Hello petal! Shropshire firm all set for confetti season
Fields of colour are creating a summer show on the outskirts of Newport. But soon the vibrant petals will be fluttering through the air over newly-wed couples as confetti at weddings across the country.
Shropshire Petals is based at Lynn South Farm in Newport — and this week it will be hive of activity as the flowers are cut, prepared and boxed.
It's not easy to grow and produce natural petal confetti because the flowers only bloom once a year, for just four to six weeks.
The flowers are drilled in March and April and demand careful weeding and attention before they flower in July and August.
Jo Kidson, of Shropshire Petals, said: "This year due to the lack of sunshine, the flower crop was two weeks behind schedule, which has been concerning for us.
"We can irrigate to create rain, but we cannot create sunshine, which is needed for the flowers to bloom. Similarly, too much rain creates mud and we can't pick the flowers when the field is muddy, which means we are constantly checking the weather forecast to take advantage of the good weather windows for picking. The weather made it much harder to plan and manage the harvest this year, and consequently has made the whole process more costly. However, we have had a great harvest with no crop failures, picking the quality and quantity we originally planned."
It all started 10 years ago when Daisy Bubb began to grow flowers and dry them to sell at local WI markets.
As the popularity for dried flowers died out, the farm had an enquiry from a customer about using some of their produce for confetti at weddings.
It turned out their Larkspur flowers were perfect for throwing over a newly married couple — and Shropshire Petals was born.
The business now grows more colours and petals than ever before.
And before the colours are added to the product range they are trialled for a few years first.
However, this hasn't always worked when a few years ago a lilac petal turned grey when dried. But surprisingly, the petal became a hit at vintage weddings across the UK.
Jim Bubb, Managing Director of Shropshire Petals. said: "We carefully research the latest and future trends to ensure we grow enough of particular colours to supply couples for their weddings."
Shropshire Petals has appeared regularly on magazines, TV, runways and even blown out of fireworks. For more information visit www.shropshirepetals.com
