Where to Find the Best Flowers for Flower Arranging in Bedfordshire
- Kirsty McGilley - BFS
- 4 days ago
- 7 min read
If you've ever attended a flower arranging class, admired a beautiful bouquet from our sister company The Flower Mill, or wondered where we as Bedfordshire florists source flowers from, you're not alone. It's actually one of the questions we get asked most often by Floristry class attendees at Bedfordshire Flower School alongside "What are the best tools I need for flower arranging?".
The majority of flowers used by florists in the UK are sourced through the Dutch flower auctions and markets, where growers from the Netherlands and around the world supply an incredible range of flowers and foliage. These flowers are often grown to exceptionally high standards, offering fantastic stem lengths, excellent quality and reliable availability throughout the year. It's a system that allows florists and flower arrangers to access beautiful blooms whatever the season.
However, those flowers do come at a cost. Alongside the financial investment, there are transportation miles, packaging considerations and the reality that some flowers have travelled a long way before arriving in a bouquet or arrangement.
That's why, alongside sourcing through our usual suppliers, we've become increasingly passionate about sourcing not only from other local Bedfordshire flower growers but also growing our own flowers and making the most of what's naturally in season here in Bedfordshire.
For us, it's never been about choosing one over the other. It's about finding the right balance — combining the quality and variety available through professional flower markets with the beauty, sustainability and character that comes from flowers grown much closer to home.
In fact, our own cutting patch started for a very practical reason: to save a few pennies in the business and supplement the flowers we use in flower workshops and demonstrations.
Why We Started Growing Our Own Flowers
As you may know, I've been on a bit of a "grow your own cutting patch" journey over the last few years.
Initially, it was a way to reduce costs within the business by growing flowers and foliage from seed for gift bouquets, workshops, demonstrations and seasonal displays. At the same time, I was looking for ways to save on the food shop at home with a fruit-and-veg-loving toddler who seemed permanently hungry.
What I didn't realise was how quickly growing would become part of our family life.
Looking back, perhaps it was inevitable.
From a very young age, I was surrounded by people who grew things. My Grandad Donald worked a council farm in Hertfordshire, growing potatoes, peas, cabbage and Brussels sprouts. In his farmhouse garden he grew rhubarb and runner beans for the family. Some of my fondest memories are helping him dig up potatoes from the ground — something I now do with my daughter, Rayah.
After retiring from farming, Grandad Donald became a gardener around the village, and I still remember the unmistakable smell of marigolds planted throughout the borders he cared for.
On the other side of my family, Grandad Brian was equally passionate about gardening. Every year without fail, he grew tomatoes in abundance and took immense pride in his garden. You would never find a weed in sight if Grandad Brian was around.
Looking back, those early years have shaped how I see gardening now both as a commercial flower grower and at home with my family.
The Benefits of Growing Your Own Flowers for Arranging
Whilst saving money was certainly part of the motivation, growing flowers for floristry has become about much more than that.
One of the biggest benefits is reducing waste.
When you grow your own flowers, you only cut what you need. There's no over-ordering or having to order a specific amount of stems per wrap, no excess packaging and no flowers sitting around unused. You harvest what you need, when you need it.
Growing flowers also gives you a huge appreciation for the time, care and patience involved in producing beautiful blooms. When you've nurtured a plant from seed and waited months for it to flower, you naturally become more mindful about how you use it.
From a sustainability perspective, growing our own flowers helps reduce delivery miles, lowers our carbon footprint and allows us to incorporate truly seasonal flowers into our workshops and demonstrations. It also creates local jobs for local people and feeds back into our communities.
We're also trying to become more self-sufficient in other ways. We separate our green waste and create as much compost as possible using homemade compost bins. Not only does this reduce what ends up in landfill, but it also helps reduce the cost of buying compost for our raised beds each year.
It's not about being perfect. It's about making small changes that collectively make a difference.
The Best Flowers to Grow for Flower Arranging
If you're thinking about starting your own cutting patch, there are a few flowers that consistently earn their place in ours that I'd highly recommend.
Snapdragons have become one of my absolute favourites. They're productive, long-lasting in arrangements and bring beautiful height and movement to bouquets.
Cosmos are another firm favourite. They flower for months, attract pollinators and create that relaxed, garden-gathered look that so many people love.
Last year, Tanacetum Daisies proved to be one of our surprise stars. It was incredibly productive and worked beautifully as a filler flower, so much so that we've dedicated an entire bed to it this season.
