British flower growers are reporting lost crops, sharply higher irrigation costs, and disrupted growing seasons after the U.K. experienced its hottest summer on record. Some growers arrived at London’s Chiswick Flower Market with reduced supplies, while others were unable to attend because they had no flowers left to sell.
Met Office provisional data shows summer 2026 had a U.K. average temperature of 16.5°C, surpassing the previous record set in 2025. England and Wales also recorded their warmest summers on record, while both experienced their driest July since records began in 1836.
Growers Reshape Work Around Heat and Drought
For flower farms, the conditions affected everything from germination to harvesting. Lisa Comfort, who grows flowers in Hertfordshire, said temperatures were already too high to cut flowers by 8:30 a.m., forcing her family to water after sunset and spend much of the summer living close to the fields.
Fourth-generation Lincolnshire grower George Stevens lost most of his peony crop after temperatures moved rapidly from about 14°C to above 30°C in May. Dry soil later prevented seeds from germinating without additional irrigation, increasing production costs.
Dahlia Beach in Oxfordshire, which grows nearly 30,000 dahlia plants, has faced similar pressures. Owner Andie McDowell said the farm needs around 5,000 stems each week during its short season, leaving it with little room to absorb higher watering, labor, fertilizer, and transport costs.
By August 10, 71.3% of England was officially in drought, with more than 27 million people facing water-use restrictions. Eight water companies had introduced temporary restrictions as reservoirs fell well below their long-term average levels.
Farms Adapt to More Difficult Growing Conditions
Some growers are changing how they use water. Comfort adopted pulse watering, providing shorter irrigation periods several times per day to maintain soil moisture, while other farms have also rationed water more carefully.
Others are diversifying their income. Dahlia Beach has added events including line dancing and silent discos among its flowers, reducing its dependence on crop sales alone.
Growers are also considering how future planting decisions may need to change as extreme weather affects flowering schedules and production costs. British-grown flowers currently account for a relatively small share of the domestic market, with about 90% of cut flowers sold through U.K. florists, supermarkets, and wholesalers imported, mainly from the Netherlands.
The effects extend beyond flowers. Farmers across other agricultural sectors have also reported lower yields and higher costs following the unusually hot and dry growing season, with the record-breaking conditions increasing pressure on businesses already facing higher input expenses.
Featured image credits: Wikimedia Commons
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