April News from Galloway Flowers

Vintage Spode Posy Bowl filled with Spring Flowers

  If 'April Showers bring May Flowers', we're surely heading for a bumper show next month!
The frequent rain has slowed down a lot of our prep work outside recently. A few dryish weeks (please!) are needed to help get things closer to schedule again.

  Dividing perennial plants as planned has been difficult with the wet ground. Some varieties will have to wait until next year now, reducing productivity this season. It's better than risking loss of plants if we've a prolonged dry spell. The last few years have been exceptionally dry here in late April to early June. Growing flowers doesn't always go according to our plan - we just have to adapt to Mother Nature's!

  I prioritised precious dry days to complete bare root Rose planting. These had to go in, too expensive to leave. Another 35 rose bushes planted this year. It'll be a couple of years for them to be really productive. Patience is required to grow these lovely diva's well. Most are English & old reliable varieties, selected for health & scent. I've added a few new Hybrid Teas as experiments. I've often been told Roses don't grow well here in Galloway. I've found many do exceptionally well (getting very tall in the rain) as long as they're fed very generously.

  Three of our giant Conifers have been removed at last. Although there's a lot of mess to clear still, the impact is dramatic. So much light floods this area again & it'll be full of flowers soon. This area was one of the first planted when we came here 9 years ago, producing huge quantities of stems. The Conifers grow quietly & fast, only when looking at old photo's had I realised by how much. Replanting has begun. So far, I've moved Campanula, Achillea & Hellebores into the area - a lot more waiting.

 The seeds sown earlier this year are being planted, making room for the next batches in the greenhouse. I felt very silly watering them in the polytunnel beds, as rain hammered above. It never rains in the Tunnel (of course) & easy to forget this critical task in a spell of wet weather.

   Our flower season is well underway now - I've already cut plenty for 2 weddings, florist orders & our 'Friday Flowers' bouquets. The variety of stems available increases steadily in the coming weeks.

What can I begin to grow this month? 
  Potted Herbaceous plants (such as Delphiniums) can go in now for a quick show this year. The Garden Centres & Plant Nurseries will be well stocked this month so may make an enjoyable trip. Dahlias can be started off indoors now (need frost protection). 
  This is a great month for seed sowing. Often seeds sown this month catch up on the same variety sown a month ago as light levels increase. Sow Hardy Annuals direct outside & Half Hardy Annuals (such as Cosmos) inside. The Half Hardy Annuals can be planted outside after the last frost. I'm sowing Sunflowers this week for a cheerful crop.
   Plant more bulbs for summer colour in gaps - Lilies, Gladioli & Acidanthera are reliable & make great vase fillers.

What Can I Cut This Month?
  The simple answer is 'Lots!'
I'm declaring 2024 Spring as 'Well ahead of itself' as the flowers are romping away, some 2-3 weeks ahead of most years.
  The 'Fancy Daffs' are sensational here just now. Blithely ignoring my careful plans for a continuous crop over several weeks, they're opening fast. Plenty for those weddings though... I love the frilly doubles like a ballerina tutu & planted more last Autumn. Other favourites are dainty short varieties such as 'Prom Dance' & 'Blushing Lady' (scented like a freesia). Great value bulbs as they come back every year with little attention.
  Tulips are beginning to pop & included in bouquets last week. If you would like a bunch (on the bulb or off), let me know. These are strong, large headed varieties & very different to the short, small-headed flowers (grown hydroponically) from the supermarket.  Add these glamourous beauties to Honesty, Snowflakes, Cherry or Amelanchier blossom perhaps & you've the making of a lovely vaseful.
   Buds are appearing on Aquilegia, Sweet Rocket & even Peonies so these aren't far behind.
  And let's not forget the teeny, short stemmed flowers. The vintage Spode Posy ring pictured above was filled with Spring flowers on Saturday 6th. It's still looking pretty & fresh today, so far not a single stem has failed. These may look delicate but last well. Take a walk around your patch & see what you can find...

Speciality Tulips

​Upcoming Events
Workshop Dates for 2024 are;

• 'Make A Hand Tied Bouquet' on Sunday 28th April (Just 1 place left)
• 'Arrange A Vase' Afternoons' in June, August & September (June fully booked)

All the Workshops will be here at the Flower Farm. 
How To Buy Flowers;

• Weekly deliveries or collections  Always 100% British-grown, & our own Galloway Grown flowers are increasing in numbers every week
• Flowers will be available across a wide area through the Galloway Food Hub again next cycle
• Flowers to arrange yourself - available to order. 'Bloom Buckets' of mixed flowers or by the bunch. Collection only. These are perfect for weddings, parties, church flower arrangers etc.

   And you can, of course, telephone me on 01644 420407 or email if you prefer talking to a real person rather than ordering flowers online. Much of my work is 'bespoke' for House flowers, parties & funerals so doesn't really fit the neat boxes necessary for online ordering. 

Jobs for April:
   Yesterday we had bright sunshine, gusty winds, hail & heavy rain - classic April weather! So I find it useful to have options when it comes to jobs. I might start a task outside - but am always prepared to dash inside a tunnel or shed to carry on.

• Sweet Peas can be planted outside now into a well prepared & enriched bed. Toughen up before putting outside to avoid transplant shock. Plant 2 to an upright, tie in & pinch out the tips for sturdier, bushier plants
• Plant Lily bulbs in pots now for Summer colour
• Sow another batch of Hardy Annual seedlings either under cover or outside direct in the soil. These flower their socks off, giving you lots to cut. Replace with this second batch to keep flowers coming until the frosts
• The Half-Hardy Annuals can be sown now inside too (such as Cosmos) ready for planting out after the last frosts
• Watch Tulips for signs of Tulip Fire. (brown spots on distorted leaves & flowers). This devastating fungal disease is rife after a mild Winter. It can spread fast to your other Tulips. If it occurs, pull up bulb & all, put in a binbag & dispose in rubbish to be burned.   
• Give support to your plants before they need it. The plants seem tiny now but grow fast this month. It’s much easier to put support in place before the lush growth flops
• Don’t give up too soon on shrubs & plants that look dead. Some plants can be slow to begin growing. Give them a little longer & you might be surprised. I'm crossing my fingers my white Solanum isn't a goner. It looks like it though...
• Sow easy veg seeds for super-fresh (& very reasonably priced) salads - Lettuce leaves, Rocket, Beetroot & Spring Onions are all quick to reach picking stage & thrive in pots or a small patch of ground . Broad beans are good sown this month & always taste better than any you'll find in a supermarket

I hope we'll soon be enjoying brighter days & plenty of colourful flowers. Any day now the Summer birds will be here - have you heard a Cuckoo or seen a Swallow yet?

Until next time, 
Rosie 
Galloway Flowers 
 
"In the Spring, I have counted 136 different kinds of weather inside of 24 hours."
Mark Twain, American Writer 1835 - 1910