All Year Round: The Flower Patch CIC was officially incorporated in October 2021; however, our story began during the 2020 lockdown period.
Founded by Nicky Morgan in 2019, the first few years of The Flower Patch had been a bit of a side shuffle, Nicky with 30 yrs plus experience in the horticultural industry had been delivering Forest school sessions and community education. In her spare time she had grown and arranged flowers for friends and family. Due to the covid pandemic over the summer of 2020, she had the opportunity to grow, supply and arrange flowers for a work colleague’s wedding, the process from start to finish was life-affirming. From the first seed sown in March until the final harvest in October the process of growing, maintaining and harvesting provided an escape from what was going on around us.
Nicky said ‘I feel very lucky that my experience of the covid-19 pandemic was very different from most, growing flowers had the most positive effect not only on my mental health but also my physical well-being. Given that the growing of flowers had such a positive effect on me having spent a lifetime working in natural environments it got me thinking how I could use the very same process to have positive effects on other people’s lives.
We are a ‘Not for Profit’ social enterprise, growing seasonal cut flowers in Acklam, Middlesbrough.
I also began to research more about the flower industry and completed a Floristry Business Diploma during a period of being furloughed. I discovered a paper published in 2017 which highlighted the carbon footprint of importing flowers from abroad.
It’s obvious that all our actions and purchases have a carbon footprint, and as such, every action and purchase should be viewed not just by the price, but by its carbon cost, that is why we base all our aims and objectives around growing in harmony with nature.
All Year Round: The Flower Patch CIC has a commitment to sustainability, reducing environmental impact, all of our flowers are grown without fertilisers or chemicals.
In recent years, the Flower Patch has expanded beyond growing seasonal cut flowers. With funding from a range of funding bodies including, The National Lottery Community Fund, Arts Council England, Peoples Postcode Lottery, and Middlesbrough Council, we can now focus on well-being, creativity, and connecting people from across Teesside with nature.
Operating as a social enterprise we provide space, time and support to individuals allowing them to heal, grow and thrive.
We are a ‘Not for Profit’ social enterprise, growing seasonal cut flowers in Acklam, Middlesbrough.
Using social and therapeutic horticultural practice along with wellbeing activities we invite anyone suffering from the pressures of the modern world or feelings of stress and anxiety to get involved.