 Photo credit; Duncan Ireland Photography Work in Progress... Here I am, in my element, about halfway through decorating the magnificent mantlepiece at Auchen Castle, near Moffat last September. I had put in the foliage & hops & just beginning to 'colour in' with Dahlias & grasses. A LOT of Dahlias - see below. The brief from the wedding couple was 'Autumnal' with Pheasant feathers from their Shoot. So I added Bracken, Autumnal leaves, Berries, seedheads & shiny Horse Chestnut Conkers. And if we haven't met before, here's a short intro...
Venue; Auchen Castle, Moffat, Dumfries & Galloway  
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 Dusky pinks & white for our first wedding of the year earlier this week.
Our Winter Heather has grown exceptionally tall this year so was the perfect colour compliment to the frilly Hellebores. So wedding season 2025 has begun for us - looking forward to creating beauty in the months ahead.  Photo credit; WillowandWilde Details...
So often the wedding flower photo's posted across Insta etc focus on the Bridal bouquet, the bridesmaids, the flower girl, the venue decor. And with good reason - these tend to be the most showy flowers & where most of the budget is spent. But don't let's forget the Buttonholes for the Gentlemen too. These little mini-bouquets can be intricate, highly individual & really mark out the occasion as 'special'. I enjoy making them, where possible including elements used elsewhere for bouquets & arrangements. This one was made for Leigh to wear at his mid-September elopement ceremony at Galloway House. All the ingredients (I included a touch of late Heather, a small Thistle, seedhead, Phlox & soft grasses) were grown here in Galloway & appeared in the bridal bouquet too. Photo credit; WillowandWilde.co Venue; Galloway House Estate  Waiting for collection last week...
A fluffy giant foliage wreath made to welcome guests as they arrive at a 40th birthday party. It'll be easy to spot the house where the fun is happening! I included in tiny lemon Viola plants, Blue Muscari & Narcissi Tete A Tete bulbs to give a continuing pop of colour. Wreaths are definitely not just for Christmas, imho.  If you're planning to be married soon, maybe you'll be planning to wear flowers in your hair. Flower crowns, or small sprigs woven into hair are always popular. And I wondered if you had considered a floral hair comb as an option? Made from either fresh or dried flowers a comb can feature flowers included in your bouquet. It can be neatly inserted into hair for a special touch. Usually more budget friendly than a flower crown too so maybe a lovely touch for your Bridesmaids hair too. Here are a few examples of combs I've made from our locally grown flowers. Above is a Comb made for a late February wedding, worn by the Bride. Trimmed with fresh seasonal flowers - Hellebore, Pieris, Heather & Larch. All flowers included in her Bridal bouquet. Below is a floral hair comb made for her Matron of Honour. Late February in a Scottish garden, in miniature. Every wedding season I make many floral hair combs & every single one is unique, as I use the flowers & foliage at it's very best that week.   Thanks a bunch!
A bouquet of dried flowers & foliage collected by a Customer last week to cheer up a friend. All natural colours, no dyes or bleach used to preserve & dried by myself here in Galloway. The Dahlias keep their colour particularly well. Dried flowers last a long time & particularly welcome while there are still few colourful flowers to cut here in Scotland. We dry a good supply of flowers each year & make bouquets., wreaths, posies & other arrangements to order. If you would simply like a mixed bunch of dried flowers to use in your own craft projects, I'm happy to make up a bunch. Send a message about your requirements, & I'll be delighted to help. Contact  February is definitely still Winter but you can begin to feel Spring is a little closer can't you? The mornings are lighter & it's nearly 6pm when I come in at the end of the day now. And we enjoyed our mug of afternoon tea sitting outside on the bench today, the first this year. Well wrapped up with scarf, gloves & hats, yes of course. But a gardeners milestone nonetheless, telling me the seasons are moving on.
