May News From Galloway Flowers

Nectaroscodum (formerly Allium Siculum) grown at Galloway Flowers.

  The speed plants grow in May is breathtaking - for months it seems the field looked like rows of mud, dead sticks & horticultural fleece. Now it's almost magical how this is being transformed by lush, fresh growth & buds. It looks like a Flower Farm again as the beds fill up up with new plants & the brilliantly coloured Tulips bloom.

  And it's about time too - in a few weeks, our flowers are on their way to the Chelsea Flower Show! I was beginning to think my promise made back in January to send flowers might have been rather rash. There may be a few sleepless nights ahead yet, & much fleece deployed to keep them snug, but I think it's going to be on target. The flowers will be used on the 'Flowers From The Farm' display in the Pavilion. The display will feature flowers from members (such as ourselves) of this not-for-profit network of Flower Growers from across the UK. It's designed to raise awareness of the flowers grown in the UK & encourage Florists & the public to buy locally. Only about 10% of the £2 billion spent on cut flowers in the UK each year buys British grown flowers. The other 90% is imported, mainly via the auction in Holland, & much is grown in Africa & South America. We'll be sending Nectaroscodum (see picture - formerly called Allium Siculum) to the show.
 
  Planting continues for this season's crops - space is getting tight in the Dahlia polytunnel (I went a bit mad this year & have many, many more than  previous years). I just can't resist the variety of colours & shapes available! Ken thinks I should join 'Dahlias Anonymous'... They're frost tender so we'll wait until the end of the month before planting out into their Summer beds.

  Some warmer weather would be welcome of course but it must be getting better as our summer visitors the Cuckoo, House Martins, Swifts & Swallows are back. Yesterday there was even a family of newly fledged Blackbird chicks hiding among the plants - they didn't seem to know about a late Spring. Excellent to have their parents on the slug & snail patrol...

  We're cutting lots of beautiful Tulips now & I’ll be bringing these & a variety of flowers to Threave Garden on Sunday May 6th (Visitors Centre), to Kirkcudbright Farmers Market on Sunday 27th May & to Loch Arthur Farm shop again on Fridays. Flowers (such as Tulips) to arrange yourself can also be ordered to collect from the Flower Farm.

  It's a beautiful time of year - I hope your flowers are beginning to bloom for you too.
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Jobs for the Cutting Garden in May

• Thin out any Hardy Annuals sown direct in the ground if they look overcrowded. No matter how careful when sowing, it always seems some germinate in a patch whilst elsewhere the row has bare patches. With care, many will transplant happily.
• Dead head spring bulbs such as Daffodils as they die down but leave the foliage to die back naturally - it'll feed the bulb for better flowering next year. Some bulbs such as Snakeshead Fritillary, Bluebells & Muscari will shed seed about happily if you let them so multiplying your stock.
• Toughen up Half-Hardy plants such as Cosmos by leaving them outside during the day & bringing back under cover at night. They'll be better prepared to withstand strong wind, rain & cool temperatures as a result. Wait until after your last frosts before planting out.
• It's a good time to take cuttings this month of Pelargoniums, Lemon Verbena & Sage - a cheap & easy way to increase your stock so you can cut them freely.
• Sweet Peas need to be tied in regularly to their supports - this will keep their stems long & straight, much better for cut flowers.
• Mostly it's about planting out this month before young plants become cramped in their pots or modules. And that means watering them if necessary as they'll not have their roots stretching out to find moisture in the soil yet.
• And for some flowery inspiration, here's a Link to a Stunning Late Summer Wedding with a bold red, orange & bright blue colour scheme. Yes, it has Dahlias...

Until next time,
Rosie Gray
Galloway Flowers