Worcestershire, UK – The owner of The Real Flower Petal Confetti Company has voiced concerns that extreme weather conditions could jeopardize the future of his flower confetti business.
Located in Wick, Worcestershire, the company produces flower confetti and opens its vibrant fields to the public annually. However, persistent heavy rain throughout the winter and spring has resulted in flooding, severely impacting planting efforts.
“I’ve farmed here for nearly 50 years, and I’ve never experienced a winter as wet as this one,” said Charles Hudson, the landowner. “From January through April, the fields were waterlogged and flooded.”
According to the Met Office, which specializes in weather forecasting and climate science, the winter of 2023/2024 was the eighth wettest on record in the UK. In March alone, the UK received 107.8mm of rain, significantly higher than the average of 84.9mm, placing it among the top 20% of the wettest Marches. April saw even more rain, with 111.4mm compared to the average of 71.9mm, marking it as the sixth wettest April in the past 189 years.
This excessive rainfall led to the farm losing 50% of its crops. The farm, which once supplied petals for the wedding of King Charles and Queen Camilla, faced severe challenges in producing enough petals for harvest and for their public display.
“We were seriously concerned that we wouldn’t have enough petals to harvest this year or a field to show the public,” said Hudson.
Despite the setbacks, the dedicated staff managed to plant enough flowers to open the fields for their 10-day open flower field event.
“There’s been compensatory growth, and I think there’s a spectacle now to see,” Hudson stated.
The farm expects over 20,000 visitors during this event. However, Hudson warned that ongoing extreme weather poses a significant threat to the farm’s future.
“This past winter has shown us that we can suddenly lose 50% of our crops,” he said. “We barely managed to provide a flower field for visitors this year.”
The extreme weather patterns underscore the vulnerability of agricultural enterprises to climate change, with significant implications for the future of The Real Flower Petal Confetti Company and similar businesses.