Date/Time
Date(s) - 09/09/2022
7:30 pm
Location
Kilmington Village Hall
Categories
Charlotte Heavisides is one of a new generation of flower farmers who are trying to regenerate the once-thriving British industry. In order to illustrate the current state of the industry, Charlotte asked the audience whether they knew which of the flowers that are available in supermarkets are grown in the UK and it seems that tulips, daffodils and sweet Williams are UK grown but most other varieties are grown elsewhere. Charlotte then looked at the history of the UK flower industry as well as present developments and its possible future.
Until the 1950’s the majority of flowers were domestically grown and there were daily trains to major flower markets, for example, 200 million narcissi and daffodils were shipped from the Isles of Scilly in wooden boxes. The thriving rose-growing industry produced over 1 million plants a year before WWII, Harry Wheatcroft being one of the most well-known growers. Throughout the 70’s and 80’s 10,000 acres were devoted to daffodils and tulips in Spalding but by 1990 the acreage was down to 1,000. In the 1970’s there were more than 120 chrysanthemum growers producing 60 million blooms. Currently only 3 growers remain. And there are no commercial carnation growers in the UK.
In the 1950’s the Dutch government invested heavily in horticulture and subsidised flower growers. New methods and technology were introduced which put Dutch growers ahead of the competition and flowers were grown in huge greenhouses. Not only that, flowers from all over the world are traded every day in the Dutch auction system. Around 43 million flowers are sold daily! Charlotte continued to stagger us with the statistic that the average box of flowers travels 4,400 miles!
What are the advantages of the industrial level of flower farming? The majority of flowers can be bought all year round, they are cheap, uniform and, as they are mass produced, people know what they’re getting. They can keep abreast of trends and they have a long vase life.
The disadvantages however, are not inconsiderable. Flowers from overseas have a very large carbon footprint, they are treated with pesticides and fungicides and they are bred not to have scent. They are grown in areas where resources are low and water is diverted from local habitats and workers may not be treated fairly. Workers picking flowers are punished if they stand up more than twice a day. In Ethiopia, 2.5-4 million roses are produced per day. Flowers are sprayed with chemicals which are banned in Europe. An analysis from supermarket roses found 107 different chemicals – 50% pesticides, 46% fungicides, 4% growth chemicals.
Turning to the Flowers from the Farm initiative, which was set up in 2011, Charlotte explained that there is a website which lists all the growers who are part of it and the aim is to encourage more people to grow cut flowers for market in the UK and to promote British grown flowers. Obviously, the season is from March to November but the flowers change throughout the seasons, have more scent and pose no risk to health for either growers or florists and no two bouquets are the same.
The company, Smith and Munson, in Spalding has already embraced new ways of growing as they are growing tulips and summer lilies hydroponically and Electric Daisy is an ethical London florist using flowers grown in Somerset (also a member of Flowers from the Farm). People are asking more questions about the origins of flowers as there is increasing awareness of the choice of British flowers among the public. The group answers demand among growers to expand and there are encouraging signs that more growers are starting up. More florists are selling locally-grown flowers and they are using sustainable materials instead of floral foam.
The British flower industry used to be a thriving one and in order to regenerate it, the message is that people should support the industry by finding their local grower through Flowers from the Farm https://www.flowersfromthefarm.co.uk/
Charlotte’s own company is Flowers on the Hill [email protected]
Members came away resolved to buy fewer bouquets from the local supermarket!