Producer

Stokesay Flowers

At Stokesay Flowers, roses grow inside old brick kitchen-garden walls near Ludlow. Victoria and Barney Martin cut chemical-free English flowers in open air, favouring old, species and rambling roses. Picked to order, conditioned overnight in cool outbuildings, then delivered in water, the stems keep Shropshire timing alive for British florists.

Early rose season: May–June; crescendo mid-June

Stokesay Flowers, Stokesay Court, Onibury, Craven Arms, Shropshire, SY7 9BD, United Kingdom

Walled kitchen gardens near Ludlow, old and rambling roses spilling over supports in early summer light.

Products

Old garden roses in a florist bucket with irregular blush, cream and apricot tones.

Old Garden Roses

Old Garden Roses bring Stokesay's walled-garden abundance into vases, tables and installations without the stiffness of imported florist roses. Use their scent, loose petals, thorny stems and branchy movement when natural shape, English seasonality and visible garden character matter more than uniformity.

RIPE NOWEarly rose season: May–June; crescendo mid-June
ProvenanceiBrick-walled Shropshire gardens concentrate shelter, scent, and old-rose character.PreservationiCool overnight conditioning keeps field-cut roses hydrated, open, and usable.PreparationiRecut stems before arranging; let ramblers spill instead of forcing.PalateiExpect damask scent, papery petals, mossy foliage, irregular garden softness.PerformanceiUse branchy ramblers; spilling stems create movement imported roses lack.