As we head for Valentines Day

British Flowers Rock!

As we head for Valentines day – 14th February just in case you’ve been away on Mars for a while – our thoughts turn to Roses, particularly Red Roses, long recognised as symbolising love and usually the bouquet of choice at this time of year.

Did you know that most of the blooms bought & sold this February will be grown and flown in from places like Kenya or grown under heated glass in the Netherlands. 

Which is a strange thing when you think about it. We are all familiar with the English garden rose, synonymous with a special kind of beauty and symbolising the transience of natural things.

Maybe it’s time to question where our roses are grown, how much they are costing the earth to grow in this way. You could show your love for the planet as well as your beloved by searching out British grown roses.

There’s an obvious snag here – English roses bloom in June not February – look at the wild roses in our hedgerows and the hybrid-teas and floribundas in our gardens. Some, like the rugosas, which later have hips the size of cherry tomatoes, tend only to flower in mid summer. Others flower right through the season. Rose breeders like David Austen have worked hard at developing many modern varieties which can repeat bloom throughout the summer months – Desdemona is a gorgeous example. So if you choose your varieties carefully you can have a garden full of roses all summer.

But if you are looking for cut flowers, even in the summer, the vast majority of roses used in florists in the UK are still grown abroad and flown here. So maybe cut we need to find another way, other than roses, of expressing our love for our dear ones and the planet? 

What’s the option then, if you would like to choose British flowers for your Valentine or your Galentine this year.  (Galentine’s day celebrates women’s friendship and handily happens on 13th February each year!)

Perhaps seeking out growers who have British flowers available at this time of year – narcissi, tulips, anemones and hyacinths, all mixed up with gorgeous twiggery pokery and some garden greenery. Sometimes it’s difficult to know what to do to help our environment in the face of climate change – making a different choice when buying flowers is one small thing that can make a difference.

Remember:

Tulips are red, anemones are blue and if you choose British flowers, there’s much less CO2. 

And if you want roses, find a local grower who has them in season. You could always buy your love a second bunch of flowers this summer – that would be a lovely surprise for them wouldn’t it!

Vanessa Swetman

www.kitchengardenflowersandproduce.org.uk

First published in the Peak Advertiser Feb 2024