Why we should support local floristry

Intermediate level

Many of us choose to buy cut flowers whether its to brighten up our home or tell a friend or loved one that we are thinking of them. Florists are the experts at arranging groups of flowers into beautiful bouquets. The industry has changed significantly over the years with ever-increasing competition from large florists putting the squeeze on smaller independents. When Tom from Florist up my street got in touch to discuss how we can easily support local floristry, and get better bouquets at the same time, I jumped at the chance.

If you’re a Garden Ninja follower you know I’m passionate about supporting local businesses, especially in horticulture. These local enthusiasts hold an invaluable source of knowledge and skills when it comes to growing beautiful plants. The brilliant thing about horticulture is the willingness for us all to share our knowledge and experience with other gardeners.

I’ve yet to meet a gardener who doesn't want to spill the beans on their garden, plants or methods! These niche businesses not only bring diversity and expertise with their plants but quality. In a world where we have put speed and low prices first we seem to have forgotten about quality. This article is going to explain why you should support local floristry.

Sending, receiving or arranging cut flowers has long been a past time here in the UK. In fact, I myself once attending Flower arranging at the age of 8 (I may have been asked to leave the group permanently for talking too much and disrupting the evening classes, but that's another story which still smarts). Years ago it would have been a trip to the local florist gaining expert advice for that perfect bouquet.

However, in these increasingly busy times, we are now looking to online floristry to provide this service. Leaving the local florist out in the cold and being served a generic set of displays. Florist up my street aims to change that and put the flare back into local floristry.

What's the problem with large florists and cut flower companies?

Would it shock you to know that the large cut flower companies can take a large commission of around 36% per order? Would it also worry you that they can also dictate to the florist what flowers must be used and how many of them? Meaning fewer flowers for the consumer and a lower return for the florist all in the name of convenience. Florist up my street aims to provide that convenience but without the high commission rates or restricted bouquet selections.

Floristry & The Bumblebee Conservation Trust

With conservation being a key focus for Florist Up My Street, they have partnered with friends at The Bumblebee Conservation Trust offering 10% of sales from the ‘bumblebee bouquet’ to be donated to the trust. The trust is working hard to save our native bee species with studies of bee behaviour and education on how we can all help at home. An important part of our ecosystem that affects wildflower and food crops; remember my fruit trees to save bees blog post?

Chelsea Flower Show Bouquets

For the 2019 RHS Chelsea Flower Show, Florist Up My Street and Mad Lilies have teamed up to create a beautiful collection of exclusive bouquets. All designed around the themes and ethos of this year’s show, including sustainability, children's learning, sensory, natural woodlands and conservation all key topics in Garden Ninjas recent blog posts.

The Chelsea themed bouquets are based on the following themes:

Hopscotch

Inspired by children’s learning through play.
Bright sensory colours of a playground, Sweet smells of playing fields and happy sounds of children innocently laughing and coming together from all diversities.

Bumblebee

Inspired by conservation and the work we do with The Bumblebee Conservation Trust.
British bee-friendly flowers aim to educate the importance of our native wildflower populations and bee ecosystems in aid to support our crop pollination.

Into the Woods

Inspired by the importance of our natural woodland and the positive effects it has in the fight against climate change.
Woodland friendly blooms and foliage that help feed our wildlife and provide our wonderful woodland aroma.

Sensory Sensation

Inspired by a reconnect with nature and the beauty of the natural world. One of the main themes at this years RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
Feel good benefits of gardening are an all-encompassing sensory experience, focusing on scent, colour and touch.

Florist Up My Street uses local florists to supply cut flowers reducing delivery miles and increasing the variety of bouquets

Why buying local flowers is a good thing:

Support small local business and local people.
The florist can create what they love to create and share their expertise meaning better product for you!
Local moves with the seasons as flowers should providing diversity.
You get more flowers for your money.
Without the mass production and packhouse postage, you are likely to see a more natural style of bouquet and more interesting flowers.
Many support British flowers. Large florists buy in mass from all over the world. These have huge air miles and are grown to last, reducing their scent as they may be weeks since cutting.
Many support our plastic-free pledge. A pledge from our florists to offer bouquets without the use of plastic. Mass produced bouquets require cellophane and plastics to store a cost-effective water source. In fact, plastic is a huge problem in floristry throughout the supply chain, which is something we are really keen to challenge.

Who are Florist Up My Street?

Florist Up My Street is an e-commerce platform rivalling the likes of Interflora with its unique take on flower delivery.

Each flower bouquet, plant, sympathy tribute and floral workshop, available to purchase on the website, is created by a top, independently vetted florist just down the road from the customer. Resulting in more creative arrangements, higher quality products, better service and more bloom for your buck.

A bouquet from Florist Up My Street featuring some wonderful Eryngiums and seasonal flowers

An ethos within our marketplace is to be creative and fair and to offer amazing seasonal and stylish products. We thought that the RHS Chelsea Flower Show would be the perfect time to celebrate our partners’ unique creativity and design.

Supporting Local Florists

It’s really nice to see an innovative business in horticulture that is bringing you the customer better, offering local products, and supporting diversity in the ranges of flowers that can be supplied. Not to mention the reduction in shipping miles. All from local providers. If this is something that interests you why not get in touch or share this article? Then together we can help spread the word!

Happy Gardening!