July News from Galloway Flowers

  It’s blooming marvellous in the Cutting beds this week as recent rain has given the plants a much needed boost. The Perennial beds are bursting with colour as plants are well established now & producing plenty of long stems – Phlox, Delphinium, Scabious. And the Sweet Peas of course. Lovely!

  And it keeps surprising me as I walk around a corner or side of a hedge. I know it sounds daft (& probably is).

  You see, it’s 4 years since we visited here first & of course, at that time there weren’t flowers. It was overgrown with brambles, tall conifers & grass only, the buildings in bad condition. Full of potential but no colour on a dull, misty day. Now – well, it’s a Flower Farm! Somehow that picture in my head of vibrant colour has materialised. Of course, so much still to do but this year I really feel it’s coming together nicely.

   Perhaps the biggest shift this year has been the explosion in pollinators, bees, butterflies, dragonflies, ladybirds & so on as the habitat steadily becomes richer. When the sun shines, I can HEAR the difference now as these creatures go busily about their business. This makes it easier to grow flowers without chemicals (aphids have barely been a problem this year). More amphibians & birds are attracted to nest & spend time among the flowers. All welcome helpers in my squad of Slug & Snail controllers.

  Several large areas of grass have been left unmown until late Summer, managed as meadows & year on year the wild flowers increase, particularly Orchids this month. They were always there I suppose but mown away.

  Of course, it means there’s plenty to do & our working days are long at this time of year. Flowers need to be cut daily to keep them blooming (especially the Sweet Peas) then bunched & delivered. And Summer is a time of beautiful weddings at local venues, always the fun but stressful part of the business. I still didn’t get much time to sit around & watch tennis over the past week!
  And we’re looking ahead always. Just as the first Dahlias begin blooming for next year, I’ve been ordering more Ranunculus corms & sowing seeds for next Spring. When I’m surrounded in high summer flowers it’s easy to overlook these jobs & then find I have a gap in the future.

  The exciting news here is finally we’ve plumped on dates for the Open Garden Tours. The dates for your diary are Saturday 17th & Sunday 18th August. Over that weekend, 100 members of ‘Flowers From The Farm’ (including us) will be opening the gates to visitors for the 'Flower Farmers Big Weekend'. For us it’ll be the first time we’ve done anything quite like this & frankly, it’s just a little bit scary. Nonetheless, I'm looking forward to meeting our Customers & Suporters & showing them where the flowers grow. There'll be plenty of colourful high summer flowers in bloom including the Dahlias to view. Numbers of visitors will be strictly limited on each tour as there are only a few parking spaces here. Advance booking is essential.
To book your place online;

• visit this page;https://www.gallowayflowers.co.uk/store/p57/FlowerFarmersBigWeekend.html
• Or telephone me on 01644 420407 - be ready to leave a message as I'm often outside & not able to pick up the phone quickly. I'll return your call as soon as I can. This is advance notice before it's put on the website or social media etc.

  In the meantime, I’ll be at the Producers Market in Castle Douglas again on Sunday 21st July & at Kirkcudbright Farmers Market on Sunday 28th July. I'm taking flowers to Loch Arthur Farm shop too on Fridays 19th & 26th between 11.30am & 2.30pm.
 
  If you need a flowery fix before then, I'll be making up bouquets & wreaths to order as usual for collection or local delivery. Also flowers to arrange yourself (perhaps for the local Flower Shows?) by the informal bunch or bucket (pre-order & collection only) are available this month. And check Instagram & Facebook for those days when extra flowers (such as Sweet Peas) are at the gate.

Your Flowery Inspiration this month;

• Here's a beautiful real Scottish Summer wedding post at eco-farm Comrie Croft in Perthshire. Some pretty flower crowns of seasonal flowers I think you'll love; https://www.wefellinlove.co.uk/blog/2019/05/28/a-diy-wedding-with-locally-grown-flowers-and-a-silent-disco/
• And the link again to book your place(s) on our August Open Weekend Tours is here I would love to meet you!

Do enjoy the abundance of British-grown seasonal Summer flowers this month. July is so beautiful & passes quickly. Be sure to enjoy the long Summer evenings & take time to smell the Roses, the Sweet Peas, the Pinks... 

Until next time, 
Rosie Gray
Galloway Flowers