About
Located in west Cumbrian, between the Solway coast and the lakes and mountains of the Lake District National Park, lies Cumberland Flower Farm where we grow cut for Cumbrian homes, businesses and events. Unlike modern mono-type flower farms, we favour a more traditional ‘cutting garden’ approach, growing a mixture of flowers so that we can make a Cumbrian bouquet from March until October. We’re interested in low energy, off-grid farming and reconnecting people with the simple pleasures that can be gained from slowing down and valuing local seasonal.
In 2019 we purchased a small parcel of pasture and woodland just a short walk from our home on which to expand cut flower production. Aided by our three young boys we are slowing turning the pasture over to flowers and foliage. Follow our progress updates in our blog.
“I’ve grown flowers on our allotment for years and was overwhelmed by their popularity when I started selling them in 2018. People really love our colour combinations, the scent, and varieties that ‘their grandma grew’. Growing flowers makes me feel happy and I love the delight that our flowers bring to others too.”
-Harriet
“Whilst the modern world offers us a lot in terms of quality of life, it also disconnects us from the fundamental imperatives of food, shelter, water, community. We started out reconnecting ourselves with nature, and increasingly want to share that with our community.”
-Martyn
Eco and Sustainable aren’t buzz words for us here at Cumberland Flower Farm, it’s just how we do things. We grow our flowers using wildlife friendly techniques (no chemicals!) and they’re wrapped in plastic free, compostable packaging. We use locally made compost, use soil blockers to avoid plastic pots as much as we can and we sell our plants in coir pots (made from coir by-product of the food industry, by a women’s NGO in Sri Lanka, shipped not flown!) We never use imported flowers; instead we buy from other growers in Lincolnshire and Cornwall outside of our main growing season in order to keep the road miles to a minimum. You can read more about our philosophy here.
“Really impressed by the thought and detail Harriet puts into her work. All her plants are grown in Cumbria, or sourced in the UK for the smallest possible carbon footprint, and she uses recyclable or biodegradable packaging too.”
-Sarah