Thank you so much to everyone who took part in and supported this year’s British Flowers Week!
A huge thanks to our five featured florists, the judging panel of Simon Lycett, Shane Connolly, Alice Vincent and Amy Gray and to all of you who embraced this annual celebration of homegrown blooms.
The Headlines
Yet again, the hashtag #BritishFlowersWeek was seen by millions of people on social media, reaching 2.7 million people on Instagram and 8.7 million on Twitter. There were around 7,000 posts from 3,500 different people using the hashtag. That’s a whole lot of British flower fans.
The press also got behind British Flowers Week with coverage in regional, trade and national media, including this article in The Daily Telegraph.
The Flower Market Photoshoot
Over the course of the week, the stunning British flower and foliage designs specially commissioned from the five featured florists for British Flowers Week were revealed online. And they spread like wildfire through social media being heavily commented on, retweeted and reposted.
Day 1: Mary Jane Vaughan
Opening British Flowers Week 2017 were the elegant designs of Mary Jane Vaughan, inspired by British architect, Dame Zaha Hadid OBE.
Day 2: Jennifer Pinder
On Day 2, Kent-based florist Jennifer Pinder’s deeply romantic floristry style lent itself perfectly to homegrown blooms.
Day 3: Matthew Richardson of Urban Flower Co
Mid-week on Day 3, Matthew Richardson of Urban Flower Co shone the spotlight on foliage with his bold, botanical creations.
Day 4: Abigail MacNiven of Petal & Stalk
On Day 4, Lincolnshire based Abigail MacNiven created three enchanting arrangements in her signature natural, wild style.
Day 5: Carly Rogers
In the grand finale on Day 5, Carly Rogers, combining her passion for flowers and fine art background, dazzled with her artistic floral designs.
The Events
There were over 35 events happening up and down the country with flower farmers flinging open their gates and florists imparting their skills in workshops.
British Flowers Week Photo Competition
We were completely blown away by the beautiful entries in our #BritishFlowersWeek photo competition on Instagram. Thank you so much to everyone who joined in and for doing such an amazing job representing British flowers all week long! It was such a challenge picking the three winners from the 2,000 entries.
Little Garden Flowers | @littlegardenflowers
This quintessentially British piece of floral art just summed up British Flowers Week for us. Lois from Little Garden Flowers teamed up with Chloë from @bareblooms to create this showstopper from 100% British flowers and foliage, no floral foam and a whole lotta love. Lois has won a one-on-one training session with award-winning blogger Rona Wheeldon of Flowerona to help her designs shine on Instagram.
Mad Lilies | @mad_lilies
We couldn’t resist this photo. A big group of florists enjoying British Flowers Week, clutching gorgeous flowers. What could be better? The team at Mad Lilies have got themselves £100 to spend on British flowers and foliage at the Flower Market. We can’t wait to see what they create with them.
Becky Crowley | @beckycrowley_
Derbyshire based grower Becky has been posting pictures of her stunning flowers in the cutting gardens at Chatsworth House all week. We were spellbound by these foxgloves waking up to sunbeams on Monday at the start of British Flowers Week. Becky’s won a selection of Liz Earle hand products to soothe those hard-working hands.
We also thought you may like to see some of the most liked images with the #britishflowersweek hashtag.
British Flowers Year Round
We hope you enjoyed this year’s British Flowers Week! Don’t forget British flowers are available from several traders at the Flower Market at New Covent Garden Market including Pratley, Zest Flowers and DG Wholesale Flowers. And British foliage can be found at GB Foliage and Porters Foliage.
By the way, do join us on Wednesday 28 June at the Flower Market when we’re holding our first Trade Open Day at our new location. There will be free entry, a pop-up cinema showing a short film about the move, plus complimentary drinks and snacks.