Tel: +44 (0)1403 891412
Peonies
If you’re setting up a garden that might one day be cut for wedding flowers, then establishing a few peony plants will ensure that your late-spring / early-summer bride has lush, huge, scented blooms for her bouquet. The following are two recommended UK suppliers who have online catalogues and will ship UK-wide.
Claire Austin Hardy Plants
White Hopton Farm, Wern Lane,
Sarn, Newtown SY16 4EN
www.claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk
Tel: +44 (0)1686 670342
Kelways Plants
Picts Hill, Langport,
Somerset TA10 9EZ
www.kelways.co.uk
Tel: +44 (0)1458 250521
Shrubs
I don’t especially recommend any particular nursery for shrubs. I think you’d do best to go to your local plant nursery and ask. Remember, nurserymen and women are gardeners, and gardeners can’t help sharing information, so to ask them for help is to give them an opportunity to share knowledge: everybody’s happy!
Supplementary stock
Whether or not you’re worried that you may not have enough of your own stock for the big day, it’s a good idea to find a local supplier as a fallback option.
The following three websites list flower growers, as well as artisan florists who specialize in locally grown flowers (all contactable online only):
The British Flower Collective
www.thebritishflowercollective.com
Flowers from the Farm
www.flowersfromthefarm.co.uk
The Natural Wedding Company
www.thenaturalweddingcompany.co.uk
For British-grown flowers delivered nationwide in the UK:
Common Farm Flowers
Common Farm, Charlton Musgrove,
Somerset, BA9 8HN
www.commonfarmflowers.com
Tel: +44 (0)1963 32883
Our own company. We supply mixed buckets of flowers for DIY weddings. Take a look at our blog (www.commonfarmflowers.com) – a great resource for growing tips, floristry tips, styling ideas, wedding resources and more.
Other good suppliers of British-grown flowers are:
Flowers by Clowance
Clowance Wood Nurseries, Praze,
Camborne, Cornwall TR14 0NW
www.flowersbyclowance.co.uk
Tel: +44 (0)1209 831317
Tregothnan
Tresillian, Truro, Cornwall TR2 4AN
https://tregothnan.co.uk
Tel: +44 (0)1872 520000
Sundries and vases
Your local flower wholesaler will likely have a sundries department, but you can also find good suppliers online. Most florists’ sundries suppliers will sell to anyone these days, not just the trade. The only difference is that the more you buy, the better the price you pay. I don’t recommend any in particular, as they are all much of a muchness.
For the bride on a budget, eBay is a wonderful resource. Brides often use eBay not only for buying their wedding styling materials and other sundries, but also for selling them on after the big day.
Jam jars
Beware thinking that all is well because you know that Auntie Mary has a great big box of jars in her attic. She may well have those jars, but you need to get them out well in advance and check that they’re the right size, not covered with labels which need to be scrubbed off, etc. If it turns out that she only has 20 jars, and you need 70 for your scheme, then do look online for sources. There are many wholesale jam-jar suppliers, and they often have an ‘artisan’ section where they’ll supply smaller numbers of jars (say, in multiples of dozens) for artisan jam-makers and honey producers. I won’t recommend any in particular because, again, they’re all much of a muchness, but do check eBay as well, as another bride may be selling off a whole set (see above).
Workshops
If you’re growing your own wedding flowers, you might like to spend a day or two attending a workshop, which will give you confidence in growing, cutting and perhaps arranging your creations. We hold workshops on all these subjects here at Common Farm Flowers in Somerset, and there are lots of other workshops available in other parts of the UK. See Common Farm Flowers, Flowers from the Farm and The British Flower Collective websites (details for all above) for listings.
Books
For more on growing cut flowers:
The Cutting Garden: Growing and arranging garden Flowers
Sarah Raven
Frances Lincoln (1996; paperback 2013)
Sarah Raven has been enormously inspirational in encouraging people to grow flowers for cutting. I’m not sure that without her subliminal influence I would have ever thought of starting Common Farm Flowers. There are probably a great many more people growing cut flowers around the world thanks to her. Her book is a classic.
The Flower Farmer’s Year: How to grow cut flowers for pleasure and profit
Georgie Newbery
Green Books (2014)
This book is for novice as well as serious growers, with a great deal of useful and practical advice on how to start a cut-flower patch and soon have it flourishing.
For wedding styling:
Paula Pryke Wedding Flowers: Exceptional floral design for exceptional occasions
Paula Pryke
Jacqui Small LLP (2015)
Ms Pryke is an internationally renowned floral designer, and her book is useful for technical detail and showing the mechanics of creating floral designs.
Vintage Wedding Flowers: Bouquets, button holes, table settings
Vic Brotherson
Kyle Books (2014)
Ms Brotherson runs the enormously successful flower shop Scarlet & Violet in London, and is perhaps the best-known stylist in the UK using a wild and naturally grown look. This book is full of lovely inspirational photographs.
