Grow Your Own Wedding Flowers (for all special occasions)
Grow Your Own Wedding Flowers is a unique book (it’s 10 years old but there’s not been any other books on this subject) to grow your own bouquets and buttonholes, to avoid spending a fortune on florists.
Filled with gorgeous photos, this enables you to enjoy beautiful bouquets, without the expense, chemicals and plastic wrap.
Read up on no-dig gardening and pet-friendly gardens (many wedding flowers including lilies, delphiniums and hydrangeas are not safe near animal friends). Avoid facing indoor displays to outdoor gardens, to help stop birds flying into windows.
Most flowers for weddings or other occasions in England are flown in from The Netherlands or more likely long-haul flights. Covered in chemicals, and looking and feeling like you would, after a long-haul flight.
The book features info on planting, growing, cutting and harvesting, plus sections dedicated to seasonal blooms – along with craft ideas for centrepieces and flower crowns for bridesmaids, and even jam-jar posies.
Author Georgina Newbery used to work in the fashion industry, but gave it all up to open Common Farm Flowers (Somerset) which she runs with her husband. Together they offer courses on flower-growing and DIY flower buckets for more affordable wedding flowers, to arrange yourself.
They only deal with seasonal blooms, so if you buy from them, you won’t be able to have a winter wedding (unless you don’t want flowers!)
Start with your wedding date
In England, choose 3 to 5 main flowers plus 2 to 3 foliage options, to thrive outdoors in each season. Keep it simple (one main and a supporting colour plus one neutral (white, cream, green).
Choose a spot with 6 hours of sun and decent soil, and plan for 30 to 50 percent more to cover for breakages and buds that don’t open in time:
- Bridal bouquet (25 to 35 stems)
- Bridesmaid bouquet (15 to 25 stems)
- Buttonholes (1 to 2 stems)
- Bud vases (3 o to 5 stems)
- Small table jars (8 to 12 stems)
Where to buy seasonal wedding flowers
If you are not growing your own bouquet, enter your postcode at Flowers from the Farm to find local sustainable florists.
Stem & Green (near Winchester, Hampshire) farms on 2 acres of chalkland, growing seasonal wedding flowers. Although not certified organic, the farm follows organic principles. You can order flowers and buckets to save money if preferred, or hire vases to return a few days later.
