​   Spring is rushing in at speed this year, thank goodness!
The birds are singing Spring songs & ponds are full of frog spawn. Yesterday, the first of these stunning Snakeshead Fritillaries popped open, making Spring official here. 
  I keep a brief note of dates when I start to cut flowers, & estimate many are opening 2-3 weeks ahead of 2023. 
  The dainty Wild Narcissi began flowering in late February. They look like a 'Wordsworth' image by the burn this week (albeit on a very small scale!) 
 I began cutting Pieris, Forsythia & Wild Plum blossom at about the same time too. As Mother's Day was early, I didn't expect to have any of our flowers to include in the bouquets - but we did! 

 Now I'm hoping for some Sunshine soon...

  Mothers Day was busy, & we sold out days ahead. Thank you so much to everyone who supported us by choosing our 100% British-grown flowers. At this time of year, our flowers are few. So I order flowers from Growers in Cornwall, the Isles of Scilly & Lincolnshire weeks before the bouquet orders arrive. It's always a leap of faith for me. A lot of finger crossing goes on that all will be sold!

  The pace of our work increases as days lengthen. We're waiting for tree surgeons to fell several large Conifers. Inevitably this will make a dreadful mess, with soil trampled. I'm leaving this area unplanted for now & getting twitchy about where everything will fit. The Conifers have grown fast, taking nutrients & moisture from a large area. I'm sad to see them go but productivity of these beds was much reduced last year. I'm dividing established perennials to reinvigorate them & increase stock of favourites. These plants will be planted in the Conifer area.  The clock is ticking to get this done...

  It's time to begin waking up our Dahlias.  A big job & nervewracking. How many have survived through the Winter? It hasn't been too cold so hopefully most will be fine. I'll remove tubers from boxes, check for any rotten bits then divide into smaller pieces to plant.  By dividing, the tubers are reinvigorated & produce more flower stems overall.

  Sowing seeds of Hardy Annuals is accelerating. I'm juggling space in the propagator & on heat mats. I sow small batches, repeated at intervals to avoid them all flowering at once. Followed by nothing to cut. It spreads the risk too. Just one slug or a rogue mouse can destroy a tray of healthy seedlings overnight. It's good to know some seed is in reserve to start another batch, if necessary.

  I'm adding new varieties of Annuals to try, dropping others. Molucella (Bells of Ireland) & Cerinthe are lovely but don't really produce enough stems to justify their space. The difference between growing for profit & pleasure, I guess. My big surprise success last year was Nicotiana - so prolific, lasted ages in a vase & this year I'll try new colours. 

  When it's wet, Ken has been continuing with insulating the workshop ceiling. It's a big job & hopefully will be finished this Spring. As the first of this years workshops is just 4 weeks away, the pressure is on...

What Can I Begin to Grow in March? 
  If you're quick & water well in coming months, you could plant a few more Roses & Clematis. New Perennials can be planted out too & should establish well, flowering this year.. Sow Hardy Annual seeds such as Cornflowers, Calendula, Nigella & more Sweet Peas for a quick start to your Cutting Patch. If you have a warm, frost free space you could start Dahlias off but no rush yet. It's a good time to buy Summer flowering bulbs such as Gladioli & Acidanthera as there's plenty of choice available.
 
What Flowers Can I Cut in March?
  Move over Snowdrops, it's time to welcome in the colour! Hellebores are now ready to cut, & the first of the Narcissi & Muscari are in bloom, The little pots of Iris Reticulata planted last Autumn are charming by the workshop. Next year I'll grow more in pots as I enjoy changing them regularly. The Primulas too are beginning to flower - short stems, of course but last well in water. Isn't it what egg cups are for?
  Long stems of Forsythia, Wild Plum & Magnolia need nothing else to fill a large vase & look very luxurious. The buds open quickly when brought inside. By the end of the month, the first of our Hyacinths &Tulips will be flowering (in bud already in the tunnel). Plus the different varieties of 'Fancy Daffs' will be fluttering & flouncing in a few vases. (Fingers crossed in time for our first wedding of the year...)

Upcoming Events
Workshop Dates are on the website & I'm receiving bookings already. So far,

• 'Cut Flowers From Your Garden' on Sunday 14th April 
• 'Arrange A Vase' Afternoons' in June, August & September
• 'Make A Hand Tied Bouquet' on Sunday 28th April

All the Workshops will be here at the Flower Farm. Recent visitors will be relieved to know the legendary potholes on the Hidden Road have been filled!

How To Buy Flowers;

• Weekly deliveries or collections of flowers has begun again.  Always 100% British-grown, & our own Galloway Grown flowers are increasing in numbers
• Regular Flower Subscriptions (free delivery or collect) are available. This makes a thoughtful gift for a flower loving friend, or yourself. 
• Flowers will be available across a wide area through the Galloway Food Hub again from April
• 'Bloom Buckets' of mixed flowers to arrange yourself - available to order for late April onwards. 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 March:

• Just about time to plant a few barefroot Roses. Make sure to give generous watering in coming months as weather becomes drier.  (David Austin Roses code PETALS24 for 15% discount, I notice) No connection with DA & other rose nurseries are available!
• Divide Snowdrops as they finish flowering & replant little bundles. The display will be even better in years to come
• Perennial plants such as Astrantia, Phlox & Lupins benefit from division every 3 years or so. Cut into pieces & replant what you need. Give away any spares to friends - swaps are a great way to increase your own Cutting patch
• Plant out any forced bulbs in pots (such as Hyacinths & Narcissi) as they fade indoors
• When weather allows, a bit of weeding now will help in the coming months. I notice Bittercress coming up to flower in the past few days. It must be tackled  fast, before it seeds

 There have been a few days already when my jacket has been cast off while working outside. More must be on the way surely? The Flower Farm might still look at bit like rows of brown dirt, full of mainly dead sticks still but plenty is happening below ground. It'll look very different by next month, promise. I look forward to cutting our flowers again soon,

Until next time, 
Rosie Gray
Galloway Flowers

And the last word this month?
'I can buy myself flowers'
Miley Cyrus, American Singer, Songwriter & Actress

​  Batch 1 Sweet Peas are well underway now.
These were sown in January, & about 350 baby plants are happily being nurtured in one of our polytunnels. ⁠ Batch 2 are germinating now ready for potting in to root trainers like these soon.⁠   Cardboard toilet roll tubes could be used as an inexpensive alternative.⁠
  These root trainers seemed very expensive to buy but this is their 9th season of use. With care, they'll be reused for Sunflowers & other seedlings later this Spring. Hopefully, I'll reuse them for a 10th season next year.⁠
  So yes, the root trainers are made from recycled plastic but used carefully, definitely not single use only. And when they do fall apart, they can be recycled & the material used again.⁠
  It won't be long before we're cutting deliciously scented Sweet Peas by the bucketful for our Customers!