In her studio high on the hillside of Bradford-on-Avon, florist Fiona Haser Bizony, founder of Electric Daisy Flower Farm, has views of architectural rooftops and the Wiltshire countryside.
A former artistic director who left an office job to study horticulture, Fiona is a champion of homegrown British flowers and well known for designing clever and innovative floral crowns. We visited her recently on the farm, where she appears perfectly at home surrounded by flower fields:
Photography by Britt Willoughby Dyer.
Above: A flower field is crammed with a bright palette, which transforms through the seasons. Here Fiona gathers long stems of larkspur and Sidalcea.
Above: Situated just outside the town, the farm is a hive of activity year-round. Fiona’s team of flower farmers carefully chooses seeds, sows them in trays that carpet the studio floor, and transfers them to a poly tunnel for nurturing. Plants grow together, almost subconsciously in an impressionistic fashion, each complementing the other and giving the illusion of a grand masterpiece from the outset.
Above: Each floral design begins life as a pencil sketch and is then Fiona “paints” it in real life with flowers. The color palette is bold, bright, and daring.
Above: Fiona carries a large bundle of Queen Anne’s Lace and delphiniums in their perfection, ready to be placed in a summer flower “painting.”
Above: Fiona gathers Verbena bonariensis outside the poly tunnel, which contains autumn seedlings ready for the next planting season.
Above: Another prolific grower on the flower farm are the Antirrhinums, which come in many different colors. Fiona has planted a mixed collection which thrive in the Wiltshire soil.
Above: Larkspur growing in the flower field.
Above: Fiona grows rows of amaranth which she cuts and arranges to drape gracefully over the edge of a vase or urn.
Above: Echinops has wonderful silvery blue globes, which add structure to any arrangement.
Above: A simple scented garden rose buttonhole has foliage inspiration from fern, grass, and lavender.
With her background as a curator and artist, and working alongside her daughter Alma (a talented photographer), Fiona has set herself apart. Her skills have combined to produce extraordinary floral designs and installations that each has a unique feel.
Above: Flower crowns are one of Fiona’s trademarks and here she is creating one of eight for bridesmaids. Color schemes are bold and complementary to enhance seasonal flowers such as anemones, Gypsophilia, and ivy, with a matching ribbon to tie securely around a bridesmaid’s hair.
A bouquet in hues of blue and bright whites for a mother of the bride, hand-tied and finished in cellophane with enough water to ensure longevity for the duration of the wedding.
Above: The work of Electric Daisy Flower Farm will showcased next month at the Royal Horticultural Society’s Early Spring Show in London. For more information and tickets, see RHS.
For more of our favorite British flowers, see:
- “Let’s Get #Britishflowers Trending.”
- Shopper’s Diary: Flowers from Miss Pickering.
- Required Reading: The Surprising Life of Constance Spry.
Have a Question or Comment About This Post?
Join the conversation