floral design by nikki mckinney

The Bell Jar is my flower studio & cutting garden, and is based in the glorious county of Nottinghamshire. Home to a growing British flower farm movement in its beautiful, largely undiscovered countryside, the county is known for its rich heritage of creative textile and lace making, as well as literature.

All my life I have been interested in nature, architecture, interiors, design, books, theatre and the arts. I founded The Bell Jar to provide a natural style of floristry, with an emphasis on design and creativity, and trained at the Tallulah Rose Flower School, which was at the time located in Bath - now relocated to the beautiful countryside of the Lake District.

Using British flowers wherever possible is really important to me, as is the use of sustainable materials and favouring conventional techniques (such as the use of chicken wire and flower frogs for structuring arrangements) championed by the horticulturalist Gertrude Jekyll and floral decorator Constance Spry.

I specialise in seasonal, natural arrangements which draw on the traditions of overgrown English gardens and are influenced by the beautiful Nottinghamshire landscapes around me. Expect hellebores in winter, delicate anemones in spring, garden roses in summer and bold dahlias in autumn. I also love using dried flowers for their sustainability and longevity if requested.

I provide flowers for weddings & events in Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Derbyshire and throughout the whole of the East Midlands. I also really enjoy collaborations and styled shoots.