I hope you were safe through Storm Eowyn? It was, without doubt, the worst Storm I've experienced. So sad to see many great trees down as a result. I've said often we bought the high hedges around our field when we moved here, not the house. The Leylandii is a lot of work to cut each year, but oh my, they did their job on that day. The greenhouses lost windows (amazingly none broken so could be popped back in) & the Polytunnels were all fine. This was a huge relief - Polytunnels cannot be insured & if we had to replace the covers, the costs soon add up. Full of plants, the cost would be even higher if we lost them to a following cold snap. The results of last month's Armchair shopping are arriving - such exciting deliveries! Lovely rattling packages of seeds & newspaper wrapped Dahlia tubers. Several Dahlia tubers (new to me varieties) will be started off to generate cuttings, a cost effective method to build up stock. The Sweet Peas sown last Autumn are developing side shoots & looking for something to climb. January-sown seeds are germinated & going into root trainers to grow on. Final batch to be sown this next week on Valentine's Day. This will give me a good continuity of flowers through the Summer months.Our Sweet Pea frames were destroyed in the Storm, lying flat on the ground. So we're on the lookout for strong coppiced branches to weave new frames for the outside crop. Wedding Consultations continue so I'm getting a good feel for the flowers I must grow & the numbers of each. Popular dates are filling so if you know a couple interested in top quality locally grown flowers for their wedding, in 2025 or 2026, feel free to point them at my Wedding Pages on my website. Our Wedding Packages are again proving popular. These give the option to have key bouquets, buttonholes etc. arranged by myself plus buckets of flowers to arrange with family & friends. I'm planning a new workshop date for those who would like to grow their own wedding Flowers too - see below. Rose pruning is a big task for me (about 100 bushes here now) & many Gardeners will begin this month. I'm cautious as a late cold snap could cause further die back. If the weather forecast is mild I may begin later in the month. If I delay too long, flowers are later too so it's a tricky judgement call. But 'The Beast from the East' wasn't until mid-March... What Can I Cut in February? This month sees me pulling out some of my largest vases to accommodate the long stems of Hazel Catkins, Pussy Willow & Cornus. Arranged as single varieties - no more fuss is needed to make them look stunning. My Forsythia is showing a touch of yellow & I'll cut a few stems to open in the warmth this week. And at the other end of the scale, my teeny vases, jugs, even eggcups, are perfect for the tiny jewels appearing this month. A few Aconites, a bunch of Snowdrops, even a few brilliantly coloured Cyclamen. I enjoy the detail of these where I can see them close up such as by my desk. The buds of our Wild Daffodils are just bending (growers call this Gooseneck stage) & will open this week too. Hellebores are opening now but don't cut too soon - they'll droop in the vase. Upcoming Events 2025 Dates for the first workshops are live on the website now. I'll add more dates as wedding dates firm up.
Jobs for February;
How To Buy Our Flowers;
The Sparrows are noisily arguing over the nest boxes by my window & kites gliding in groups overhead. These are sure signs Spring is on the way. Let's check the weather daily so any mild, bright spells can be enjoyed. I'm looking forward to sharing our flowery progress with you this season! And the last word for this month? 'There is always in February some one day, at least, when one smells the yet distant but surely coming Summer' Gertrude Jekyll (1843 -1932 Horticulturist, Garden Designer & Author) Until next time, Rosie Galloway Flowers  Colourful cottage garden flowers bring a fresh, relaxed vibe to a marquee wedding at Dabton House, Thornhill last Summer. I love the way the vintage glass vases sparkled in the afternoon sunshine. Using vintage vases brings a unique look to the tables. It's a very sustainable option too, as they can be reused again & again. I've a large collection of vintage vases to arrange flowers in, & they're available to our Bespoke wedding couples to use. And of course, the flowers were all locally grown & arranged without any floral foam. All practical steps to keep the 'flower miles' & carbon footprint of a wedding low, without compromising on the beauty.   Just little Bud Vases of Spring loveliness to brighten up a dreary Sunday Afternoon.
Simply arranged in a line down the centre of a Dining table, or perhaps in small groups between candles or larger bowls of flowers. Perhaps arranged in a circle at the centre of a table around a chandelier or along a window sill, a mantlepiece... So versatile, make any table look like a Garden Party! I love to include the stems of special flowers, too short for bouquets, yet deserve to be enjoyed close up. These were arranged for an April wedding celebration at the beach last year.  For a flower farmer, the year rolls through many seasons....
Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter obviously but there are more subtle distinctions to focus & priorities. There's seed sowing, propagation & planting season. (Actually Spring & Autumn primarily) The wedding season. Autumn season of mists & mellow fruitfulness. Or the 'muddy season' as I think of October & November. Dahlia lifting & storing plus planting out new stock for next year. Festive season, of course - with the delicious blend of pine, scented candles & hand cream in the workshop. And these quiet days of January & February, I think of as 'List Season', (I think I got that phrase from Miriam Osler & it sums it up well). There are some tasks outside, farewell flowers & wedding consultations to do. The Tax return of course. But mostly this is about planning & making lists. I'm poring over my notes from past years - what did I grow, what thrived & was highly productive? What was not? Which flowers & colours were most desired by Customers, every stem precious - & what was left uncut? What requests have been made by this years wedding couples? From this, I begin the process of deciding what to grow more of, less of or just the same. What can I fit in? An acre may sound like a lot of flowers but it's easily filled. I'm designing bouquets & arrangements in my head - what goes with what, what's out at the same time, spotting the gaps to fill. And making lists. Lots of lists. Seeds, tubers, bulbs, new plants to buy or propagate from my stock. The Armchair shopping is well underway...  A few pale pink favourites growing at the Flower Farm near Castle Douglas, Dumfries & Galloway in September 2024.
