The challenges of growing seasonal British flowers this summer
If you’ve noticed shorter stems, smaller flower heads or certain British-grown varieties arriving in lower quantities this summer, you’re not imagining it.
Lucy from Foxlight Flower Farm shares what’s been happening in her flower field this season, and why the extreme heat and prolonged drought have created one of the most challenging growing seasons in recent years.
This summer is on course to be the UK’s hottest since records began with 37 consecutive heatwave days recorded somewhere in the UK this year*
Too much sun
But we can water our flowers and they love the sun, so what’s the problem? In a nutshell, there’s too much sun!
Contrary to what you would expect, too much sun and heat tips a plant over from flourishing in sunny weather to experiencing heat damage.**
Plants rely on photosynthesis*** to grow and thrive. For this process to work effectively, sunlight, water and carbon dioxide all need to be available in the right balance. When prolonged heat and drought upset that balance, plants begin to struggle.
Plants have inbuilt defences against heat. When temperatures increase, they produce heat shock proteins to protect themselves. This, however, takes energy away from other essential functions. Instead of focusing on photosynthesis and growth, the plant diverts its energy into protecting itself, meaning growth slows as a result.
What this means for florists
During prolonged periods of extreme heat, flowers may take longer to reach a stage that can be harvested, meaning fewer stems are ready at any one time.
Lack of water
In June we experienced the average amount of rainfall, July only saw 3% of our usual expected rain levels, and at time of writing, August has seen just 6% of its average expected rainfall so far.
Our flowers are so desperate to find water, they are putting lots of energy into growing roots to reach moisture, rather than energy into flowering above ground. It also affects their tugor pressure. This is an internal water pressure in each plant that keeps petals and stems upright.
Why growers harvest early in the morning
Turgor pressure is also why we harvest summer crops either very early in the morning or late at night when the stems are full of water and why we start conditioning our flowers as soon as we cut them. It means less droop, longer vase life and an all round better quality flower.
Reduction in carbon dioxide
In this heat, plants also close their stomata****. Stomata are like the lungs of a plant and are tiny little valves on the underside of leaves that regulate gas exchange and water loss. Closing their stomata reduces the amount of CO2 they can take in and again, impacts photosynthesis, further reducing growth.
Rushing to seed
The bigger picture of course, a flower’s purpose in life is to flower to attract pollinators and reach seed to generate more plants. Another result of the extreme heat of this summer is flowers rushing to seed. Called ‘drought pressure’, flowers react by putting more energy into producing seed, than they do into flowering. This sometimes results in smaller, less floriferous heads and plants ‘going over’ within days, rather than the week that we’re used to.
What this means for florists
Some varieties may have a shorter seasonal window this year, meaning availability can change quickly and crops may finish earlier than expected.
How are flower farmers across the UK responding to these heat pressures?
And it’s not just the effect on the crops that’s been an issue. Working in the field in the heat is incredibly difficult, with multiple flower farmers exchanging heat exhaustion symptoms of dizziness, muscle cramps, nausea and vomiting on our Whatsapp chats.
Having to avoid the heat of the day means the really physical jobs are book-ended very early in the morning or late in the evening, inevitably meaning brutal prioritising of the workload to fit it into daylight hours, and some jobs just not getting done at all.
Protecting and hydrating our plants
Well, just as we’re making sure we slap on sunscreen, stay in the shade where we can, and drink water regularly, we’re protecting and hydrating our plants too!
Seedlings are coming out of greenhouses and poly tunnels and into the cool shade, rather than cooking in full sun. Beds are also being covered with shade cloth, which allows air to circulate while protecting plants from the full force of the sun’s rays.
We’re also adapting how we water. Our drip line irrigation systems keep delivering water to the all important roots, rather than wetting a plant from the top down and scorching leaves and buds in the sun.
And those of us who water manually, we do so thoroughly, but occasionally – encouraging a plant to set deeper roots and find moisture itself, rather than rely on ‘little but often’ watering that doesn’t penetrate much of the soil’s surface.
Adapting for the future
We’re also a very hardy bunch and although this year is seeing unprecedented temperatures, we’re connecting with each other, sharing solutions and being there for each other when it gets too much.
We’re trialling more drought-tolerant varieties and experimenting with sowing annuals later in the season to help extend our growing windows.
2026 has certainly been a challenging growing season, with scientific evidence all pointing to a new climate pattern being established across Europe. This year has taught us valuable lessons in how we can pivot and adapt to continue to supply the seasonal and beautiful flowers we are famous for.
References
*BBC, Summer Set to be Hottest on Record
**Bloom + Gray Flower Farm, Drought Proofing Your Cut Flower Patch
***BBC Bitesize, Photosynthesis
About our guest contributor
Lucy Freeborn is the founder of Foxlight Flower Farm, a British flower farm specialising in seasonal cut flowers grown with sustainability at their heart.
Our thanks to Lucy for sharing her knowledge and firsthand experience of this season’s growing challenges with the Flowervision community.
