The flowers used to say goodbye are not just flowers, they are flowers that meant something to the loved one or to the family. Displays I create very often include much loved flowers from the loved one's garden, foliage grown from seed from the person's life being honoured, things that mean more than just a display - they are recognition of a life well lived and a life well loved.

In this modern world we are expected to be “on” and connected (to each other/the web/the world) pretty much 24/7 365 days a year.
We end up with apps to help us sleep at the end of the day, caffeine to help wake us up in the morning and a lot of us feel really sad when the nights draw in and the days get shorter. But we were never meant to live like that.

I look at my flower farm and it’s now so obvious to me where we’ve all gone wrong and how easy it is to follow nature’s guidance and live more seasonally.

mMost bouquets sold in the UK carry a heavy environmental story that never makes it onto the label.

Around 90% of cut flowers sold here are imported, mainly from Kenya, Ethiopia, Colombia and the Netherlands. They arrive via cargo planes, refrigerated lorries and energy-hungry cold storage. By the time they reach a vase, they’ve already travelled thousands of miles.

That journey matters.

Living and working so closely with the seasons has taught me something important: we need winter as much as the land does.

There’s enormous pressure in January to reinvent ourselves. To leap into action. To be productive, energised and full of plans from the first day of the year.

But nature doesn’t do that. Nature harnesses the power of wintering

Flowers that are grown locally and picked just before delivery haven’t spent days or even weeks in cold storage or transit. That means they arrive with you fresher, brighter, and with a much longer vase life. You’ll enjoy them for weeks as they bloom naturally in your home.

Planning a rustic wedding? Locally grown flowers from Carisbrooke Flower Farm are the perfect match for a natural, relaxed vibe while staying sustainable. Here are my five tips to make your special day unforgettable.