I'm working my way though the Dahlias this week, checking all are clearly labelled & I've a photo of each variety. ⁠This Anemone-flowered beauty is Dahlia 'Soulman'.
Just now it's obvious which are which, the good ones I want to keep, & others I'll not grow again next year as they've been superseded by a new variety. ⁠
But as soon as Jack Frost visits, the plants will turn to a horrible slippery mush & I'll never tell them apart!⁠
By planting similar colours together it pleases my eye & it saves a lot of time when cutting. I can see quickly how many of each variety are budding, likely to be ready for an event or 'Friday Flowers'. ⁠
When you've got roughly 600 Dahlias flowering like crazy in peak season, saving time matters...

Visited Halls of Heddon Dahlia Nursery yesterday - the field is a spectacular sight just now with 10,000 Dahlia plants in bloom.⁠
So useful to see varieties growing together like this - colours can look different in a photograph, it can be difficult to tell how long & strong the stems will be (essential for good cut flowers).
I was able to compare varieties in a colour range, even see which would cope with rain best - essential for growing outside here in Galloway.⁠
Inevitably, a few varieties have been added to my wishlist for 2022...

​Dahlia 'Waltzing Matilda'⁠
Just LUSH...
​No filter required - it really is that orange & coral pink, together with dark foliage to set it off a treat in the border.
Not everybody's choice, I admit, but looking fab in the morning's sunshine.

For Sylvie yesterday.⁠
Just a perfect client, Sylvie's brief for her Bridal bouquet was simple; 'You choose - any colour, whatever's in season, not Lilies'⁠. Her Wedding Vows Renewal Ceremony was at Gretna Green on Sunday.
So I chose the best on the day - scented Sweet Peas, some of my favourite Dahlias, a touch of Thistle, & a fizz of 'Frosted Explosion' grass lke a halo over the top (sorry difficult to see in the photo - it wiggles beautifully though).⁠
Nobody else has ever had a bouquet exactly like this, nobody ever will again. As individual as Sylvie herself.⁠ Her words afterwards; 'Thank you for helping make my day special'
Wedding bookings for 2022 are open now, get in touch soon if you would like me to create unique flowers for your special day.⁠

  They've been a long time coming but the Dahlias are finally blooming by the bucketful! Woohoo, I love, love, love their variety of colours, shapes & sizes.
​  600 tubers here now & I still don't have them all. Dahlia catalogues have already started plopping through the the letterbox though - a dangerous time to be left alone with a credit card, in Ken's opinion. I'm becoming selective though - no matter how beautiful, if experience has shown a variety not to be good in the vase or poor producers they don't earn a place on the team anymore. (Might just keep them in the garden...)

  A 'perfect storm' of events slowed Dahlias down this year - some planted a bit late because of my broken arm, the cold Spring delayed planting out, then the prolonged dry weather slowed their settling in. They're a time consuming crop but so worthwhile to grow. Now I'm watching the weather forecast closely, fleece at the ready to protect them through sudden late frosts if they come. Until then, I'm cutting daily, filling Wedding & Party orders & our 'Friday Flowers' with their gorgeous variety of colours, shapes & sizes.

   A huge 'thank you' to everybody who visited for our Open Weekend last month. 26 visitors enjoyed a wander through the flowers, tea & cake . The weather was even on our side... It was a pleasure to spend time & conversation with others interested in flowers. A welcome step back towards normal for us all.

 The season is moving towards Autumn early this year isn't it? Crispy leaves on the ground, so many Rowan berries & Rosehips (finding their way into arrangements) & trees colouring already. While the Dahlias are fabulous, supported by the Michaelmas Daisies, Gladioli, Acidanthera, it definitely has that 'end of season' vibe here. The meadow grasses glisten with dew on spider webs in the early morning, the evenings are drawing in, meteorological Autumn has begun.

  Yesterday, I ripped the Sweet Peas from the polytunnel & prepared to move more potted Dahlias in there. These should keep blooming under its protection for some time. Clearing plants to the compost heap I remember the thousands of scented stems cut this year. They've been blooming non-stop since June so I can't complain. The outside Sweet Peas are still full of flower though the cool nights this week will slow them.

  Any day now the huge boxes of bulbs will arrive. As I rejuvenate beds & divide perennials in the coming weeks, I'll pop in Narcissi, Muscari, Alliums, Iris & Gladioli in between to use all the available space. Tulips wait until November (or even later if we're busy). The boxes are emptied just in time to be filled with Dahlia tubers as we dig them up to store over winter. There's a good supply of bulbs available still in garden centres so it's a good time to top up your beds with Spring colour.

