22/05/2026
Such amazing news that the British flower growing sector has finally been recognised with its own Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) code! Blooming Green has been going nearly 20 years, so it's been a while we've been waiting!
An industry dominated by women, built on birdsong and biodiversity, has spent years invisible to government statistics. That changes now.
The £30 million a year generated by the UK’s flower farming industry has, until now, been invisible, absorbed into the catch-all figures of broader agriculture, its contribution uncounted, its flower growers unrecognised. That changes today. Flowers from the Farm, the trade body representing hundreds of British flower growers, has been awarded dedicated Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) codes, the formal economic identifiers that allow a sector to exist, officially, in the eyes of government, funders and policymakers.
The announcement comes as Flowers from the Farm prepares to exhibit at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, Britain’s most prestigious horticultural stage. The award of SIC codes, secured with persistent backing from Liberal Democrat MP Sarah D**e, is more than a bureaucratic milestone. For the first time, the economic contribution of British flower farming can be tracked, measured, and used as the basis for funding applications, academic research, and government support.
Georgie Newbery, Chair, Flowers from the Farm, said: "Getting this SIC code means that not only can we prove how much flower growers are putting into the British economy but that we're in a position to be acknowledged and encouraged by government, because we finally exist! - and the most important thing is that we can now look at the biodiversity net gain protocol, which will give us protection. The SIC code also allows us to lobby for more, and if we can lobby for more, then it will be much, much clearer for consumers that the flowers that they are buying are British-grown."
Consumer benefits:
Fresher, longer-lasting flowers - more local funding means a stronger supply of British flowers that reach vases days faster than chemically preserved imports
Easier sustainable/eco-friendly shopping - a thriving domestic market gives consumers a genuinely sustainable, low-carbon, and pesticide-light choice
Greater variety - investment into local growers will expand the availability of unique, fragrant, and heritage varieties that don't survive long-haul shipping
So, this weekend, let's raise a glass to all the amazing work that's been going on behind the scenes to make this happen!
