A new community flower growing project exceeded expectations at its launch at Ham Fair 2026.

As British Flowers Week celebrates the beauty of locally grown blooms, Ham's Harvest CIC marks the success of its first public launch, after nearly selling out at Ham Fair in Kingston Upon Thames on Saturday 13 June.

At the launch, visitors embraced the opportunity to buy locally grown flowers and plants, with every bouquet selling out and almost all propagated plants finding new homes.

"The response was incredible," said Julie. "After months of preparing for our first event, seeing so many people support us was incredibly rewarding.

"It confirmed that there's a real appetite for locally grown flowers and for projects that encourage people to connect with nature."

Whilst Ham's Harvest was officially established in September 2025, the roots of the project stretch back several years.

It started in 2021, as a passion project based in its directors' back gardens, and has since blossomed into something much bigger.

The project was started by Julie Reynolds, a florist, pressed flower artist and grower and Rachel Tyne, who oversees the project's accounts and administration.

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The pair began by selling seasonal flowers at Ham Parade Market and describing this experience, Julie said: "People didn't want to just buy flowers.

"They wanted to stop and chat about what we were growing, ask questions about growing their own flowers and share their own gardening stories.

"We realised that flowers bring people together in a really special way."

Inspired by these conversations, Julie and Rachel began developing the idea for Ham's Harvest.

When the opportunity arose to cultivate a plot at St Richard's School in Richmond, the pair saw a chance to create something that would benefit both the local community and the environment.

Kathryn Plowman had been caring for the plot since January 2025 and is now an integral part of Ham's Harvest, as Flower Farm and Administration Assistant, helping to develop the project as it enters its first full season.

Ham's Harvest hopes to inspire people throughout the year to discover the beauty of seasonal flowers, support local growing and experience the positive impact that gardening and nature can have on wellbeing.

As the project continues to grow, the team hopes to expand its programme of seasonal flowers, plants and community activities, sharing its passion for sustainable flower growing with even more people across Ham and beyond.

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To learn more about Ham Harvest click here.