A LOCAL woman’s childhood ambition to become a florist has come to fruition as she now runs the Old Bakery Flower Garden from her home in Walford.

Instead of pursuing a career in floristry, Lucy Price trained to become a nurse instead and when she married he husband Phil they moved to The Old Bakery in 1986 she fell in love with the garden and was delighted with the prospect of growing flowers on her own land.

While Lucy worked as a nurse in the Forest, mainly in minor injuries at the Dilke Hospital and said that she really enjoyed her time as a nurse.

She said that life was always busy during her career, with both work and her family taking up most of her time, but said that gardening was always her way in which she relaxed.

Lucy said: I’ve always been creative and about three years ago I discovered the world of British flowers and an organisation ‘Flowers from the Farm’ a trade association promoting a financially and environmentally sustainable local cut flower industry, which brings small florists together.

“I slowly cut my hours at the hospital and eventually left my role as a nurse practitioner to focus on flowers full time, with the Old Bakery Flower Garden being formed in October 2023.

“I thought now was the time to finally go for it. And while I miss my NHS work colleagues, I am finding that many former patients have become my customers.

“I’ve already outgrown my own garden, which has been divided into themed areas, and I’ve now expanded to have a polytunnel on separate plot of land in Goodrich.”

As part of British Flowers Week, Lucy has a stall at Ross Market on June 20 and is hosting an open afternoon at the Old Bakery between 1pm and 4pm on June 21.