 The Tulips are coming fast now, & I'm checking them several times a day to make sure I catch them at just the right stage to give maximum vase life. These strong, long stemmed beauties are the last batch from this afternoon.
Now ready for an overnight drink, then they'll be in the mix for tomorrow afternoon's 'Make A Hand Tied Bouquet' session, here at the Flower Farm. How fresh is that! And of course Zero flower miles too - just a few steps from the soil into the Flower room. Tomorrows session is fully booked but we'll be hosting another soon. Be among the first to know dates for all our events by signing up for my monthly newsletter Here (Oh & if this didn't show it's Spring at last, the Cuckoo has been calling all afternoon...)
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 Spring might be springing all around me but it feels very much 'one day on, one day off', doesn't it? There've been a few days of working in shirt sleeves. Then next day, I'm back in my thermals. No sign of even a single Swallow yet so there's a way to go...
The Tulips are definitely running a couple of weeks later here than last year - I've cut our first this week. Soon we'll have buckets of them - big, frilly cups of colour on (hopefully) long stems. To get those long stems, I'll water generously. Until they're ready,'Fancy Daffs' are the stars in my vases - such variety in one plant family. From tiny, delicate stems perfect for a bedside bud vase to tall, frilly doubles. And of course, our choice is no longer limited to bright yellows. But strangely other flowers are ahead this Spring. Lily of the Valley emerged early (not ready to cut yet) & Magnolia is opening today. So who knows? I suppose some plants are governed by increasing temperature, others by lengthening days. At the end of February I felt well ahead for the season, but oh how we've slipped behind in March! Ken unexpectedly spent time at the Infirmary as his Mother was admitted (home again, thank goodness). Plus cold, wet weather including snow meant planned jobs (such as 'Big Trellis' borders & beds by the workshop) were delayed. I was all set to prune roses mid-month & delayed until this weekend. Inevitably, blooms will be late but worth the wait. It's tempting to fret about slipping projects rather than what has been done. Ken recovered the little green polytunnel this week & it's going to be so useful. This tunnel was a cheap Amazon buy, erected just before the 'beast from the east' in 2018. It more than paid for itself that week alone as we moved hundreds of overwintering plants indoors for protection. Since then it's been used for bringing on Dahlias, toughening baby annual plants & producing generous Tomato & Cucumber crops each summer. The cover was always weak, no longer waterproof yet the frame is surprisingly strong. So with a left over piece of polytunnel sheet, Ken has recovered it. Total cost zero except for his time & a few wooden battens. So useful & looks much smarter too. Sweet Peas will be in there to acclimatise & Dahlias for 'chitting' this week... April is a big month for seed sowing. I'll sow more batches of Hardy Annuals & Half Hardy Annuals such as Cosmos. I need the space in that polytunnel! I've been astonished by how many seed packets contain much reduced quantities - have you noticed that? Fingers crossed germination rates are high. Definitely more careful seed saving later this year. You might recall I kept about 300 of my Dahlias in the ground over winter. I've been fretting ever since as we had the lowest temperatures here in a decade. Well, yesterday I removed the black protective sheeting & am optimistic most have made it this far. I left the beds uncovered last night for a good soak in the rain. Now I'll cover them with fleece to protect from late frosts & keep my fingers crossed. Looking Ahead...
Until next time, Rosie Galloway Flowers  Summery Cottage Garden style for Rebecca & Jonathan at Haugh of Urr Church in early July. Scented Sweet Peas, Cornflowers, Daisies, Campanula & Alchemilla plus grasses for a soft 'wild flower' look. Seasonal, scented & all locally grown by us at the Flower Farm. All the Church flowers were arranged (no environmentally damaging floral foam) so they could be moved after the wedding ceremony. They were used again to decorate the Reception at the Cochran Hall in Kirkcudbright. Rebecca said 'We were keen to have local, seasonal fowers & Rosie pulled out all the stops, providing us with pew ends, meadow boxes & jugs of flowers from her Flower Farm in Balmaclellan. We couldn't have been more delighted.' Rebecca opted for a ribbon tied Wrist Corsage rather than a traditional Bridal Bouquet. The Flower Girls carried Posies full of Sweet Peas & the Gentleman's buttonholes complimented the other flowers. We were thrilled to see pictures of the wedding featured over 3 pages in 'Dumfries & Galloway Life' magazine in April 2023 - a lovely reminder of a scorchingly hot Summer day full of flowers!   Featured in 'Dumfries & Galloway Life' April 2023  Yesterday we welcomed our first group of 2023 for the 'Cut Flowers From Your Garden' workshop at the Flower Farm. And weren't we lucky with the Spring weather! Here we're sowing seeds for full flower beds & vases this Summer. If you fancy developing your own Cutting Patch full of gorgeous flowers, why not join me next time? Booking for the next workshop on Sunday 2nd July is open now via links on this page    Spring Sheaf Bouquet We deserve a bit of a colour pop today, don't you think? Just so dreary. And to think on Monday it felt as if it just could be Spring soon. I recklessly cast aside one clothing layer while weeding - that's definitely back today!
