British florists are facing their "worst year yet" as prolonged hot and dry weather stymies flower growth and upkeep. Evie Prichard, 34, from Wiltshire, booked £300 worth of flowers with local supplier Buttercups and Bobbins at the beginning of the year in preparation for her September wedding. Her vision of a venue decorated with traditional blooms including anemones and asters was shattered just weeks before the big day, however, when the business told her drought conditions, linked to record low rainfall and exceptionally high temperatures meant the flowers couldn't be grown.
Wedding plans disrupted
"They said they could buy flowers from abroad, but that would mean a pretty steep rise in costs and wouldn't fit within our budget," Ms Prichard told the Express. "Part of the appeal was having British flowers," she added. "We're trying to make it work with lots of greenery and ivy instead. We might also use coloured candles to brighten things up. But it's been pretty stressful."
Sophie Tetley, 60, co-owner of Buttercups and Bobbins, which is in the process of being renamed to Tetley and Cowan Flowers, alongside Jenny Cowan, said this year has been "the worst she has known". "It's been a shocker," she added. "Lots of flower growers are really struggling. It's not just growing them, it's arranging the displays and transportation. You're having to fill flower arches with fresh flowers literally half an hour before wedding ceremonies."
Growers adapt to shortages
"I've had to beg, borrow and steal from other suppliers. It feels like the writing is on the wall, but you have to keep trying. Especially when you're catering for weddings, there's somebody planning the best day of their lives, and I don't want to get in the way of that." Part of the sector-wide adaption is pivoting to foliage-centric decor, as Ms Prichard has chosen, Ms Tetley said. "We already take bookings based on colour, and now we're having to think more outside of the box and create less traditional arrangements with things like dried flowers," she explained.
Egle Dubinkaite, 41, who runs Bloomhead, a florist based hundreds of miles from Wiltshire in Northumberland, said the issue is nationwide. "Dry weather means gardens are going over quicker and flowers are blooming and drying very quickly," she said. "There's less availability, especially of annual flowers like marigolds and petunias, which have shallower roots than perennials like geraniums."
Future-proofing measures
"We're having to be firmer with customers, and let them know they may not get everything they want," Ms Dubinkaite added. "Flowers also have to be ordered closer to the wedding date and we encourage people to have a Plan B in case things go wrong." Businesses are attempting to future-proof through a range of measures, including turning away bookings for the peak summer season and investing in pricey water retention equipment.
"It is really difficult to keep a bloom looking nice in 30 degree heat," Ms Tetley said. "It's like putting your flowers in an oven. But we need to keep looking for ways to cope because florists are always going to be in demand." "There will always be weddings, funerals and parties. It's life and it's human nature to mark these things. We might just need to think twice about south-facing weddings in the middle of July, and put money aside to invest in water capture. I think, because we're expecting extreme weather of all kinds, that's the thing to focus on."
It follows drought conditions being declared across the UK after the country recorded its fifth heatwave of the summer, with temperatures reaching 38.1C in London in mid-August. The widespread hot and dry conditions have put severe pressure on wildlife, farmers, transport, emergency services infrastructure and water resources.
