For Andrea Rook, director of Cumbria Wildflowers, winning the SME of the Year award is recognition of years of hard work that have gone into building the business.


“Entering the in-Cumbria awards is important to Cumbria Wildflowers as it provides an opportunity to highlight Cumbrian businesses and showcase the talent that Cumbria has,” says Andrea.
“As a Cumbrian-based business, we strive to promote what the county has to offer, especially within its environment and wild landscapes. 
“Our aim is to be the best at what we do and see this as an opportunity to promote ourselves, a successful rural business, promoting the rich diversity of Cumbrian businesses.
“For Cumbria Wildflowers to win an award is incredibly meaningful as it recognises all the hard work and dedication from us and our amazing Cumbrian team. 
“From our humble beginnings in our backyard over 25 years ago, we now sell Cumbrian plants, seeds, and bulbs across the UK. 
“Our amazing products showcase the beauty of Cumbrian Wildflowers and we aim to continually promote biodiversity, its protection, support conservation and how biodiversity can be achieved by all.”
The nursery, which is near Great Orton, Carlisle, prioritises ecological impact and biodiversity through its use of UK native wildflower seeds and sustainable gardening practices.
Their forward-thinking approach includes reusing 60 per cent of their growing trays, reducing plastic usage and adopting 100 per cent compostable packaging for all website orders, which impressed our judging panel. They felt the company was setting very high industry standards.
Cumbria Wildflowers operates a peat-free nursery and uses recycled garden compost, biological pest control, and plant-based fertilisers.
Their use of renewable energy sources, such as solar panels and a biomass boiler, along with innovative rainwater reuse and a biodigester/reed bed system, underscores their commitment to reducing carbon emissions.

 

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