North American resources*
This section is contributed by Debra Prinzing, an award-winning author, speaker and leading advocate for American-grown flowers. She is the creator of Slowflowers.com, a free online directory that helps consumers find florists, designers and farms supplying American-grown flowers. Debra’s book Slow Flowers: Four seasons of locally grown bouquets from the garden, meadow and farm (St. Lynn’s Press, 2013) received a Silver Award from the Garden Writers Association in 2014. Her Slow Flowers Podcast with Debra Prinzing is available for free download on iTunes or at debraprinzing.com. Note: All addresses given here are based in the U.S., unless otherwise stated.
Seeds and bulbs
Here are some of my favorite sources of seeds and bulbs for the cutting garden. These retailers supply in quantities you would expect for the residential garden, and some will supply in bulk upon request.
Seeds
Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Co.
2278 Baker Creek Rd., Mansfield, MO 65704
www.rareseeds.com
Tel: +1 417 9248917
The largest selection of rare, heirloom varieties in the U.S. All its seed is non-hybrid, non-GMO, non-treated and non-patented, sourced from a network of about 150 small farmers, gardeners and growers.
Botanical Interests
660 Compton St., Broomfield, CO 80020
www.botanicalinterests.com
Tel: +1 877 8214340
A favorite among gardeners who value high-quality, heirloom and native varieties. You’ll also find USDA Certified Organic, edible and native flowers.
Johnny’s Selected Seeds
955 Benton Ave., Winslow, ME 04901
www.johnnyseeds.com
Tel: +1 877 5646697
The offerings from this employee-owned company are excellent, much sought-after by DIY flower growers and specialty cut-flower farmers alike. U.S., Canadian and international shipping options.
Renee’s Garden Seeds
6060 Graham Hill Rd., Felton, CA 95018
www.reneesgarden.com
Tel: +1 888 8807228
Seeds selected for easy culture and exceptiona
l performance for the home garden, with exciting and unusual choices of time-tested heirlooms, certified organic seeds and the best international hybrids.
Wildflower Farm
10195 Hwy. 12 W, R.R.#2, Coldwater, ON L0K 1E0
Canada
www.wildflowerfarm.com
Tel: +1 866 4769453
Established supplier of organically grown, non-GMO, native North American wildflower seeds, native grasses and wildflower seed mixes.
Bulbs
Brent and Becky’s Bulbs
7900 Daffodil Lane, Gloucester, VA 23061
https://brentandbeckysbulbs.com
Tel: +1 877 6612852
A comprehensive source for unique, healthy and robust bulbs (they also sell companion plants).
Eco Tulips LLC
3320 Lillards Ford Rd., Brightwood, VA 22715
www.ecotulips.com
Tel: +1 434 2426369
EcoTulips is the only supplier of certified organic tulip bulbs in the U.S.
Old House Gardens
536 Third St., Ann Arbor, MI 48103
www.oldhousegardens.com
Tel: +1 734 9951486
Known as the U.S. source for heirloom flower bulbs. The catalogs give historical details for each variety.
Roses
In addition to the following reliable mail-order sources, independent garden centers are often excellent sources for potted rose shrubs and bare-root roses.
Antique Rose Emporium
9300 Lueckemeyer Rd., Brenham, TX 77833
www.antiqueroseemporium.com
Tel: +1 800 4410002
A nursery source for pioneer and old roses, the Antique Rose Emporium sells and ships fragrant, own-root roses throughout the continental US.
David Austin Roses
15059 State Hwy. 64 W, Tyler, TX 75704
www.davidaustinroses.com/american
Tel: +1 800 3288893
All roses sold in the U.S. are grown in the U.S. Roses are supplied as premium bare-root, grafted onto Dr. Huey rootstock.
Regan Nursery
4268 Decoto Rd., Fremont, CA 94555
www.regannursery.com
Tel: +1 800 2494680
The largest online selection of Grade #1 roses, from producers all over the U.S. and Canada.
Dahlias
Corralitos Gardens
295 Alitos Dr., Corralitos, CA 95076
www.cgdahlias.com
Tel: +1 831 5960323
A mail-order business specializing in around 400 varieties of dahlias, sold as rooted cuttings rather than tubers.
Dan’s Dahlias
994 S Bank Rd., Oakville, WA 98568
http://shop.dansdahlias.com
Tel: +1 360 4822406
Dan’s Dahlias grows and sells more than 300 varieties of high-quality dahlia tubers.
Swan Island Dahlias
995 NW 22nd Ave., Canby, OR 97013
www.dahlias.com
Tel: +1 503 2667711
Swan Island is the largest dahlia grower in the U.S. From mid July to September, you can order cut dahlias by mail to addresses in the continental U.S.
Peonies
Adelman Peony Gardens LLC
5690 Brooklake Rd. NE, Salem, OR 97305
http://peonyparadise.com
Tel: +1 503 3936185
Adelman features nearly 250 peony varieties, including Itoh and tree peonies, as well as a custom peony fertilizer.
Peony’s Envy
34 Autumn Hill Dr., Bernardsville, NJ 07924
www.peonysenvy.com
Tel: +1 908 5783032
A nursery and display garden, with one of the most extensive collections of tree, herbaceous and intersectional peonies in the Northeast.