And then there are the dahlias.
If there was ever a flower that rewards you generously for your efforts, it's the dahlia. From dinner-plate varieties to smaller decorative blooms, they provide colour, texture and impact right through late summer and autumn. We've added four new dahlia varieties for 2026 and cannot wait to see them flowering.
Alongside these favourites, we're constantly trialling new varieties to see what thrives in our Bedfordshire soil and what performs best in bouquets, flower school classes and arrangements.
Flowers in Bedfordshire: Where to Find Beautiful Locally Grown Flowers
If you're looking for locally grown flowers in Bedfordshire, there are some fantastic options for flower arrangers that are right on your doorstep in Bedfordshire.
From growing your own, to visiting local flower farms, to ordering directly from us at Bedfordshire Flower School, there are more options than ever for sourcing flowers that feel fresh, seasonal and full of character.
We also offer limited availability cut flowers from our own cutting patch throughout the season. These are grown here in our garden and harvested in small batches. If you’re planning an arrangement, event or simply want something a little more special, you’re always welcome to get in touch with us directly to see what’s currently available.
Alongside what we grow ourselves, we’re lucky to have some brilliant local flower-growing spaces nearby that open their gates to the public.
Franklin’s Farm – Seasonal Pick Your Own Flowers
Right here at Franklin’s Farm, flowers are grown directly on site and available as part of their seasonal pick-your-own offering.
Depending on the time of year, you’ll find tulips in spring, alliums and early summer blooms, and a hugely popular sunflower field in the height of summer. They also grow a variety of pumpkins in Autumn too.
You don’t need to book — just turn up, choose your flowers, and pay per stem. Just remember to bring your own scissors.
The flower fields are outdoors, so it’s best to dress appropriately for the weather and terrain. Both cash and card are accepted. There’s free parking and a café on site, making it easy to turn a quick visit into a slower morning or afternoon in the countryside.
It’s a brilliant option if you’re gathering flowers for arranging at home, especially if you enjoy working with seasonal, locally grown blooms.
Secret Farm – Moggerhanger
Another beautiful local option is Secret Farm in Moggerhanger, where seasonal flowers are also available for pick-your-own.
In May/June, you’ll often find peonies in abundance. Plus seasonally there's a wide range of flowers including sunflowers, roses, alstroemeria, statice, cornflowers, tulips in spring, and pumpkins later in the year.
Entry is £5 per person, and flowers can be picked as individual stems or purchased in bunches (with pricing available for 5, 10 or 15 stems depending on what you choose).
You can either book ahead or simply turn up, and you’ll need to bring your own scissors for cutting. Wheelbarrows are available to help transport your flowers around the field. Parking is available on site, along with a café and toilet facilities.
As with all pick-your-own flower fields, this is an outdoor experience, so it’s worth dressing for the weather and uneven ground.
Why Seasonal Flowers Make Better Arrangements
One thing growing our own flowers has taught us is that nature usually knows best.
When you start working closely with seasonal flowers, you begin to notice how everything naturally falls into place — the shapes, the tones, even the way certain flowers behave in an arrangement. They’re not trying to fit into a trend or be something they’re not; they’re simply at their best in that moment.
Seasonal flowers tend to have stronger stems, better vase life and colours that naturally complement each other because they’ve grown together, in the same conditions, at the same time.
Rather than trying to recreate something artificial or out of season, you start to appreciate what’s actually available right now — in your garden, in the field, or from local growers. It becomes less about perfection, and more about noticing what nature is offering you at that exact point in time.
It’s one of the reasons we love teaching seasonal flower arranging in our workshops and including locally grown flowers within our floristry classes. It encourages people to slow down a little, to observe, and to work with what’s in front of them. It makes the process feel more connected, more present, and a little more meaningful.
Learn Flower Arranging with Homegrown Flowers
If the idea of creating with flowers grown from from the ground up appeals to you, we'd love you to join us for our upcoming Homegrown Flower Bouquet Workshop on 11th July.
This workshop celebrates everything we love about the cutting patch. You'll create a hand-gathered bouquet using flowers grown right here in our garden, learning how to work with seasonal materials and create something that feels natural, abundant and full of movement.
Guests are even welcome to bring along flowers or foliage from their own gardens to include in their bouquet, making every arrangement completely unique.
It's a wonderful opportunity to experience first hand the difference that fresh, seasonal, British-grown flowers can make.
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