As many of you may have noticed during the few locked-down months, there is nothing quite like an English garden or British florals. At Pinstripes & Peonies, we try to champion locally grown flowers as much as possible for many reasons; to support local business, offer more sustainable options for our clients and to celebrate what this wonderful land can produce!
This week we reached out to Rosebie Morton, Founding Director of The Real Flower Company. With flower farms based in Hampshire, Sussex and a Fairtrade sister farm in Kenya, The Real Flower Company are world-renowned for producing naturally scented roses as well as an array of exquisite flowers, herbs and foliage.
Hi Rosebie! We’ve visited the farm in Hampshire before and just completely fell in love with everything about it! What is the best thing about working for the Real Flower Company?
“It’s largely due to the tools of our trade! Growing and working with gloriously scented roses, fragrant foliage & aromatic herbs and transforming them into magical bouquets is a job which gives great satisfaction and to know that they are bringing happiness and uplift to those who receive them is the icing on the cake.”
You’re not wrong; we can always spot The Real Flower Company roses from a mile off when we’re in the market, and there’s no denying where they’ve come from when we smell them. Just stunning!
What is the most popular flower that your clients order and why do you think that is?
“Scented Roses and Sweet Peas. Their colours are unique and seem infinite in variety, and the first thing you do when presented with flowers is to breathe in the perfume; the unmistakable and evocative scent of these flowers never fails to transport you to happy times and places.”
It’s true – we did an exclusively British-grown event last summer for a client, and we had so many compliments on how wonderful all the roses smelt. It transformed what was a very urban space into a magical garden thanks to the beautiful scent – it’s so much more evocative than people think!
What challenges are there for UK flower growers compared to those in your sister farm in Kenya?
“We always have the challenge of the weather. Late frosts are wreaking heartbreaking havoc on new buds and leaves, damp, humid weather which can bring on a spate of mildew, insect damage and a raft of other things waiting to catch us. Kenya has a much more consistent climate, and the local workforce is incredible at managing the massive workload that goes with growing flowers.”
The world might laugh at us Brits for how much we talk about the weather, but when we work with a natural product, it has so many consequences! We’ve had so many moments of trying to warm flowers up or cool them down, so they’re at their optimum. If our clients could see us with buckets of flowers around our desks to be closer to the warmth, they’d think we’re mad!
A final question for you, what would be your dream bouquet?
“My dream bouquet would be a bouquet filled with Margaret Merril and other English flowers and herbs, very scented and letting the flowers do the talking!”
Sounds absolutely stunning!
You can find out more about The Real Flower Company here or check out their beautiful work @therealflowerco.