How the Chiswick House Kitchen Garden is providing London with sustainable flowers

It’s not just bouquets: find out about flowers for weddings, corporate events, summer parties and more

Whether it’s sending a bunch of roses to a loved one, celebrating a wedding day, decorating a dinner table or surprising your mum with a birthday bouquet, cut flowers are an increasingly common part of our lives. But this comes at a cost: carbon emissions from a bunch of mixed flowers imported from overseas can be up to ten times bigger than those of one locally grown in the UK, while the impact of pesticides used to mass-produce commercial flowers can have a serious impact on biodiversity.

Image credit: Kate Plumridge

Unfortunately, while people are becoming increasingly aware of the impact of their diet and travel choices on the environment, most are oblivious to the damage that a hastily-bought supermarket bouquet can have. But this summer (and beyond), the gardening team at Chiswick House are aiming to change this, by raising awareness of the importance of buying local flowers – and by showing people that UK-grown blooms can be just as magnificent as those grown abroad.

With zero air miles, grown by organic principles, and all profit going to local community work, flowers from the Chiswick House Kitchen Garden are beautiful, affordable and sustainable.

They are also 100% organic, with biological controls used instead of pesticides and herbicides, in order to boost biodiversity and encourage insects, beetles and spiders in the gardens.

Credit: Kate Plumridge

Some of the blooms in season right now include roses, sweet peas, Verbascum and dahlias.

If you’re a regular visitor, you might already know that Kitchen Garden flowers are available to purchase from the Pink Bike at the Café on Wednesdays and Fridays from 11am, and at the Kitchen Garden Shop on Thursdays and Saturdays.

Head of Gardens Rosie Fyles with the Pink Bike. Image credit: Kate Plumridge

But we don’t just offer small-scale bouquets: we also provide cut flowers for weddings, corporate events, summer parties and dinner parties, proving that sustainable flowers can be an option for every occasion.

We’re happy to provide anything from a few bouquets, to over 100s of bunches. Get in touch to find out more about how we can meet all your flower needs!

Rosie Fyles, Head of Gardens at Chiswick House, said:

Whether it’s a wedding, a party, or a corporate event, sustainable, locally-grown flowers should be the go-to option for every occasion. With zero air miles, and grown by organic principles, blooms from the Chiswick House Kitchen Garden are both beautiful and environmentally friendly – and we now think that we are the only central London flower grower, so we are closest to you. Profits from our flower sales also fund vital local charity work, meaning that when you choose to purchase flowers here, you are positively impacting your local community.

Interested in finding out more about how we can provide flowers for your event? Get in touch via email here.

Why not join us on Saturday 24 August for…

The Best of Blooms – Create your own bespoke bouquet 

Saturday 24 August
One hour only: 11.30am-12.30pm

£20 per bouquet

Available from the Kitchen Garden