THE FLOWER PATCH COMPANY

In a quiet corner of Worcestershire two women have been busy sowing and growing flowers as a backlash against imported, chemically imbibed floral offerings from supermarkets, which have clocked up 1000s of air miles in order to get on the shelves.

Alex Stevenson and Zoë Wood set up The Flower Patch Company in 2008, both to save flower air miles and as a response to the current trend for local, sustainable produce. Their hand-tied bunches of sweet peas, larkspur, nigella and dahlias, to name but a few of the vast array of cottage garden plants they grow for cutting, are often vibrant in colour and heady in scent, moving away from the mundane scentless roses, white lilies and carnations often grown for their uniformity and shelf life.

Despite the vagaries of the unseasonable weather in their first year, with a warm April, a cold May and a very soggy summer, the flowers proved to be a huge success. Alex states, ‘The added bonus of buying local is that the flowers are usually fresh from the field and haven't clocked up hours being air freighted, hence they have real staying power. The most common comments are that the flowers lasted for ages.'

In addition the vibrant colours of traditional English flowers will also be a draw for the local wildlife and Alex and Zoë grow all their flowers organically. Encouraging a wide range of beneficial wildlife to The Patch is key to their success. As herbicides and pesticides are not used, when the flowers reach the end of their vase life you can throw them on the compost without the fear of nasty chemicals being added to your heap.

So spring is just around the corner and The Flower Patch is kickstarting into action, the polytunnel is full of new seedlings ready for planting out and Alex and Zoë are brimming with ideas for expansion. More and more people are thinking about how they can minimise their impact on the environment, and one area that Alex and Zoë are hoping to expand into is Green Weddings. They will be working closely with The Fold at Bransford to provide a one-stop service for the eco-conscious bride who wants an eco-friendly wedding with a difference.

So how do you get your hands on some of these fabulous flowers? The Flower Patch Company can be found at the Teme Valley Farmers Market at Knightwick on the 2nd Sunday of the month throughout the growing season and hopefully The Fold Markets (dates to be confirmed). You can also contact them directly and, if you give enough notice, you can pick up a bunch direct from the field. They also offer a delivery service in the local area. Look out in the next few weeks for their scented narcissi, followed by tulips and then an abundance of summer flowers. Also, by popular demand, the ‘Flowers in a Bucket' scheme will be returning. If you buy cut flowers on a regular basis why not subscribe* to this scheme and get beautiful seasonal flowers delivered to your door (on either a two-weekly or monthly basis). The flowers have only travelled a few miles as opposed to 1000s of miles and look as fresh as when they were picked.

But if you are not lucky enough to live near Worcestershire, you can try growing some of your own cut flowers in your own garden. A few packets of seeds can provide flowers for the house for the whole season. Hardy annuals are a favourite, such as larkspur, love-in-the-mist and sweet peas which will flower prolifically with the minimal amount of fuss. Quite simply the more you cut the more flowers you get.

If you want to try the alternative to imported cut flowers then contact Alex/Zoë on 01886 832181 / 07780 675820 or visit their website at www.theflowerpatchcompany.co.uk (The new website is currently under construction and will be up and running with all the latest ‘Patch' info in the next few weeks.)

*there is a minimum subscription of four deliveries

photos (c) The Flower Patch Company 2009