  As well as working outside, I've been planning the next Workshops & these are now open for booking;

• 'Plant a Bulb Lasagne' - join me in planting up a container packed with carefully chosen bulbs for colour from March through to May
• 'Make Your Own Christmas Wreath' - 3 workshops scheduled this year in Castle Douglas & Kirkcudbright

  August was an exceptionally busy month for weddings - so busy I hardly took any photo's & even fewer were posted on our social media pages. From large marquee weddings (one planned for over 2 years) to small garden ones, & intimate elopements. All beautiful with everybody so pleased just to be there. Our Wedding Bookings are now open for 2022. 

  I'm planning to bring flowers (including dried ones again) to Kirkcudbright Farmers Market on Sunday 26th September. If you would like to pre-order flowers to collect, send an email.  'Friday Flowers' are being delivered on Fridays plus 'Click & Collect' on Fridays & Saturdays.  Order online or by telephone 01644 420407. 

  Fingers crossed we're treated to a gorgeous 'Indian Summer' in the coming weeks...
 
Jobs for the Cutting Garden in September;

• f you want to have Hyacinths blooming indoors for Christmas, these need to be planted this month. Be sure to buy the 'Prepared' bulbs for forcing indoors. They make pretty little gifts for others as well as a treat for you with their delicious scent. For something a little different, grow them in water - here's a blog post I wrote ages ago explaining how to do it easily https://www.gallowayflowers.co.uk/flowerfarmblog/growing-hyacinths-in-water
• Plant your bulbs outside (not tulips yet) for a fabulous display & lots to cut next Spring. There's always room for a few more somewhere...
• For a different Spring bulb, try Dutch Iris, I recommend them. Relatively inexpensive to buy, they come in blues, whites & yellows. They're a useful shape to add to arrangements in May & June. I grow some in the polytunnel too for an early crop to mix with the Tulips & Narcissi
• Begin the Autumn tidy up but don't get carried away. Many seed heads provide food for birds (Lemon Balm, Pampas Grass) & look lovely covered in a hard frost over winter.
• Look out for self-sown seedlings around the plants as you clear. Carefully transplant them & increase your favourites for free
• Continue to gather seed from favourites now on dry days - Nigella, Poppies & Cornflowers are particularly easy. Buy seed once & you'll have them forever with little effort.

Until next time, 
Rosie 
Galloway Flowers 

Your Flower Links for September;

• Workshops with Galloway Flowers Book Online HERE
• Regular Flower Subscriptions - Changing with the seasons, every delivery is different & 100% grown in the British Isles, all year round Bouquets delivered to your home or simply collect a bunch from the Flower Farm.
• Order 'Friday Flowers' for local delivery or collection HERE

If you've ever wondered what we're growing in late August at the Flower Farm near Castle Douglas, here's a selection. In addition I cut several buckets of Dahlias & plenty of Sweet Peas.
These were cut ready to be made into 'Friday Flowers' bouquets​ in late August. As we move through the seasons, the contents of our bouquets are ever changing, always botanically interesting as I can make them.
To order a bouquet for local delivery or collection, book online or telephone Rosie on 01644 420407.

A 'Wildflower' Bridal Bouquet of seasonal flowers for Deidre on her recent wedding day in August near Dumfries. Wedding flowers were made by Rosie Gray, of Galloway Flowers, Wedding Florist in Dumfries & Galloway Scotland.
I adored working with this sophisticated colour palette of Champagne, Caramel, Raspberry, Cream & Wine with lots of greens - delicious!
And as always, all the flowers & foliage used in this bouquet were grown here in Galloway by ourselves at the Flower Farm.
And Deidre loved it too; 'Thank you so much for my flowers. They were absolutely beautiful! I cried when I saw them. They were exactly what I wanted. I can't express how grateful I am - They were more than I could have dreamed for.'
  Bookings are now open for wedding flowers in Dumfries & Galloway & South Ayrshire in 2022 - more information Wedding Flowers South West Scotland

At a local Walled Garden, this made a stunning backdrop for Andrea & Allan's wedding ceremony recently.
I used 100% British grown flowers & foliage (much of it grown by us) for minimal flower miles. It was made without environmentally harmful floral foam (major cause of microplastic pollution in the marine environment).
Andrea's bouquet is pictured below.
So good to be back prepping beautiful wedding flowers here in Dumfries & Galloway! Our wedding order book for 2022 is open now so why not get in touch if you're planning a wedding in 2022 in Dumfries & Galloway or South Ayrshire. GardenStyleweddingflowers