As part of my ‘one blog post a month’ goal (which I've failed!! oops) I decided to explore a handful of incredible flower farms here in South Devon. When I first emailed the three flower farmers you will read about in this post I was kind of expecting a ‘why do you want to visit when you work with faux flowers’ sort of response and I couldn’t have been more wrong! Molly, Steph and Georgina all emailed back super quick and welcomed me to their world of flower farming, sharing their knowledge and passion.

Over the last few months I’ve been to South Milton Flower Farm, Kokutan and River Garden Flowers and I’ve really enjoyed driving through the Devon lanes to meet the lovely growers (and some of their dogs too!). It has given me such appreciation for the hard work and dedication that goes into sustainable British flower farming, and also made me slightly (okay, massively!) envious of their incredible jobs. Except for the long hours… 

South Milton Flower Farm 

My first trip was to meet Molly at South Milton Flower Farm back in February. This was before the flowering season really started and I was warned about how muddy the farm would be. Molly had been busy sowing seeds and I was impressed to see some tulips almost ready to pick! I will definitely return in the summer to see the abundance of flowers. I actually took Betty with me as I planned to take her for a run on the beach too and she was allowed to meander the beautiful space with us and meet Molly’s lovely dog. We did go to the beach afterwards and nearly got blown away!!

Molly runs the 1.5-acre farm, although it is very much a family business: everyone helps out, from the toddlers sowing seeds to the grandparents collecting them at the end of the season. Molly explained that over the years, the site had many different uses, and when her family took it over, it was a wild forest of brambles and overgrown plants filled with glasshouses and old tunnels. You can really see the incredible amount of hard work that has been put into bringing the land back to life. 

Growing approach: At the heart of South Milton Flower Farm is a simple ethos: to work with mother nature. Instead of using harsh chemicals or pesticides, Molly and her family let the ecosystem find its own balance. They use a mostly no-dig approach, which means not churning up the earth, which keeps the soil healthy and full of life. They also plant plenty of native wildflowers and leave sections of the farm completely wild to provide a safe home for bees, butterflies, and birds, making the farm a buzzing, living sanctuary.

What makes South Milton Flower Farm special: They host a variety of community offerings, including design workshops (such as hand-tied arrangements, flower crowns and wreaths), mindfulness, yoga and sound baths. Can you imagine anything more tranquil than a sound bath surrounded by nature!

What do they offer: Honesty - loads! Molly opens up the farm on Sundays 10-4 from June to October for ‘pick your own’ flowers, meaning it’s a place where people can get their hands on the beautiful flowers and connect with where they come from. This is also available by appointment from May onwards and for DIY weddings with around a month's notice. Alternatively, she can be on hand to support you with creating your own wedding flowers, with half-day or full-day workshops on offer. If you are searching for a sustainable option for your wedding without the hassle of DIY, Molly is happy to create a package to suit your requirements, whether this is just a bridal bouquet or a full flowering package always using eco-friendly mechanics and methods. Molly also makes beautiful gift bouquets to order, with fully biodegradable packaging, and finally supplies wholesale flowers to local florists. 

Kokutan

Next I went to visit Kokutan, just outside Totnes between Dartington and Staverton (one of my favourite areas of Devon!), and was given a fantastic tour of the glasshouses and outdoor growing areas by Steph and her two lovely dogs. I also got to meet her husband briefly, who was busy building a new cabin for an exciting new offering on the farm. Because I went in April there was an abundance of tulips, fluffy ranunculus, butterfly ranunculus, anemones and irises. Steph also showed me some of the flowers she was drying indoors and everything was just beautiful. She explained that her mother had owned the space before her, running a plant nursery. I also loved that the glasshouses are 30 years old and have been lovingly restored, with one being part of the walled garden at Dartington Hall originally. The way Steph has designed her space is incredible; it feels more like a living gallery than a traditional farm. You can really see the Japanese influence in every corner. The name Kokutan actually means ‘burnt wood’ in Japanese, a nod to the charred timber aesthetic that gives the farm such a calm, grounded, yet modern feel.

