At Flowers Unlimited our florists have numerous passions, one being the local flowers that provide our inspiration, the city we live in and the glorious county of Sussex. In fact, we want to share a brief history of the area, the flowers to be found here and how the county is helping ensure the future of plants and flower species from around the world.
Brighton is one of the two main areas of the city Brighton & Hove, located on the south coast of England. It is part of the ceremonial county of East Sussex and the historical county of Sussex. The district has a population of almost 300,000 and the Brighton & Hove conurbation has a population of almost 500,000. There is archaeological evidence that settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze Age, but it was in the Georgian era that Brighton developed the reputation as a fashionable seaside resort that it still holds to this day. In fact, it has been referred to as both Britain’s ‘hippest city’ and the ‘happiest place to live in the UK’. With a diverse and progressive population, the city and surrounding area is at the forefront of the push for environmental protections and leads the way in future-proofing the plant and flower species of the world.
Before we discuss the Millennium Seed bank at Wakehurst, run in conjunction with the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew, it should be noted that Sussex has a county flower and tree. Round-headed rampion, or Phyteuma orbiculare, is also known as the pride of Sussex and grows in greater abundance on the South Downs than anywhere else in Britain. Sussex weed, Quercus rorbur, or Perunclate oak is also closely associated with the area because the timber was thought to be unmatched in durability and strength, qualities taken from the ferruginous soil on which it grew, and as such the best timber for shipbuilding.
Owned by the National Trust, Wakehurst has been managed by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, under a long lease since 1965. It covers over 500 acres of wild botanic gardens and incorporates both indoor and outdoor collections. Numerous habitats are recreated here such as a Himalayan Glade, American Prairie, and a Southern Hemisphere Garden. However, that doesn’t mean local flowers and wildlife have been neglected. Coronation Meadow, an expanse of native flowers and grasses, is a sensory delight in summer, the Mansion Gardens has plants and flowers from around the world, collected over a period of about 200 years, and the Children’s Heritage Garden provides a space for budding florists and the next generation of global citizens to get inspired. It is an enchanting place where herbs, vegetables and flowers grow alongside one another.
Without doubt, the star attraction at Wakehurst, not to mention a vitally important project to ensure the future of local and global flowers and plants is the Millennium Seed Bank. With two in five flower and plant species in danger of extinction it is imperative that we take action to protect our amazing and diverse plants and flowers and ensure food supplies in the case of a global disaster. The Millennium Seed Bank houses a collection of over 2.4 billion seeds from across the globe and is one of a series of such vaults hoping to preserve our future. Should disaster occur, the seeds here will be used to reintroduce flowers, vegetables, fruit and medicines that may otherwise have been lost, it will also provide future botanists and florists with the tools they need to recreate the beauty of the natural world.
As artisanal florists we believe we have the flower, or bouquet, for you whatever the occasion and hope this brief outline of our inspirations have inspired you, too. Florists make the world more beautiful bring some beauty to your world today.