Why seasonal flowers matter

There’s something magical about flowers in their natural season. At Cicely Flowers in Wiltshire, I grow each bloom with care, following the rhythm of the year to bring you flowers that are vibrant, fragrant, and full of life. Seasonal flowers aren’t just beautiful - they tell a story of the soil, the sun, and the time taken to grow them properly. In this post, I’ll share why choosing seasonal flowers matters, both for you and the environment.

1. Seasonal Flowers, Naturally

At Cicely Flowers, when I talk about seasonal blooms, I mean flowers that grow in the season they are naturally meant to bloom. While I sometimes use low caterpillar tunnels to extend the season or encourage early flowering, the flowers you buy from me are generally at their natural peak. For example, the blooms in May are the ones meant to flower in May - picked at just the right time for freshness and quality. Choosing flowers that are naturally in season ensures they are strong, vibrant, and perfectly timed for your bouquets.

2. Naturally Strong and Beautiful

Because my flowers aren’t being forced to bloom at a time when they naturally wouldn’t, there’s no need for artificial light or heat. Over several years of working with these blooms, I’ve noticed something remarkable: flowers grown in their natural season just seem to look, smell, and handle better.

It must be because they’re not being rushed. By growing at the time they naturally want to, the plants can develop slowly and purposely, putting their energy into growing stronger, producing bigger, better-scented, and ultimately more beautiful flowers. In contrast, forced flowers often grow quickly and can feel substandard - less vibrant, less fragrant, and more delicate.

It reminds me of the time there was a heatwave and drought shortly after I planted a blueberry bush in my back garden. The first flush of berries were the usual size, but after that the poor little plant constantly produced minuscule blueberries. I think it was so stressed that it was desperately trying to produce fruit - and therefore seeds - to allow future generations to survive. Plants just don’t do as well if they are grown in suboptimal conditions, and flowers are no different.

3. Supporting Biodiversity, Thoughtfully

Growing flowers in season, outdoors, and without artificial fertilisers or growth boosters is a positive step towards supporting biodiversity. Flowers grown this way are part of a healthier, more balanced system that works with nature rather than against it.

I’m very aware that when it comes to insects, native flowers are truly the gold standard. They’re the plants our local pollinators have evolved alongside and naturally prefer to feed from. Many of the flowers I grow are beautifully frilly or double-petalled - perfect for bouquets, but sometimes harder for insects to access.

This is why I grow with intention. Alongside my cut flowers, I grow and allow single-flowering species to naturalise, including chamomile, feverfew, and wild strawberries. These simpler flowers provide an accessible food source throughout the season.

Because I grow seasonally, there are several months each year when the flower field rests. During this time, I leave seed heads, plant debris, and even weeds in place to provide shelter and food for wildlife. This kind of pause isn’t possible on large-scale monoculture flower farms that aim to produce blooms 365 days a year - those systems prioritise constant output, more like a flower factory than a flower farm.

4. Healthier Soil, Season After Season

Growing seasonally allows me to look after the soil properly, not just the flowers growing in it at any one time. Healthy soil is the foundation of everything at Cicely Flowers, and a lot of care goes into improving it year after year.

I regularly use cover crops to protect and feed the soil when beds aren’t in flower. These help improve soil structure, prevent erosion, and add organic matter back into the ground. Throughout the season, beds are mulched with natural materials that biodegrade slowly and benefit the soil as they break down. My favourites are sheep’s wool, woodchips, and bark - each helping to retain moisture, suppress weeds, and feed the soil.

I’m also quite a lazy gardener in the best possible sense. Most weeds and the leaves I strip from flower stems during harvesting get dropped straight back onto the bed they came from. Instead of being removed as waste, they return nutrients to the soil and add yet more organic matter.

Occasionally, I do some slightly unusual things in the name of improving soil health - from making a calcium-rich plant feed using eggshells soaked in vinegar, to collecting rabbit droppings from a nearby park to use as a gentle, natural fertiliser. It might sound eccentric, but it all comes back to the same goal: healthier soil, stronger plants, and better flowers.

5. Less Waste, More Intention

Before each growing year begins, I carefully work out how many plants I need to grow to meet my goals. With a relatively small growing space of around 250 square metres, every bit really does count. I plan as carefully as I can to make sure that every stem I grow has a home.