Steph is committed to her land and building the whole ecosystem. She avoids all harsh chemicals and artificial fertilizers, focusing instead on keeping the soil healthy and full of life. Steph uses some really clever, natural methods to keep the farm thriving, including feeding the soil with rich compost, using cover crops and harvesting rainwater. When I visited she explained how she was using parasitic wasps to manage aphids in one of her glasshouses, which was totally new to me, but really interesting to learn about!

What makes Kokutan special: Glasshouse weddings! If you have your heart set on an intimate micro wedding experience, a Kokutan Glasshouse wedding might be just what you’re looking for and they are taking enquiries via the website now. I can’t imagine a wedding more magical to be honest!! They have collaborated with The Wandering Cook, Jake Bridgwood, and just looking at his sample menus made my mouth water.

What do they offer: Again - loads! Farewell flowers for a perfect send off for your loved one, wholesale flowers for local florists from April-October, seasonal gift bouquets that dreams are made of, art workshops, Christmas wreath workshops, one-to-one growing workshops, bespoke floristry workshops and, of course, wedding flowers! Steph has made Kokutan’s wedding flower offering simple, and with an  À La Carte Wedding Flower Brochure available online, you won’t be left with thousands of questions. This option is great for couples who want beautiful, locally grown flowers, without large installations or a full design service. She has included a stem count guide so you can order DIY flower buckets without the worry of over or under ordering and you can mix and match the items you want to create yourself, with those you’d rather leave in the hands of a professional!

River Garden Flowers 

My journey then took me to River Garden Flowers, tucked away in the lush village of Kenn. I met Georgina, who manages this beautiful site alongside her husband, with an impressive mix of professional expertise and genuine passion. Situated right near the river, the farm feels like a hidden wildlife sanctuary of productivity. I loved feeling so close to nature and could immediately tell that the space was free from chemicals and pesticides, or else the wildlife would not be so plentiful. During the tour we saw a woodpecker and an abundance of other birds, alongside a huge variety of incredible flowers of course! Georgina also told me about the otters that live in the river below the farm, and the bee hives in a nearby field. Georgina shared with me that they started out as a market garden, growing vegetables, fruit, and salads, before releasing the space was not big enough, so River Garden Flowers was founded.

What immediately struck me about Georgina’s approach was her passion for growing high-quality British flowers using only the most environmentally friendly growing methods. It was clear that she has an uncompromising attention to detail, from the way the soil is nourished to the careful conditioning of every single stem ready for local florists to collect. As we wandered around, I noticed the quality of the flowers growing was so incredible that it is no wonder so many local florists choose River Garden Flowers for their flowers. The varieties Georgina has selected to grow are bang on trend and the smell of the sweet peas growing in one of the tunnels was heavenly! Walking through the rows of flowers, you get a real sense of the slow flower movement in action; professional, sustainable, and utterly beautiful.

What makes River Garden Flowers special: It’s a true hub for the local floral community. Georgina doesn't just grow for gift bouquets; she is a primary supplier for some of the best florists in the South West. If you’ve seen a spectacular local arrangement in a Devon shop or at a high-end event, there’s a very good chance the flowers started their life at River Garden Flowers. 

What do they offer: Whilst they predominantly supply local florists with wholesale flowers from spring through until autumn, Georgina also makes gift bouquets and supplies DIY wedding/arrangement buckets in your chosen colour palette. They have a unique edible flower offering too, which I can only imagine makes for an amazing cocktail or two! They also dry flowers for use over winter months and team up with local Christmas tree growers to help florists source local foliage for wreaths and workshops over the festive period. 

Final thoughts 

Each flower farm I visited had its own personality, which might seem a weird thing to say, each completely unique in layout, vibe and offerings. But what they all had in common was they were being run by such lovely people, who were passionate about British flowers, environmentally friendly growing methods, commitment to keeping the soil healthy, and all round sustainability.

My key takeaway from these visits was that these flower farmers prove that you don't need chemicals or air miles to produce beautiful flowers. 

If you are reading this and don’t live in South Devon, you will likely have a local flower farm with just as beautiful flowers and similar sustainability standards. There is a really useful directory called Flowers From The Farm you can look at for more information. 

Thanks for reading!

Avie