Sharing what moves and inspires us.

At Phoam Labs, we’re always inspired by those leading the way in sustainable floristry, and few have made as profound an impact as Gill Hodgson. Founder of Flowers From The Farm and The Farewell Flowers Directory, Gill has spent years reconnecting people with the beauty of seasonal, locally grown flowers, transforming the way florists, growers, and consumers think about how they work.

Gill has demonstrated that British-grown flowers can take centre stage. Now, she’s turning her attention to funeral flowers, an area where sustainability has long been overlooked. Gill is working to challenge industry norms and offer more sustainable alternatives. We had the pleasure of connecting with Gill and learning more about her journey, her vision for The Farewell Flowers Directory, and her thoughts on the future of sustainable funeral flowers.

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What’s are your memories of flowers growing up?‍

My journey into flowers began soon after I was born when my mother, who’d been a strong young farmer working on the land with my Dad, was disabled by Polio and had to find another outlet for her love of growing. She gave me a small patch of garden where she could sit and watch, and I progressed from making mud pies and digging for worms to, eventually, sowing seeds. She started me off with quick-growing vegetables like Radishes and simple flowers such as Marigolds and Calendulas. She taught me the names of trees and plants and a life-long love affair began.

How did you go from gardening to founding Flowers From The Farm?

I always gardened but it wasn’t until I was in my mid 50s that I found myself in a new, un-looked for, career. Selling in a very small way at a local farmers’ market, I recognised the dis-connect between people and modern flowers. Buyers would exclaim delightedly at every new variety and plunge their noses into the bunches to drink in the scent. They’d lost contact with flowers that had been common just a generation earlier and supermarket buys had led them not to expect flowers to have scent.I realised there was an opportunity for people to set up a small business growing cut flowers for market, I set up a website to help and encourage them and, in 2011, Flowers From The Farm (FFTF) was born. FFTF was set up as not-for-profit company. I’m not business-minded, I just saw a need and knew I had the ability to help. FFTF now has around 1000 members, has won a Gold medal at the world-famous Chelsea Flower Show and, in 2023, provided all the flowers to decorate Westminster Abbey for the King’s Coronation

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‍What inspired The Farewell Flowers Directory?‍

In 2024, together with my friend Carole Patilla, I set up The Farewell Flowers Directory, which is also a not-for profit company.  We wanted to bring about the sort of change to funeral flowers that I’d been successful in making to the market for British flowers. Carole and I are about to tackle Chelsea Flower Show again in May when we become the first people ever to exhibit funeral flowers there. Around 90% of funeral flowers are made in plastic floral foam. They’re the last bastion of unsustainability in flower arranging yet to be challenged, and change is long overdue. I was awarded an MBE in the King’s New Year’s Honours List for my work in floristry. I’m not a particularly good florist so this dedication appears inappropriate, but this late career has been born of a deep need to change things for the better, to improve markets and promote sustainability, rather than to improve my own work. I’m a natural networker and organiser and appear to have a flair for seeking out good people with whom to work.

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‍Why are Flowers so Important?‍

Floristry and flowers are an opening: they create an unthreatening way into conversations, change and friendships. On one level, our Chelsea Flower Show stand is just 10 square meters of pretty flowers – yet on another level it’s an invitation to take back ownership of funeral flowers, to chip away at some of the theatre and to use the incredible power of flowers to open hearts and emotion.

Learn More About Gill Hodgson's Work‍

Gill’s work has a huge impact and her efforts continue to inspire more florists to understand how creativity and sustainable can work beautifully together.

Flowers From The Farm  www.flowersfromthefarm.co.uk
The Farewell Flowers Directory  www.farewellflowers.co.uk
Follow Gill on Instagram @farewellflowers | @fieldhouseflowers

Main Image - https://andreagilpinphotography.com/

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