'We can't stop the flowers growing!' Shropshire Petal Fields event brought forward due to predicted heatwave
Organisers of the Shropshire Petal Fields event have announced they are bringing their 2025 opening dates forward as a result of forecast hot weather.
The popular flower field experience near Newport was already opening earlier than usual from the end of July following an exceptionally dry spring. With heatwave conditions forecast in the next fortnight and beyond, the teams at Shropshire Petals and Shropshire Festivals believe the flowers will be ready earlier than initially predicted. The new opening dates are one week earlier than previously planned, and are now Thursday, July 24 to Sunday, August 3.
Ashley Evers-Swindell from Shropshire Petals said: “We want our visitors to enjoy the flower field at its best, so we feel the best course of action is to change our opening dates. Working with the Great British weather isn’t straightforward, and we can’t stop the flowers growing.”
A whopping 3.6 million seeds have been planted for this year’s event. The size of the flower field is almost equivalent to 14 Premier League football pitches. Shropshire Petals has watered the plants four times more than usual due to the warm weather and has used winter rainwater to reduce the environmental impact.
Beth Heath from Shropshire Festivals said: “We apologise for the inconvenience the date change will cause our ticket holders. Changing the dates is far from ideal, but a much better outcome than visiting the field when it’s not at its best, so we hope our customers understand our predicament.
“The team at Shropshire Festivals will email every single person who has bought tickets to find out which is their preferred new date to visit. If we don’t hear back from you, we will change your ticket to the equivalent new date. If you can no longer attend, you will receive a full refund. Please bear with us as we work through the ticket sales, and thank you in advance for your understanding and patience.”
Shropshire Petal Fields launched in 2023. Its popularity has since soared. Visitors can wander through colourful layers of delphiniums, sunflowers, and wildflowers.
Beth Heath added: “We are really looking forward to welcoming visitors to our stunning field of colour, where friends and families can capture special memories to treasure always. Our focal points include vintage tractors, giant chairs, and huge butterfly wings. We also have a shop where you can purchase freshly cut flowers, an onsite café serving drinks and refreshments, and tipis to sit under and take in the beautiful surroundings.”
The flower field will now be open daily from July 24 until August 3. Opening times are 10am – 5pm. When booking, you have the choice of a morning ticket (10am – 1pm) or an afternoon ticket (1pm – 5pm). There are three dog days planned on July 30, August 2 and 3, and a sunset evening event on July 25.
Tickets can be purchased online at www.shropshirepetalfields.co.uk.
