Flower farmer from Biggleswade honoured after her blooms were handpicked for the King's coronation

A sustainable florist from Biggleswade is celebrating after her flowers were handpicked to play a part in British history.

Cut flower grower Peta Frost was delighted to be asked to provide flowers for the King’s coronation earlier this month.

Her flowers, which are grown on a dedicated patch in Biggleswade, were part of a display decorating the Grave of the Unknown Warrior and the Quire of Westminster Abbey.

As 20 million people tuned in live to watch the state occasion, Peta was among those proudly flower-spotting and knowing that the flowers she had grown in Biggleswade were now part of history.

She said: “As a relatively small grower it was an honour to be asked to provide some flowers for the coronation.”

Peta is part of ‘Flowers from the Farm’, a not-for-profit membership association that champions nearly 1,000 artisan growers and promotes locally grown, seasonal cut flowers and foliage.

A cross-section of the membership was invited to contribute flowers to the event by display designer florist Shane Connolly. The florist aimed to shine a light on the sustainable work of flower farmers across the UK growing on farmland and in gardens and allotments – whose produce equates to just five per cent of the carbon footprint of an imported bunch.

Following the ceremony, the flowers were repurposed by the charity, Floral Angels, and donated to care homes, hospices, shelters and other vulnerable members of the community.

Peta began her business, Saxon Gate Flowers, after learning about the environmental impact of the global flower trade during a floristry course. As such, all of her flowers are grown without using pesticides or herbicides and are sold in plastic-free packaging.

Peta grows a wide range of British flowers and specialises in dahlias.

She told the Chronicle: “I love the combination of gardening and creativity that flower farming involves. The best bit is seeing people’s reaction to a field full of flowers – sharing the joy of British flowers and growing is very rewarding.”