BBC Countryfile come to Scilly 

Tonight at 6pm on BBC1 Countryfile are doing a winter special.  For part of the programme they are focussing on Isles of Scilly grown scented narcissi.  The relatively mild climate of Scilly lends itself to year-round flower production.  All the scented narcissi are grown as they have been for years, outdoors in small sheltered fields.  What has changed is the way they are marketed.  They used to go on the boat to Penzance, be put on a train and end up in the large wholesale markets such a Covent Garden, where florists and greengrocers would buy them for their shops.  Nowadays there are several other routes to market.  As well as the wholesale markets some go directly to supermarkets and florists to meet the increasing demand for British grown flowers, others are sent as postal gift boxes direct to any doorstep in the country. At Churchtown Farm we send all the flowers we grow and some from other farms on Scilly as postal gift boxes.  This week will be particularly busy as we get ready for Valentine's Day.  Scented narcissi are not a traditional Valentine's flower but as more people have become interested in the provenance of their flowers and the environmental impact of the gifts they give, outdoor grown Scilly scented narcissi sent direct from where they are grown and wrapped in nearly plastic-free packaging seem to be becoming increasingly popular.  Read more about how we grow our scented narcissi here.