According to newly released data from the UK Government, ornamental plants and flowers produced in the country were worth £1.3 billion in 2018, a fall of 1.8%.
Hardy ornamental stock decreased in value by 2.5% to £910 million. The extreme cold at the start of the year and the summer drought slowed demand and delayed planting for some projects. However, record sales were recorded in June and demand was buoyant from September through to the start of the festive season. The impact of the extreme cold on the majority of stock was limited as plants were still dormant, but the summer drought reduced the size and availability of some tree species.
Flowers in bloom showed a 6.7% decrease in value at an estimated £121 million.
The pot plant sector increased by 2.5% to a value of £307 million.
The value of ornamental imports cost £1.3 billion a 7.7% rise on 2017. The three key imports were roses, indoor plants and chrysanthemums, which were the main imports from The Netherlands, which accounted for 75% of all imports. Kenya accounted for 6.0% of imports, mainly roses and carnations.
Exports of ornamentals were worth £80 million in 2018 a 3.1% decrease on 2017.