The Grower interview - Wendy Paul at Organic Blooms
Tell us a little about yourself and where you're based.
I’m Wendy Paul, and along with Jo Wright, I run Organic Blooms in South Gloucestershire. We grow seasonal flowers on nine acres, with five polytunnels to extend our growing season. Jo and I have been working together for 16 years, and over time, we’ve developed our business so that we can now supply Abel & Cole and are now delivering into Flowervision. Alongside our courses and flowers for gifts.
What makes us unique is that we are a social enterprise, meaning we offer training and work experience to people facing barriers to employment. Our trainees help with many of the processes on the farm, making Organic Blooms a truly special place to grow flowers.
What is your main selling season? Do you sell anything out of season?
We start selling by March, thanks to our polytunnels, and continue right up to Christmas. We’re always looking at ways to extend the season, and the next big thing for us is foliage—it’s in massive demand.
Wendy (l) and Jo (R) in one of their polytunnels.
Who is your ideal customer?
We primarily sell wholesale to the market, including Flowervision. One of the advantages of working with them is that we can simply tell them what we’re bringing in tomorrow, without worrying about specific colours. They also take surplus, which helps reduce waste.
It works well for us because florists get to see and assess quality firsthand, and we can focus on growing rather than chasing individual orders.
What changes have you seen in the last six years since The British Flowers Book was published?
The biggest shift is that consumers are driving the demand for British flowers, and in turn, florists are following. More florists are actively looking for locally grown flowers because their customers are asking for them.
At the same time, it’s becoming harder to compete with the cost of imported flowers, which remain expensive but widely available.
We’ve also seen a shift in how florists work—there are now more studio florists and fewer high street shops, changing how flowers are bought and sold.
One thing that hasn’t changed? Pastel colours are still a favourite!
What do you think customers are going to love next year?
Pastels will continue to be popular, so we’re growing plenty of them but we’re expanding our work with Flowervision, particularly putting our flowers into mixed market buckets with a good range of what we grow, to make British-grown flowers even more accessible to florists.
Find out more about Organic Blooms Here, or follow Wendy and Jo on Instagram @organicblooms