 Photo Credit Ken Leslie Photography As 2025 began with a big freeze, I was grateful this is our quiet month, without urgency to go far on icy roads. This is our time to rest & recover after a hectic year full of flowers & life's challenges. Best of all, it's the time to cosy up by the wood burner, under a patchwork quilt. The detailed planning & preparation for the year ahead begins here.
It's our 10th full season growing flowers here at the Flower Farm (we began in 2015) & as always, there'll be changes. Every year we try something new, both plants, colours & of course, methods. There's always something to learn. We continue learning which flowers excel here - & some of those that don't! At first sight it might not look that different in the field in high Summer to any other previous year. But fashions change & so do the flowers in greatest demand. As we've taken on more weddings, these drive our colour & plant choices. Take Dahlias as an example - we grow more each year as they're having a fashion resurgence. (Oh & I've been growing them 30 years & just love them!) Six years ago, the dark burgundy shades were very popular (often mixed with a pale blush pink). The oranges/red/yellows grown were minimal, rarely requested. Last year, only 2 burgundy varieties remained in the field & these were soft, blended shades. In 2024, the tropical, sunset & autumnal colours were most requested. For 2025? Well, I'm still figuring it out! I think of January as List Season as I ponder possibilities. What do Customers tell me they love - colours, shapes, textures? What will I have in flower each month? What goes with what? (It might sound a bit mad but I'm basically designing bouquets in my head). Where are the gaps I need to fill? What do I grow now that I could propagate quickly & inexpensively? And the hardest bit - where can I fit it all in? The plant & seed catalogues arrive & with so many tempting varieties, it's easy to add more. But that means something else has to fall off the list to make room. It's HARD being a plantaholic, you know... At times, I feel as if my head will explode as I juggle the lists. I have to remind myself there's no perfect 'right' answer, just my best guesses. Wedding consultations for 2025 & 2026 are underway & with every conversation, the lists are refined. The fun bit starts with the armchair shopping! This is a busy month for wedding bookings so if you know a couple planning to tie the knot in 2025 or 2026, feel free to point them at my Wedding Pages on my website. The most popular Summer dates book quickly & I take on only a few wedding dates each week. The cold snap has slowed down January jobs such as Tulip planting. Usually I plant my bulbs in early January - this means they flower in April & May when I need them most, Also, the soil is less likely to blight the flowers with the nasty virus 'Tulip Fire' after a a good freeze. A busy week lies ahead as the soil warms again. It's already getting a teeny bit lighter each evening, isn't it? Social media is full of seed sowing posts already. But I'm cautious. Seeds sown now will struggle as light levels are low, They'll become thin & stretchy. March sown seed quickly catches up, often overtaking the early starts. Just Sweet Peas & Antirrhinum seeds for me this month. What Can I Cut in January? It's thin pickings for my vases, making me treasure anything I have. The coloured stems of Cornus & Willow glow in the garden & vase. Mix in Catkins from Hazel, Birch, Garrya or Alder plus Ivy, Skimmia, Viburnum Tinus, Camellia or Heather perhaps? By the end of the month, scented Shrubs such as Daphne, Lonicera Fragrantissima (Winter Honeysuckle) & Wintersweet will flower. Picture the ground carpeted with Snowdrops - it won't be long. Bowls of Hyacinth, Narcissi & Amaryllis are scenting my house nicely in the meantime. I'm sure the garden centre will have plenty of bulbs to pot up if you need a little 'pick me up'. Upcoming Events 2025 Dates for the first workshops are live on the website now. I'll add more dates as wedding dates firm up.
It's set to be much milder this week so hopefully we can all enjoy any dry, bright spells that appear. A potter about to see any plants stirring already is good for the soul, in my view. And doubtless we'll have more cold weather yet so do enjoy the excuse to stay in the warm. Just day dream about the beautiful flowers to come & do that armchair shopping! And the last word for this month? 'What good is the warmth of Summer, without the cold of Winter to give it sweetness' John Steinbeck (American Writer) Until next time, Rosie Galloway Flowers  Soft, vintage tones on a willow wreath of dried flowers. This was a commission for a special birthday gift, the colours chosen to suit the lounge decor.
