Shane Connolly, florist By Royal Appointment, has been saying that flowers should be ‘grown not flown’ for years. ‘I have been preaching British since the early 2000s and certainly promoted it at the wedding of The King and Queen in 2005, even more so for The Prince and Princess of Wales in 2011.’ For the 2023 coronation, all the flowers were grown in the British Isles and it seems that this example is changing the way we buy cut flowers.

More than 80% is still imported from Holland, the global market leader, but Brexit, concerns about sustainability and the influence of Mr Connolly are shifting habits. Since 2011, when Gill Hodgson set up trade association Flowers from the Farm, more than 1,000 local growers selling fresh homegrown bunches have joined, with more being added all the time.

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