The florists at Dorothy Marchant, located in the picturesque, if a little eccentric, seaside town of Bexhill-on-Sea are passionate about the town’s varied history, and naturally we are passionate about flowers, too. We take inspiration from the beautiful scenery on our doorstep, the natural wonders in the county and from our quiet town’s small place in the history of rock and roll.
Bexhill-on-Sea is in East Sussex, in south east England which is closely associated with the De La Warr family. It is part of the government district of Rother, and home to numerous archaeological sites, not to mention the renowned De La Warr Pavilion. The pavilion was designed by Serge Chermayeff and Erich Mendelsohn and constructed in the Art Deco and International Style, in 1935. It is one of the first major examples of Modernist architecture in the UK. Today, the pavilion is a contemporary art’s centre, which has featured installations by artists such as Andy Warhol and Richard Wilson, and the auditorium where Bob Marley made his first UK appearance in 1972.
The town is also has a strong claim as the birth place of British motor racing. The 8th Earl de la Warr offered his seafront estate as a venue for the first International Motor Race Meeting in 1902, in partnership with the Automobile Club of Britain and Ireland which went on to become the RAC. The Sackville was the headquarters for the Motor Races, which continued to be held in Bexhill until a purpose built track was completed in 1907.
The area, and its inhabitants, are also proud of their natural heritage and feel connected to nature. An example of this is the fact that the county flower, the round-headed rampion, Phyteuma Orbiculare, is also known as the Pride of Sussex. This deep blue plant has flowers that are not entirely what they seem. Each bloom is a collection of smaller flowers huddled together and it is found in greater abundance on the South Downs than anywhere else in the UK. Florists can find inspiration in both the common and the rare species on our doorstep.
There are multiple local parks and nature reserves in the region, and not all of the flowers, plants and animals found here are so common. High Woods is an 83 acre Site of Special Scientific Interest just north of Bexhill and has various habitats. These include the only example of sessile oak coppice in the UK. In fact it contains Britain’s largest area of coppiced oak. To the east, Rye Harbour LNR is an 804 acre nature reserve that is home to many diverse coastal habitats such as reed beds, saltmarsh, saline lagoons, flooded gravel pits and grazing marsh. In excess of 280 species of birds have been observed taking advantage of the various habitats, with at least 90 breeding pairs on site. Also present are a vast array of flowers and plants, more than 450 distinct species, in fact, of which there are 27 which are considered rare and 2 which are endangered. The first of these flowers is commonly known as Stinking hawksbeard, Crepis foetida, and is a member of the daisy family. The second is a species of wild lettuce, Lactuca salinga, known locally as least lettuce. Their presence only goes to show how important these local nature reserves are. In 2016 Rye Harbour National Nature was voted Britain’s favourite. The entire area provides endless inspiration for florists and wildlife lovers alike.
As artisanal florists, we like to use the inspiration provided by our surroundings to provide flowers and bouquets for any occasion. We are passionate florists and want to share our passion with you.