Of course, nature doesn’t always stick to the plan. Sometimes a whole crop will flower all at once, and rather than composting perfectly beautiful flowers, I often choose to make that week’s bouquets larger. It might not make the most financial sense, but it feels like the right thing to do. Growing seasonally on a small scale means accepting abundance when it arrives - and sharing it, rather than letting it go to waste.

6. Availability That Reflects the Seasons

I can’t force a flower to grow at a time of year when it simply doesn’t want to. If you’re hoping for peonies in August or dahlias in March, it isn’t going to happen - and that’s very much by design.

Instead, my flowers truly reflect the seasons, changing and flowing as the year unfolds. Each moment has its own colour palette, textures, and character.

I can absolutely work to a colour palette, such as soft pastels, but I can’t specify exactly which flowers will be available. Even with several years of growing experience behind me, the weather plays a huge role in when individual crops come into flower. A cool spring or a warm one can shift timings by weeks.

What I can promise is that I’ll use the very best seasonal flowers available at that moment, chosen for their colour, movement, and quality. The result is flowers that feel natural, abundant, and perfectly suited to the time of year.

7. Longer Vase Life

Seasonal, locally grown flowers tend to last longer once cut. Part of this is simply because they’re stronger and healthier - they’ve grown at the time they naturally want to, putting energy into producing bigger, sturdier, and better-scented blooms.

Another key reason is timing: because my flowers are grown locally, they reach you very soon after being cut. At Cicely Flowers, blooms are harvested 24 hours or less before they’re sold, meaning they spend almost no time in transit. Imported flowers, by contrast, often spend days traveling and being stored before reaching your hands, which can reduce freshness and lifespan.

The result is flowers that not only look and smell amazing but also stay vibrant in your home for longer.

8. Natural Beauty

Flowers grown in their natural season simply look and feel better. Because they aren’t being forced to bloom out of time, they reach their peak colour, structure, and fragrance. Each stem has had the chance to develop fully, making your bouquets more vibrant, textured, and aromatic.

At Cicely Flowers, I let each flower express its own character. Some are bold and dramatic, while others are delicate and soft; some are single-flowered for pollinators, others frilly for a luxurious look in arrangements. By following the rhythm of the seasons, I can create bouquets that feel authentic and alive - flowers that aren’t just arranged, but grown with care and intention.

9. Connection to Nature and Creativity

Growing and using seasonal flowers connects us to the rhythms of nature in a way that imported, out-of-season blooms simply can’t. Each month brings something different: the first daffodils of spring, the rich tones of summer dahlias, the deep golds and rusts of autumn chrysanthemums. Following these natural cycles makes arranging and enjoying flowers feel like a celebration of the seasons themselves.

For me, working with seasonal blooms is endlessly creative. The colours, textures, and shapes available change constantly, encouraging me to experiment and find new combinations for every bouquet. There’s a joy in seeing how a flower can complement another, or how a simple seasonal stem can transform an arrangement.

By choosing seasonal flowers from Cicely Flowers, you’re not just bringing beauty into your home - you’re engaging with the natural world, appreciating the rhythm of the year, and supporting a more thoughtful, mindful approach to growing and using flowers.

Choosing seasonal flowers isn’t just about what’s available - it’s about celebrating the natural rhythm of the year. At Cicely Flowers, every bloom reflects its season, grown locally with care, respect, and intention. By following the seasons, my flowers are stronger, more fragrant, longer-lasting, and truly beautiful, while also supporting wildlife, soil health, and sustainable growing practices.

When you bring seasonal flowers into your home, you’re not only enjoying their colour, scent, and texture - you’re connecting to the flow of nature itself. Each bouquet tells a story of the soil, the sun, the weather, and the hands that nurtured it. By choosing seasonal blooms, you’re supporting a mindful approach to growing flowers - one that values quality over quantity, health over haste, and beauty that’s real, not forced.

Seasonal flowers remind us that the best things take time, and that working with nature rather than against it always produces the most vibrant, joyful, and meaningful results.

Discover Seasonal Blooms at Cicely Flowers

If you’d like to experience the beauty of seasonal flowers for yourself, take a look at my current selection. Every stem is grown locally on my little flower farm in Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire (near Bath) and cut with care, ready to bring colour, scent, and seasonal joy into your home. Browse my seasonal bouquets and discover the flowers of the moment - you never know what will be blooming today!