Celebrating the flower growers of Britain

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Ammi magus, Binnington Blooms, North YorkshireImage source, Tessa Bunney

We are a nation of farmers, of gardeners, of flower lovers, and our cut flower industry is worth more than two billion pounds a year. Photographer Tessa Bunney has been documenting the work of flower growers, and here we share some of her work to mark British Flowers Week..

Planting tulip bulbs, Flower Power York, North YorkshireImage source, Tessa Bunney
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Planting tulip bulbs

Flower farms were once a familiar feature of the British countryside and market gardeners grew flowers among their vegetables.

In the 1800s, larger farms sprang up as transport links improved and daily trains carried violets from Dawlish, snowdrops from Lincolnshire and narcissi from Cornwall.

Narcissus, Picked at Dawn, North YorkshireImage source, Tessa Bunney
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Picking Narcissus

Flower production has always been linked to transport, and with the advent of planes came distance. Now we can have any flowers at any time of year, flown in from the Equator, or hothoused in vast Dutch greenhouses.

Ranunculus, Picked at Dawn, North YorkshireImage source, Tessa Bunney
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Picking a bunch of Ranunculus

Recently a number of smaller British flower farms have sprung up, fed by fresh interest in environmental sustainability and local seasonal produce. Tessa Bunney is working in collaboration with members of the non-profit organisation Flowers from the Farm, external to celebrate the domestic flower growers of Britain, past and present.

Foraging, Holme Flowers, North YorkshireImage source, Tessa Bunney
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Foraging in North Yorkshire

Scabiosa stellate ‘Ping Pong’ seeds, Ducks and Daffodils, North YorkshireImage source, Tessa Bunney
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Scabiosa stellate 'Ping Pong' seeds

Scabious, Rowes of Guisborough, ClevelandImage source, Tessa Bunney
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Scabious in bloom

Dahlias, Holme Flowers, North YorkshireImage source, Tessa Bunney
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Picking dahlias

Bridal bouquet, Manor Garden, North YorkshireImage source, Tessa Bunney
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Preparing a bridal bouquet