Meet our suppliers: Robyn's Nest Floral Design

We are delighted to collaborate with Robyn Semple-Dower of Robyn’s Nest Floral Design. Robyn is known as the resident florist at our charming Dorset property, Summer Lodge Country House Hotel & Restaurant. Robyn’s creative and colourful displays bring something incredibly special to Summer Lodge's spectacular communal spaces. Her seasonal installations are particularly inspiring, making use of local, natural materials in addition to seasonal flowers.  

Image courtesy of Robyn's Nest Floral Design

Most flowers found in British supermarkets and florists are grown in and distributed from Holland, where vast greenhouses are optimised for mass production; these utilise a considerable amount of energy on heating and irrigation. These measures, alongside the freight transportation requirements, result in these flowers having a high carbon footprint at the point of purchase. 

Here at Red Carnation, sustainability is at the forefront of everything we do. It is incredibly important to us to reduce our carbon footprint where we can, and Robyn’s Nest Floral Design is a fantastic partner choice for us - where Robyn frequently opts to use locally sourced flowers in the floral arrangements at Summer Lodge.  

Image courtesy of Robyn's Nest Floral Design

Robyn's Christmas 2021 mantlepiece displays made use of hydrangeas from our own gardens, which had dried naturally in the garden after passing their summer prime. Using the hydrangeas in this way successfully elongated their life span for the enjoyment of our wonderful guests and reused our available resources. 

Robyn's participation in British Flowers Week is testament to her commitment to sustainability. During this time, florists and gardeners put together special displays to demonstrate the wealth and variety of the flowers grown here in the UK. This is intended to encourage the use of seasonal, local flowers. 

Image courtesy of Robyn's Nest Floral Design

Similarly, Summer Lodge’s kitchen team - alongside the teams throughout the rest of the collection - is passionate about using locally sourced, seasonal ingredients in their menus. Summer Lodge is particularly proud to grow fruit, vegetables, and herbs in on-site gardens.