Elder & Wild
Elder & Wild is a floral design studio and cutting garden, specialising in garden-inspired, sustainable arrangements that capture the natural elegance and grace of every bloom.
@elderandwild
Daisy Price Photography @daisypricephotography
For nearly a decade, Elder & Wild, founded by Rebekah Critchlow, has been quietly cultivating a floral world shaped by the rhythms of nature and a devotion to craft. Based in Nottinghamshire and run by Rebekah and her husband Sam, the studio is known for arrangements that feel effortless yet deeply intentional, always guided by the flowers themselves.
“It all started on a small patio,” she recalls. “I grew flowers in pots and couldn’t get over the delight of seeing such abundance emerge from just a handful of seeds.” Those early arrangements, first made for her own home and then for friends’ creative projects, quickly bloomed into something larger. Inspired by Erin Benzakein of Floret Flower Farm, she left her job in the arts, and the couple sought a house with the biggest garden they could afford. Elder & Wild was born.
The name, too, emerged naturally. “When we first moved here, the cutting garden was completely overgrown. It was a wild tangle of brambles and elder,” she says. Nearly ten years later, what began as a retreat has evolved into a thriving design studio grounded in sustainability and a reverence for the land.
Localism lies at the heart of their approach. Every arrangement is made exclusively with British-grown flowers — cut directly from their own garden or sourced from nearby farms. They grow chemical/peat free, leave room for wildlife, avoid floral foam, and reuse or compost every stem. That sense of responsibility extends to people, too: freelancers are always paid above the living wage, and there’s a strong spirit of sharing resources within their community of florists and stylists.
Their designs are both structured and organic, balancing intention with spontaneity. “I always allow the floral material itself to inform the arrangement,” she explains. “Things feel more graceful when you give the ingredients room to breathe.” A branch that bends or a honeysuckle that trails sets the movement of a piece, guiding the overall form.
This sensitivity to nature’s details also defines their seasonal approach. “Arrangements made today won’t be the same as those made next week,” she says. “Something new catches my eye every time I walk through the beds.” For her, beauty lies in imperfection. “Roses with rain spots, leaves turning sunset pink, wildflowers unexpectedly popping up . . . nothing about cultivating a cutting garden fits the description of flawless, and therein lies the joy.”
When it comes to weddings and events, the process begins with conversation — learning what couples love and what excites them. From there, the seasons guide what grows in the garden, and the studio prepares weeks in advance before transforming venues with installations, bouquets, and arrangements on the day itself. “It feels quite special that we can let conversations with our couples inform what we grow next season,” she notes.
Looking forward, Elder & Wild is expanding its offerings to include more intimate weddings and gatherings, with bespoke ceramic vessels created in collaboration with an artisan maker. And, in time, they hope to find a larger plot of land for the cutting garden — space not only to grow more flowers but to open new opportunities beyond floral design.
Above all, Elder & Wild remains an ongoing dialogue with nature. “My best work is made when I’m relaxed and in tune with how the material naturally wants to come together,” she reflects. It’s this trust — in the land, the seasons, and the flowers themselves — that continues to define their work and inspire all who encounter it.
Daisy Price Photography @daisypricephotography
Rebekah’s Advice
o n e
Choose a floral designer whose work strikes a chord with you and reflects your values. You’ll always get the best results with a designer that has a compatible vision and ethos, someone that you can trust fully with your event from the outset.
t w o
Be open to ideas. Your floral designer should have expertise that you can draw upon to help develop ideas that are exciting and creatively fit your brief / budget. Allow yourself to be inspired by them as you work together through the details for your event.
t h r e e
Have a go and grow what you love! Some of the most beautiful, delicate varieties that we love working with are hard to come by or have a short vase life. If you’re thinking about growing your own flowers, there’s no need to stick to conventional ideas of what is a ‘good cut flower.’ Not even the ‘weeds’ are off limits to our snips!
Daisy Price Photography @daisypricephotography