British Bloggers in Support of British Flowers Challenge

www.commonfarmflowers.com grow and supply the most beautiful British Flowers 

I am romantic.  There are always flowers in my house especially when I am expecting guests.  A bowl of roses will sit on the side, or posies of sweetpeas delicately scent the room and while we slice cake for afternoon tea I stop for just a moment and admire them. Of course I always take flowers to friends whenever I am invited along with a pot of my own homemade jam .. and yet I’ve discovered recently that the cut flower industry has an ugly social and environmental impact. It shocked me.  As I started to research I noticed that the consequences written about in environmental publications rarely make mainstream media and like most people in the UK I’ve been routinely buying flowers without giving their provenance a second thought. 

It turns out that many of these beautiful flowers I've been buying have been flown halfway round the world and often come from counties where the workers have been exploited, the eco systems are being ruined and the farms where they are being grown are using high doses of agri-chemicals.  It’s wrong.  Just plain wrong.

We spent over £2.2 People aren't going to stop buying flowers and I want flowers as much as the next person .. however there are some things we can start doing, and so I am going to ask you  .. as you are reading this right now to start a flower revolution with me.   (Don't worry I'm not going to ask anything hippy .. !)

I am starting a campaign to ask that we foodies apply the same principles to flowers as we do to our food and support local, sustainable, seasonal and British. We've had a revolution in the way in which we source and buy our food .. it's time we applied the same logic to flowers. 

Think of the impact we foodies could have if we apply the same standards to flowers.  We’d revolutionize the way people think about flowers. 

It’s not going to be easy.  As I discovered it took quite some looking to find British flowers last week, however I have been researching and there are loads and loads of varieties of flowers all through the year.  But we have a chicken and egg situation and we need to generate interest, build up and nurture our growers and our florists. It will take time and I am discovering some fantastic floriculture already but we still import over 80% of our flowers.  That figure is far to high. 


I also appreciate that like pineapples, banana's, oranges and lemons   . there are flowers that we can't grow here, however like with our food choices the same principles apply and we should look for fair-trade options to be our first choice. 

There are lots of ways we can create change and I'd welcome any other suggestions  but to start with  ..   

• We can look out for British flowers in the Supermarket.
• Support our flower growers and buy from florist who stock local British flowers.
• Look out for local growers at the farmers markets and farm shops.
• Ask ask ask for British Flowers wherever you go.
• Bloggers can take part in my monthly British posy round up starting in May. (more info to follow)
• Sign up and take part on the posy swap at the end of June. (more info to follow)
• Grow your own..  it doesn't get more local that that!

Over the coming weeks I shall be researching and writing more about British flowers, providing a list of British cut flowers, when they are available and from who as well as some other initiatives.

In the meantime to kick start British Bloggers in Support of British Flowers Campaign I am going to ask my fellow food & lifestyle bloggers to step up and make a difference by growing your own posy.  I am so excited about this because Thompson and Morgan have offered the seeds and a fabulous prize to the best bouquet to make this campaign happen and it’s going to be gorgeous! 

If you’d like to take part please do the following:

• Choose any THREE varieties of flowers that you would like to grow from the ones featured on this page and leave a comment below to say which varieties you would like to grow and the name of your blog.  
• I will need your address to post out the seeds to please email it to me at recipes@vanessakimbell.com
• Please add the logo to your blog with a link back to this page.
• Please tweet this page to say you are taking part.
• Follow @thompsonmorgan on Twitter

On receipt of the flowers please plant them, love them water them, tend and then make a posy and blog a picture of your bouquet by the 15^th of August 2012.  Please email me so I can add you to the round up post.

There is a £100 voucher from Thompson and Morgan to the winner of the loveliest posy

Deadline to apply for he seeds is Thursday 3pm 19th April 2012 so please hurry!

There is a limit of 30 lots available.  seeds will be allocated on a first come first serve basis.

I passionately believe in sustainable Local British food supplied by Artisan producers and I grow my own vegetables in my gardens then if we all apply the same logic to flowers we will change our world for the better.

Take part. Making a difference has never been so lovely. Tell your Friends about #Britishflowers 

More information on each variety can be found in the links to the flowers on the Thomson and Morgan site below. 

Sweet Peas

Sweet Dreams

Ballerina Blue

Blue Ripple

Anniversary

Elegant Ladies 

Cosmos

All sorts mixed

Sweet Sixteen

Purity

Rubenza

Double Click Mixed

Double click Rose Bonbon 

Zinnia

6818 Whirlygig Mixed

5992 Candycane Mixed

6814 Lilliput Mixed

1787 Giant Double mixed

7794 Pulchino Mixed