The Storm Flowers team cultivate sustainability and community through their florist business and garden shop.
Gardeners have a natural love of the environment. They take joy from watching things grow. They’re also more mindful of climate, noticing when the garden is dry or the frost has affected plants. It was only natural that the owners of Storm Flowers London, when their corporate florist business dried up during lockdown, turned to their patio garden for solace.
Ecommerce businesses boomed during lockdown, but despite the plethora of choices available online, the Storm Flowers family found they could not find UK made gardening products to buy. So they built a new business, Storm Flowers Garden, to sell sustainable garden pots, tools and accessories.
A cultivated collection
The selection of products is hand-picked by Joao the owner. He is Brazilian, and a few choice products are imported from Brazil, including hammocks and handmade sandals.
Joao says “Sleeping in a hammock is a traditional indigenous Brazilian thing to do – everyone should try it! It’s like being in a swing, but instead of sitting on it you’re lying down. The trees also provide shelter for the birds, and shade on hot summer days.” His own garden in Brazil hosts two beloved mango trees between which he slings a cotton hammock.
The rest of the products are made by local artisans from around the UK. The eclectic mix includes ceramic garden and indoor plant pots, sturdy maker’s aprons, vegetable soaps with specially designed paper wrappers, knitted tea cosies and hand forged steel garden trowels that are a favourite of gardeners.
By choosing products that are made in the UK, the impact of transportation is reduced. The products are wrapped in recycled cardboard boxes, wrapped in paper wrap and cushioned with compostable corn chips. The corn chips are GM free and produced using a lower energy process. They can be dissolved in water.
Even the stamp ‘made in London’ is natural eco rubber with a carefully sourced oak handle. And the dye for the paper wrapping their soap bars is vegetable based so the paper is 100% recyclable. For every Christmas tree sold, 5 trees are planted through TreeApp to offset the carbon emissions.
The carefully chosen products and packaging indicate the care that Storm Flowers Garden has for the environment. They are at the start of their net zero journey and have joined the Let’s Do Net Zero program that Blue Patch runs to learn more. They are measuring their carbon emissions so that they can see where savings can be made.
Cultivating sustainability and community
Both businesses (Storm Flowers Garden & Storm Flowers London) are based in Soho and fully immersed in the local community. They work with the Southwark Climate Collective, alongside other local businesses, to reduce waste. They support Soho Parish School and St Anne’s Church.
Storm Flowers London continues as a commercial florist providing businesses with flower arrangements for receptions, lobbies and special events. They deliver them in ULEZ vans or on foot. They choose sustainable products, keep plastics to a minimum, recycle Christmas trees, upcycle the decorations and compost green waste. Both businesses also pay a fair London Living Wage to employees.
To order commercial flowers from Storm Flowers London visit www.stormflowerslondon.com or to shop at Storm Flowers Garden visit www.stormflowersgarden.com