This Sheaf bouquet was made for a mid-April Funeral - grown in Galloway, 100% compostable & Zero plastic or nasty floral foam. As sustainable as I could make it. March has been so cold that our Tulips are running a little behind. But they're on their way & worth the wait! Still plenty of British-grown beauties available this week & for Easter bouquets. Orders can be made via the website for local delivery & collection.  Marie & Neil at Kirkandrews Kirk. Photo credit Pulze Photography It starts my day so brilliantly when I open my inbox & discover beautiful images like these! Marie & Neil married at Kirkandrews Kirk in March 2022 & asked me to arrange flowers for their special day. I used the delicate flowers of Springtime in white, with touches of blue & plenty of fresh foliage too. Marie tells me; 'The flowers were absolutely beautiful, they definitely were a key part of this day & everyone was delighted about it. The crown of flowers was an essential element of the day, I had chosen it over going to the hairdresser or having make-up & it felt right & special. I am very happy that you prepared the flowers for us.' It was a pleasure to work with such a pretty colour scheme of 100% British-grown flowers. Although early in the year, I was able to use flowers grown by ourselves here in Galloway, as well as some from growers further South. Thank you Marie & Neil for allowing me to share your photo's - & congratulation on your first year Anniversary!  Flower Crown for Marie  Photo Credit Pulze Photography  Astantia Photo Credit Ken Leslie Photography One of my favourite Flower Farm tasks today - digging up & dividing Perennial plants to make more. These silvery-white Astrantia have made big clumps - about half way though the patch & already I've made 80 little plantlets, replanted & ready to grow.
These will produce plenty of stems for bouquets & events by late Summer. The rest of the clump will be left to flower earlier, then divided next year. This is one of the simple things I do to keep flowers coming for many months. And who doesn't like more plants for free? To learn more tips to keep flowers coming all season long to fill your vases or perhaps for a family party/wedding, join me on Sunday 2nd April for a 'Cut Flowers from Your Garden' workshop. Places can be booked online via button below or links in this post. Update; Next 'Cut Flowers From Your Garden Workshop' will be on Sunday 14th April 2024 - Booking Open now Online  Pressing Anemones is always a challenge...
The combinarion of fine black Pollen, fluffy centres & those little frilly collars requires a bit of thought. But when it works, the bright colours shine out against a background. These are wanted for a particular project, so I'm just doing plenty & fingers crossed, there'll be enough.  A cheerful 'Bloom Bucket' of British-grownflowers ready to arrange for a house warming party in mid-March. Guaranteed to welcome guests in with colour & scent!
My Galloway-grown flowers are beginning, although slowed down again by the cold weather. A little Forsythia & Viburnum plus Narcissi was cut this week. By the end of March, we'll be cutting plenty of our 'Fancy Daffodils' & hopefully Tulips too. Our 'Bloom Buckets' of mixed, seasonal flowers look lovely arranged in an informal, relaxed style. Each bucket contains a mixture of fresh flowers, prepared ready for you to simply cut to length & arrange. Lots of fresh flowers, great value & without fuss. Pre-order is essential. More information here |
AuthorRosie Gray of Galloway Flowers. Cut Flower Grower & Florist near Castle Douglas, in South West Scotland. Using 100% Flowers & Foliage grown in British Isles, all year round. 
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Growing Gorgeous Seasonal Cut Flowers & Foliage in Castle Douglas, Dumfries & Galloway, Scotland
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Flower Farmer Florist Castle Douglas, Flower Farm Scotland, Wedding Flowers Castle Douglas, Florist Castle Douglas, Funeral Flowers Castle Douglas, Sympathy flowers Castle Douglas, wedding florist Dumfries & Galloway, Wedding florist Kirkcudbright, wedding florist Gatehouse of Fleet, natural funeral flowers Dumfries & Galloway, wild wedding flowers Dumfries & Galloway, wedding flowers Ayr, wedding flowers Ayrshire