Keeping our heritage alive relies on preservation and sharing

This is an ethos which fits perfectly with sustainable retail objectives.

An appreciation of our family’s wildflower heritage began a few years ago with an old cardboard dress box, which opened up to reveal a large collection of great-great-grandmother Sophia’s delicate watercolours.  Having always lived in the countryside and loved wildflowers, we could not resist bringing them to life for others to share.  Together with her father Richard’s 1833 Flora of Oxfordshire, they are the inspiration for the present-day designs and homeware products of our family business.  Initially selling at garden and country fairs, we have evolved over the last six years into a wholesale-only business.

On average, every British county is home to about 950 native species of flowers – but native wildflowers are being lost at a rate of up to one species per year, per county.  Clovers, vetches, and violets are all under threat and much-loved cornfield wildflowers are diminishing, including cornflower, scarlet pimpernel and red field poppy.  Our countryside is becoming less colourful and, more importantly, a less viable habitat for wildlife.  The challenge presented by evolving agricultural practices, increased development, and climate change, is real.

Plantlife (the charity behind No Mow May) estimate that a third of British wild plants are of conservation concern, with 45 species critically endangered.  80 species are already classed as extinct – just one example is the the downy hemp nettle.  Once very common and described as “a handsome plant” in Richard’s notes, it was last recorded here in 1975.

 Right: Hemp-nettle painted by Sophia in 1902

Raising awareness

Our approach is to share Sophia’s delightful wildflower illustrations through the medium of high quality and enduring products.  This means that her art lives on and, at the same time, promotes and supports wildflower conservation.  Everyone can make a difference, even if in just a small way – as Dolly Parton put it, “wildflowers don’t care where they grow.”

Many retailers are also rising to the challenge, adopting sustainable practices, sponsoring charities, supporting local initiatives and, where possible, protecting and restoring aspects of our wildflower heritage on their own land.  Who can’t be moved by the sight of wildflowers?  Adding this theme to a retail offering can be financially viable and generate additional income.

Making it worthwhile

As a family business with a very personal approach, we design and develop all our products ourselves, working with British makers and materials such as English fine bone china, linen and papers.  We aim to achieve the highest standards for our products, with the attention to detail that comes from personal responsibility for our work.

Choosing British makers means that we can easily visit them, not just to ensure quality, but also to develop the close working relationships that make any business a pleasure.  We are proud to have achieved Made In Britain accreditation – even our textile labels are woven in Cornwall!

Left: Quality checking our fine bone china

This comes at a price, and buying British can be expensive when compared to the global competition – but we’ve found that keeping it local and being proud of our heritage is a really positive encouragement for customers.  The latest Made in Britain survey shows that 50% of customers and nearly 60% of businesses prefer to buy UK products – and that trend is rising.

British and overseas visitors are often looking for special mementos of their visit; both they and our retail partners appreciate the family story and including our products in their shop enhances customer experience, whether they are UK residents or tourist visitors.  We love sharing our story and are delighted to be found in a variety of retail outlets from village shops to city centre stores.  Paying a bit more for British products is accepted, and our export sales to Europe and the USA indicate that they are well received elsewhere, too.

Promoting our heritage, supporting independent business, and increasing awareness of our wonderful British wildflowers – we are investing in our wildflower heritage.