Supplementary stock
Wholesale flower markets open to the public
Few large wholesaler flower centers make it easy to purchase flowers without a resale license, but some of the best you can visit are listed here. Note: “Country of Origin” labeling is rare, so be sure to ask vendors to disclose the source their flowers. Don’t assume that all of the product is locally grown or American-grown.
Los Angeles Flower District
766 Wall St., Los Angeles, CA 90014
www.laflowerdistrict.com
Tel: +1 213 6273696
The Flower District of Downtown Los Angeles is a six-block floral marketplace, consisting of nearly 200 wholesale flower dealers operating under three distinct vendor groups. The public is welcome to shop here during restricted hours for a nominal fee per visit (see the website’s “Hours–Regular” tab).
San Francisco Flower Mart
640 Brannan St., San Francisco, CA 94107
www.sfflowermart.com
Tel: +1 415 3927944
Named “the best in the country” by Martha Stewart Living magazine, this market has more than 50 vendors, both California flower farmers and importers from other markets. Open to the public from 10am to 3pm, Monday through Saturday.
Seattle Wholesale Growers Market
5840 Airport Way S, Suite 201, Seattle, WA 98108
http://seattlewholesalegrowersmarket.com
Tel: +1 206 8381523
A farmer-owned cooperative providing cut flowers, greens and ornamentals from 14 Washington, Oregon and Alaska flower farms. Open to the public from 10am to noon, Fridays.
West 28th St. New York Flower District
Located mostly between 6th and 7th Streets, New York, NY
There is no umbrella organization that oversees the many small and large floral businesses located in Manhattan’s Flower District, but the intrepid DIY floral designer can buy direct from many of the wholesale houses. Always ask about the origin of the flowers – assume that most are imported, especially the roses.
Online sources
Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers
www.ascfg.org
A membership association for commercial cut-flower growers. You can search the online database of members who sell direct to the public.
Certified American Grown
www.americangrownflowers.org
A farmer-driven program that verifies the origin and assembly of flowers that carry its label. Many U.S. floral wholesalers also sell Certified American Grown flowers.
Slowflowers
http://slowflowers.com
With nearly 600 vendors in all 50 states, Slowflowers. com is a directory of American-grown flowers and the farms and florists who specialize in using home-grown flowers. Search by zip code to find regional sources, or by “National Shipping” to find farms that will ship their just-picked blooms to you.
Floral design supplies
Most flower wholesalers offer vases and floral supplies, but you can also find good suppliers online. For the bride on a budget, eBay.com and Etsy.com are wonderful resources, especially for vintage goods.
Vases and accessories
The Arranger’s Market
www.thearrangersmarket.com
Tel: +1 804 3081908
A mail-order resource for easy-to-use but hard-to-find containers, vases and vessels.
Dorothy Biddle Service
www.dorothybiddle.com
Tel: +1 570 2263239
A national mail-order resource for flower arranging, gardening and houseplant supplies and accessories. This is the only U.S. manufacturer of flower frogs – pin holders (kenzans) and hairpin holders.
Jamali Floral & Garden Supplies
149 W 28th St., New York, NY 10001
www.jamaligarden.com
Tel: +1 201 8691333
Jamali’s online store is a valuable site for DIY brides, with an extensive container and vase collection. Visiting in person is a plus.
Mason jars
The ubiquitous Mason or Ball jar is an American-made glass canning jar that is an affordable vase for garden weddings. Ball’s “Heritage Collection” offers colors from the past reissued for today, including teal-blue, green and amethyst, available in 6-pint or 6
-quart packs. Clear glass Ball jars come in even more sizes.
See www.freshpreservingstore.com
Workshops
The “Floral Workshops and Classes” category on Slowflowers.com allows you to search for hands-on design education in your community. Here are some of the most accessible workshop venues:
Filoli
86 Cañada Rd., Woodside, CA 94062
www.filoli.org
Tel: +1 650 3648300
The adult education department of Filoli offers numerous floral design workshops and a floral design certificate program.
Flirty Fleurs
http://flirtyfleurs.com
Florist and floral design blogger Alicia Schwede offers professional-level workshops at several locations across the country. Most are held in or around Seattle, Washington, where she is based.
FlowerSchool New York
213 W 14th St., New York, NY 10011
www.flowerschoolny.com
Tel.: +1 212 6618074
Perhaps the most extensive U.S. center for floral design education geared to both professionals and non-professionals.
Flower Duet
2675 Skypark Drive, Suite 205, Torrance, CA 90505
Tel: +1 310 7924968
http://flowerduet.com
Based just south of Los Angeles, Flower Duet offers workshops on bouquets, centerpieces and personal flowers for DIY floral designers, as well as guided shopping tours of the Los Angeles Flower District.
More inspiring resources
Field to Vase
http://fieldtovase.com
The blog of Farmgirl Flowers, a successful online floral service that is committed to using only American-grown flowers.
Floret Flower Farm
www.floretflowers.com
Floret’s blog is full of flower-growing inspiration and floral design tutorials.
Grow your own Wedding Flowers Page 17