All the materials are natural, 100% grown in the British Isles (much of it here) & all dried by myself in Galloway. No filters, no dyes, no bleaches used - just Mother Nature's own colours. There might not be much to cut from our flower field this month, but still plenty of colour to brighten our homes. Naturally dried flowers like this can last for years if cared for & ultimately, are completely compostable.  Gently easing my way into 2025 with wedding consultations this week- nothing beats the excitement & enthusiasm of couples planning flowers for their big day, guaranteed to lift my spirits despite the cold.
Walking around the flower field this morning it seems hard to believe I'll be cutting buckets full of stems like these in just a few short months. But I will & believe me I'm looking forward to feeling the warm sun on my face again! These Meadow Boxes full of our locally grown flowers are always a winner. Perfect for lining an aisle for the wedding ceremony (as here at Balmaghie Kirk), on windowsills, on dining & signing tables too. And they're often moved after the ceremony to do 'double duty' at the reception too!  Making the ordinary... Extraordinary.
Hoar frost on Marjoram seedheads, sparkling in bright sunshine this morning. I leave these stems uncut until February usually as shelter for the little beasties, Many birds enjoy the seeds too (& that's why seedlings pop up all over the flower farm!) The big tidy up for Spring will start soon enough, no rush this month.  One for the Birds... After 12th night, I hang my Christmas Door wreath on my workshop door for Wrens to roost in. As they're so tiny, Wrens are particularly vulnerable in cold weather & this extra protection helps them get through Winter. The tiny Birds snuggle up together, warm & dry behind the foliage, in between the straw base & oak door. I've known 8 Wrens to roost in a single wreath, as on opening the door, they flew into the workshop one stormy wet night! Who knows how many could fit in behind this one? With plummeting temperatures forecast for us in South West Scotland this week, I made this wreath quickly this afternoon from leftover bits - really bushy & overlapping like thatch, plus a few leftover Teasels & seedheads for the Goldfinches. Even a few Holly berries - I'm sure something will find them for a quick snack. There are already 3 wreaths on the other workshop door (from my front door, an unfinished demo & a small table wreath on the door handle - picture below.) In the past week, I've several times shushed Wrens out of the workshop when opening the door at dusk. They had already settled in for the night & resented being disturbed. I hung the wreath just before dusk - I wonder how many found comfort & safety last night? The Wreaths will stay looking green well into March, then foliage dries to golden tones.   Autumn details to celebrate the season & Kerry's wedding at Auchen Castle, Dumfries & Galloway, Scotland in late September... Dahlias, grasses, bracken, hops, seedheads, Pheasant feathers, conkers... my workbench looked like a 'nature table' as I collected all items together in the days beforehand. So many textures to add to the rich flower colours. The Bridal Bouquet included rich Dahlias, Hydrangea , grasses & berries plus feathers too. All flowers & foliage grown here at our Flower Farm in Galloway, except the Hops from Kent. Arranged sustainably without floral foam. Wedding venue @AuchenCastle Wedding flowers @GallowayFlowers   Everybody loves a freebie...
And I was delighted to be given this Eryngium seed head. It's from the garden of one of my regular subscription customers (a skilled & knowledgeable gardener). She gave it to me when I was delivering her flowers. It might look a bit scruffy - but It's full of lovely fresh seed! It's a good time of year to sow seed of perennial flowers - after all, that's exactly what Mother Nature is doing. I've sown the seed in a tray. (Simply scattered on compost mixed with vermiculite, popped into a quiet corner of the cold frame. No heat needed, just need patience.) I'm not sure which variety it is - possibly Eryngium 'Miss Wilmott's Ghost'. Those spikes are vicious! Fingers crossed they germinate well & I'll have a nice patch of plants on the way. Hopefully soon I'll be cutting plenty of stems of it.  Late September Bridal Bouquet for Cosmo, to carry on her elopement wedding day in Galloway last year...
Rich, moody coloured Dahlias & Rudbeckia combined with dark,plummy grasses & foliage. Plus a dash of fresh scent from late Roses, Honeysuckle & Marjoram. All grown here at the Flower Farm for lowest possible flower miles. And finally, I added dark, mossy green ribbons to finish the Autumnal look.  The colours of the Hydrangeas seem to be particularly lovely this year.
