About

Warwickshire flowers – small and local in Alcester, near Stratford upon Avon

Hello I’m Ruth – I have a flower plot and am living my dream! I love to work with the seasons and grow a wide variety of British flowers to supply to florists for their weddings and events. I also grow and prepare beautiful flowers for funerals – designed with love and care to provide a special and personal reflection.

I am at my happiest when working in the flower plot in my boots in all weathers – or in one of my greenhouses sowing seeds and nurturing my growing plants. I love selecting and growing an interesting and sometimes unusual range of plants. But I am at my best when picking flowers early in the morning – when I get such a chance to observe and react with nature. Once picked, the important task of curating my flowers ensures that the florists and private customers get the very best selection.

I primarily use my own flowers but there are occasions when I liaise closely with other growers to meet customer needs.

Seasonal and scented

My flowers and foliage are grown for their colour, form and scent. The varieties are specifically selected to have a lovely long stem length and to last well in the vase. I include English country garden favourites whilst adding each year interesting new varieties, colours and textures. My seasonal cycle is as follows:

• Cool temperatures of spring is when tulips, narcissi, ranunculus and anemone are at their best.
• As it warms up and we have lovely long summer days, cosmos, snapdragons, cornflower bring a riot of colour.
• Late summer and autumn glow with the rich tones of dahlias, zinnia, strawflowers and chrysanthemums

I am a strong advocate of mixing flowers with herbs, foliage and seed heads to add texture, smell, individuality.

Eco-flowers

I am passionate about the environment and I believe strongly in sustainability, biodiversity, low carbon footprinting and reduced travel miles.

My flowers are grown using organic principles i.e. no chemicals (herbicides, insecticides, fungicides) or artificial fertilisers are used. As a result, my flower plot is a haven for bees, butterflies and ladybirds and allows a strong balance between nature and cropping.

I follow a ‘no dig’ process to retain the health of the soil and recycle all the organic waste though my numerous compost heaps which is then returned to the flower beds the following year.

Sustainable floristry

My business practices are being refined and improved all the time to reduce any impact on the environment, through actions such as:

• Using minimal packaging which can be composted or recycled
• Making sustainable floral designs without use of floral foam or cellophane
• Avoiding single use plastics
• Encouraging the hire of vases, milk churns and jam jars for weddings and events so they can all be reused and keep a ‘low carbon footprint!
• Drying flowers through natural processes and without the use of bleaches and dyes
• Providing local delivery via my electric vehicle

Membership

• Member of Flowers from the Farm (FFTF) – sharing fun and camaraderie with fellow flower growers across the country.
• Member of the Association of Green Funeral Directors (AGFD) – offering environmentally friendly floral and foliage options which avoid the use of non–recyclable materials which create waste.