Verdant Flower Farm: Embracing a Green Approach to Floristry

One of my favourite childhood memories is helping my mum in the garden. Most weekends in the summer we would head down to our local garden centre and pick a wide range of gorgeous flowers and plants (my mum had a colour scheme in mind, but I chose anything that I think looked pretty!).

For hours, I would sit (in our garden that feels like a sun trap!) and watch my mum turn our borders into an explosion of colour and admire the art of gardening. I was fascinated by the way every flower and plant effortlessly complimented each other to create an atmosphere that felt fresh and full of life.

I think these memories are the reason why I love flowers so much now (I’ve told myself that flowers will be a staple in my house when I move out!). In my opinion, there is no better gift to receive than a bouquet of flowers – their gorgeous colours, unique textures and elegant shapes always brighten my day.

I recently met Katie, the Founder of Verdant Flower Farm, an incredible flower farm that embraces a green approach to floristry by changing its offerings with the seasons – a true celebration of the beauty and variety of floristry.

I spoke to Katie about the journey of Verdant Flower Farm, the power of floristry, the rhythm of the flower farm and her plans for the year!

When did the Verdant Flower Farm open (and what was the inspiration behind this)?

I broke ground on Verdant Flower Farm in August 2024, starting with an open acre of field.

The fencing and poly tunnel went up first, then I began laying out the beds for plants. I had my first flowers ready to sell in June 2025, this was an exciting moment.

For a long time, I've loved gardening. Growing my own cut flowers has always been a dream of mine.

How did your experience as a Florist help you launch Verdant Flower Farm?

Coming from a background in floristry has helped me develop my planting scheme at the farm.

I visualise the bouquets first, then work back from that to plan planting times & varieties to grow.

To build a pleasing arrangement you need the right ingredients; focal flowers, supporting elements and foliage. At each point throughout the season, I aim for a good mix of each of these elements.

How important is it to you to embrace a green approach to floristry?

This is very important to me.

Flowers imported from abroad come with a huge carbon footprint and are treated with countless chemicals to ensure they can withstand their long journey.

Having something grown closer to home is always going to be a kinder, more sustainable option.

Describe the rhythm of Verdant Flower Farm.

Everything that happens at the farm changes with the seasons.

There are fresh flowers to harvest from April-October and in the winter, the willow is harvested for weaving.

During the height of the summer, flowers are dried for use during the colder months and bridge the gap before the flowers bloom again.

How important is it to support the future of British-grown flowers?

We use flowers to celebrate all the important occasions in our lives from births, to marriages, to farewells. Gifting flowers is a pleasure for the giver as much as the recipient. They have the power to stop us in our tracks and their fleeting beauty makes them all the more precious.

Using British grown flowers as much as possible greatly supports our British growers. There are countless, beautiful flowers that can't be imported from other countries because they won't tolerate the cold storage during transit. To enjoy these varieties, like Zinnias & Sweet peas we need to look closer to home.

What do you love most about running Verdant Flower Farm?

Choosing what to grow will always be my favourite part and I love nothing more than shopping for seeds.

They hold so much promise in their little packets and I'll never tire of seeing new shoots emerge in a freshly sown tray.

How can we buy your gorgeous flowers?

I attend local farmers markets all year round with an offering of what's best in the field at that moment.

Bouquets can be ordered fresh direct from the farm for collection or delivery.

I offer wedding florals and farewell tributes using sustainable foam free techniques. Customers can also join one of my mailing lists, 'for florists' & the 'flower lovers' club.

What inspired you to launch the ‘Flowers Lovers’ club (and what benefits does this have for flower lovers!)?

The Flower Lovers club is a weekly availability list published throughout the growing season.

Anyone that enjoys arranging their own flowers is welcome to join this list and select your bunches from what's available.

It means that all can have access to fresh, seasonal flowers, whether they'd like to make a posy for a friend, church arrangements or centrepieces for a dinner party.

What makes the Verdant Flower Farm unique?

I grow what I love at the farm and fragrance is high on my list of priorities.

A lot of herbs have made their way into my planting scheme to add an extra dimension to my bouquets. I dry flowers from the field too, so there's something locally grown available all year round.

What was the biggest challenge you faced when building the flower farm (and how did you overcome this)?

Growing in an open field is wilding different to a garden situation and I'm learning as I go.

The lack of shelter can be troublesome and this is something I'm working on but there's no quick fix.

Ultimately, the weather calls all the shots. I aim to have fresh flowers from April to the end of October and allow the farm to rest in winter.

I can offer protection to tender varieties in the poly tunnel and encourage earlier blooming by planting in here.

What do you love most about attending local markets?

I began attending farmers markets in 2025 when my first flowers started blooming.

Each time I prepare for a market, I gather the best of what's available in that moment. This means the offering changes every month and I'm able to sell what's abundant.

The markets are always a great opportunity to chat with customers and share what's happening on the farm.

What plans do you have for 2026?

There's lots of exciting projects happening this year.

A portable stall is being built that will enable me to sell freshly harvested bunches at the farm gate.

I'm continuing to expand my growing space, this is going to be a long process that will roll on for a few more years yet until the field is full of flowers, shrubs & trees.

My mailing lists continue to grow and I plan to hold some special subscriber events this summer, as well as a calendar of lovely weddings, events & private PYO experiences.

To keep up to date with the fantastic work of Verdant Flower Farm, you can head to their Instagram (@verdantnorfolk)!