During the discussion it became clear that Ruth is a passionate advocate for sustainability, biodiversity and the environment, all key issues that closely align with those of Alne Wood Park. Ruth began growing flowers on a small scale in 2019 with a simple goal — to offer people the option of garden-gathered, locally grown flowers.

In most cases the flowers are grown in Ruths’s plot in Oversley Green, close to Alcester, reducing emissions associated with transportation. If delivery is required, it is by electric vehicle. The flowers are grown in keeping with the environment, and no chemicals are used in the growing of the flowers (no artificial fertilizers or insecticides) and the flower plot is a haven for ladybirds and bees

In addition to the benefit of reduced transportation and supporting a local business, all floral arrangements are compostable - no plastics, wire, floral foam or cellophane are used. As such this is a perfect match for the requirements that we have at Alne Wood Park for funeral tributes and those that visitors may want to leave on the graves. 

Ruth enjoys meeting with her customers to get a sense of what would meet their needs. This allows her to create arrangements that are designed to suit individual wishes, these can be informal or formal in nature. This also allows recommendation of a flower selection that best suits what is seasonally available. 

The idea of locally sourced flowers, and reduction of use of plastic, particularly for use at a funeral was highlighted last year by an award winning entry at Chelsea Flower Show. So, it’s great to know that we have someone on our doorstep who can provide this. 

An important part of what we offer at Alne Wood Park is to support local businesses who closely align with the values we have at the site, as such, it was a pleasure to meet Ruth and her husband Mike and see what they do, so close to where we are located. 

For more information visit the website www.oversleyflowers.co.uk