These run from deep plum through bright pinks, to teal, soft blues & lighter greens. Two flower heads joined linked on one stem, on the same bush. I've no idea what variety it is. It grows unnoticed for most of the year in a shady, weedy corner, & to be honest it's a rather shabby little bush. And then it does this colour change! Like Cinderella going to the ball, several stems have appeared in wedding bouquets this month. Such a useful flower to link other colour flowers together in a bouquet, vase or wreath. It's roots are deep under paving so it would be difficult to move without damage. But I'm going to have a go at rooting some cuttings. A row of these growing in a better spot would be a thing of beauty & a Florists delight in Autumn... I need more Hydrangeas in my life.  Last weeks Frosts have finished the tender flowers such as the Dahlias & Cosmos outside. There are still flowers, but a much reduced selection. It brings our 9th growing season here to a close. To be honest, it's not the prettiest sight just now!
So it's time to pull those plants out, refresh the beds with lovely home-made compost & replant ready for next years flowers. For a Flower Farmer, this is one of the busiest seasons & a dry day like this precious. All the debris (such as the Cosmos in the barrow) will be shredded, added to the heaps & form the basis of the next batch of Compost. And of course, that means the nutrients are retained in the soil to make future flowers. Round it goes again...  Photo Credit Duncan Ireland Photography In the May sunshine, here's Faye with her Bridesmaids.
An exceptionally pretty wedding at Parton, on the shore of Loch Ken, Dumfries & Galloway. The bouquets were full of our locally grown Spring flowers - our speciality Tulips, Sweet Rocket, Aquilegia, Ranunculus & Cornish Alstroemeria. Thank you, Faye for allowing me to share the photo here. And of course thank you to Photographer Duncan Ireland for capturing the moment so beautifully. As large boxes of bulbs begin arriving here this month, it can seem a bit overwhelming. Where & when will I plant them all? Have I invested in the 'right' colours for next years weddings? I'm finding it motivating to remember the special occasions where they went this year! The Calendar for arranging our locally grown flowers at weddings in Wedding Flowers2025 & 2026 is open now. More information can be found by following the links from the wedding pages  Cut earlier in the day, & ready for the 'Friday Flowers' bouquets...
Acidanthera Murielae are among the easiest flowers to grow for cutting in September, unbothered by frosts & among my Autumn favourites. A sweet scent to stop you in your tracks as it wafts around the garden or as you walk into a room. They last well in a vase too as a succession of buds opens up the stem. The bulbs are inexpensive & I plant them in batches from late May to early July to give a succession of blooms. They're a 'one hit wonder' though & don't flower again the following year. Join me for the 'Cut Flowers From Your Garden' workshop at the Flower Farm to discover how to grow more blooms in your own Cutting Patch. Details can be found here  Scanning my recent posts, it looks as if I grew only 'Autumn coloured' flowers this year!
The rusty coppers, peaches & golds have dominated flowers posted - probably because I've felt so cold & Autumnal since early August... In reality, the flowers I actually grew, cut & arranged for weddings has been very different. It's time to catch up on photo's from this Summers weddings. So to begin, here's Deborah's bouquet for her wedding at Gretna Green from early September. This quick snap was taken before making final tweaks & adding the ribbons. (Flowers in bouquets always seem to move a bit overnight as they settle so I find this check helpful) No Autumn shades in sight here - just plenty of soft pinky-purples, lavender & lashings of white froth. I included Dahlias, Daisies, Phlox, Cosmos, Scabious & Nigella. 100% grown in Scotland, for a low carbon footprint. More information on our wedding packages can be found here  Giant Dahlias 'Frost Nip' Giant Dahlias are rather a divisive topic, aren't they? And they're especially huge this year as heavy August rain has produced whoppers like this! I don't grow many as to be honest, they aren't as easy to use in an arrangement. They produce fewer flowers each season, albeit huge ones. Vase life is shorter then many varieties too. But this variety is rather fun (imho) & always makes my list. I love the subtle tones that develop from tawny gold to deep raspberry as the flower matures. I use almost every stem as it blends so well with Autumn themes & they always get a second look at events. These went to an Auchen Castle wedding this week & most were included in the main ceremony area arrangement. These few remained in the bucket when I had finished. Too special to throw on the compost heap yet though. The resourceful staff found an extra large vase & arranged them so they could be enjoyed in the entrance hall. Maybe I should have put the classic baked bean tin by the side to give a scale of their huge size!  Vase of Giant Dahlias 'Frost Nip' |
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