I grew some cut flowers last year on my allotment & sold them for charity. It sparked something in me and now I want to do it for real !

Can anyone tell me if there is a market in my area (warwickshire) for english cut flowers and what the most popular ones are and really any other tips and advise. I am about to but a very small bit of land but if it turns out well I will look into something bigger. I'm really excited by this new venture !

Thanx,

Rachel

Hi Rachel and welcome to FN

I hope your little venture goes well for you. There is a very small niche market for British Grown Flowers and obviously the price would have to be right for florists to justify buying them as oppose to dutch/columbian etc.

Tell us more.

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Pidge


www.lilysfloraldesign.co.uk

A friend and I have been thinking similar, not growing flowers but growing plants from seed for the shop to bypass the ridiculous prices I have to pay. Im not sure how viable it would be on a larger scale though. Its probably worth talking to other growers, the ones I have spoken to dont seem to grow as much as they used to and now seem to concentrate on just one thing, ie tulips in spring. Im pretty sure you'd have to growing a shed load of flowers to make any sort of money.

i wonder would they last as well as the imported ones, i remember a dutch man telling me that as soon as they're cut in holland, they are immediately put into a much colder temperature and then transferred into a warmer one.....or something like that and i think this conditioning makes them last longer, not really sure exactly, i could be talking a load of rubbish!!!!!!!!

Well there's nothing to stop UK growers using the same conditioning techniques.

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We have a local supplier for all our spring bulb plants, bedding and summer plants, also they grow niggers, all spring, freesia and lillies, all seasonal,
I think there is a market if you get the local, florists and greengrocers behind you, its a lot cheaper,and people like local......i have quite a few customers who only buy local. and your keeping the money local. not going backout the country, good luck, im really envious as this was always a dream of mine

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Very very best of luck with this. Last year I tested out growing sweet peas my garden as I just can't seem to find a reasonable price from my suppliers. I produced over 1200 stems from about 15 home grown plants!!!! really really easy, I just got sick of having to cut the things!! They flowered from end of May til July. Scaled up I could have sold loads through the shop, so that is my plan this year. Loads of customers are really taken with the idea of local grown produce so I say go for it. You just need to bang your drum about it all be local at every opportunity so enough people appreciate what you are doing.

We grow our own dahlias and chrysanthemum sprays and blooms in season and this year we are having a go at gladioli as well. I'd say go for it I love it but as always it's not always as easy as it seems. Also as you grow it yourself people assume it's cheap Hope your new venture goes well for you.

MG

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Now the user name makes sense.

Thanks for all the replies, fortunately I live in an area where they love local produce, the flowers I sold last year went like hot cakes but of course keeping out any middle men keeps the price down. As for conditioning the bunches I made before lasted a long time in the vase without any so I need to do some investigating on that. The nursery I work in sells their own cut flowers and they sell really well (without any conditioning) which is what inspired me. Some market research is called for now to find outlets ! I will update you along the way !

Have a go you might be able to specialise in a certain area,I to have thought about this because of the stupid prices out there.