About
Cannell’s supply florists and retailers locally, by growing top quality seasonal flowers and foliage in a sustainable way on our flower farm on the Hertfordshire/Essex border.
Inspired by nature, we work with the seasons and believe British grown flowers really are the best, growing them sustainably for their quality and freshness, zero airmiles and lower carbon footprint.
We love and care about what we grow and about cultivating positive relationships with all our customers.
Cannell's also provide a floral design service, offering everything from a simple seasonal British grown bouquet cut from the field to sympathy flowers and full-scale weddings and events.
In addition we grow and sell perennials and bedding plants along with a seasonal design and planting service for garden pots and hanging baskets.
We will also be offering several flower and plant workshops throughout the year.
Meet our Head Gardener and Floral Designer
Ben Cannell trained in Professional Floristry and Horticulture at Writtle College in 2005, before working for Bloomsbury Flowers London and later becoming Head Florist at Van Hages, Hertfordshire.
Ben’s floristry journey has seen him delivering events in many venues across London, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and the Home Counties, designing and working in some amazing venues. Highlights have been floral demonstrations at the Chelsea Flower Show as well as regularly designing PR flowers for Marks and Spencer and Ann Summers (oh la la!)
After many years of working in floristry and events, Ben took on the role of Hospitality and Operations Manager at Hertford Theatre. During his time in this post, Ben also worked as a freelance florist taking on many weddings, funerals and events along with running numerous floristry workshops. However, the need to work the land became too strong and Ben has returned to his roots and can now be found on the flower farm growing beautiful British blooms and foliage.
Ben’s extensive floristry and horticultural knowledge coupled with his experience give him a unique understanding of not only how to grow, but also what to grow for the market.
As a keen gardener Ben has designed and planted many gardens over the years along with his own garden in Hertfordshire. In 2018 Ben’s Garden was runner up in the Telegraph’s Great British Garden competition sponsored by Yorkshire Gold, with his garden featuring in a TV advert with gardener and designer Katie Rushworth.
Back to our roots
Cannell’s comes from a long line of horticulturists and today we are proud to be continuing the work of our ancestors.
The Cannell family were dairy farmers and seed growers in Hardley, Norfolk where in 1872 Fred John Cannell set up a seed business.
Fred’s son George Walter Cannell later moved the business and opened a seed warehouse in Loddon, Norfolk where the seed business remained until 1968.
Anthony Cannell (Ben’s grandfather) studied at St. Johns College Cambridge for a degree in Zoology before returning to the family business in Norfolk, where later he became a director until it closed in 1968.
During his time at Cannell seed’s Anthony was influential in developing a system for precision drilling seed per acre, as well as developing agricultural seed, curating seed catalogues, and photographing their content.
Anthony Cannell’s wife Dorothy Cannell (Ben’s Grandma) was a keen flower arranger and was instrumental in the setting up of the Loddon flower club. Grandma was very dear to Ben, and was a major influence in his life, teaching him about the natural world, plants and foliage. She would today be very proud.