 The days are finally getting longer at both ends & after a quiet January, I feel ready to begin another year of flowers (our 7th) here. Early bulbs are pushing up through the soil & many of the Perennials are appearing too. By late March we'll again be cutting our own grown flowers for bouquets & events. Bring it on!
The highlights in the garden just now are the Scented Shrubs - Daphne, Winter Honeysuckle (Lonicera X Purpusii) & Sarcococca. Most of the year these are plain, unassuming shrubs but their scent just now is delicious. It wafts about on gentle breezes. I cut a stem or two to bring into the house or to tuck into bouquets. It's just enough to keep people guessing what it is - any more & it can be overpowering. If you have space for one of these lovely plants in your garden, I recommend them highly. The Hellebores are forming nice fat buds & will be ready to cut soon. They're a fabulous cut flower but require a little care to ensure they don't flop pathetically in the vase. The trick is to leave them until at least one flower on the stem has been pollinated by the bees & a seed pod is beginning to form. I sear them in boiling water too just to give them extra strength - with care they last well. Most of my Hellebores were grown from seed given to me in a tiny envelope nearly 30 years ago by the Great Aunt of a Primary school friend. Over time, I've picked out & increased the better colours - they're still called 'Auntie May's Hellebores' though! The new seasons seeds have arrived & I'm itching to begin sowing! But I know it's too soon & must step away from the seed packets... Seed will germinate given warmth but unless additional lighting is available the seedlings will grow weak, & skinny. Wait a few weeks & seed sown later with better natural light soon overtakes the early starts. If you want to sow something now, Sweet Peas, Antirrhinums & Broad Beans will appreciate the early start. I'll cut the first of our Anemones this week, early as they're last years corms brought into the Greenhouse. My expensive Ranunculus planted in October have been a complete disaster - all eaten by a mouse! Fortunately I only planted half the corms so still time to plant the rest for late May/June flowers. The wedding calendar is filling up nicely in recent weeks - if you know a couple hoping to use our locally grown flowers this year, please suggest they get in touch soon. I take on only a few weddings each week & the popular weeks fill quickly. And today I've made a few events for this year available to book on the website - the first in a very long time. We're looking forward to welcoming visitors again soon.
The last two years have turned so many of our plans upside down (like everybody else, of course). We worked hard to keep this little business afloat & when I look back to 2020, it seems plans for that year are mostly still on the list! Probably not completely true (we did get the second polytunnel up & running) but my workshop hasn't been knocked through & the Old Nursery area remains a complete mess after the Leylandii hedge was removed. It is what it is.Hopefuly these projects will be completed this year & we can get back to what we do best - growing lots of beautiful flowers!. Today was miserably wet & didn't encourage me out for long. It's a good opportunity to snuggle by the fire, read seed & plant catalogues & plan for this years flowers. But I could see the Catkins dancing in the wind, a reminder that Spring is on the way... We look forward to sharing our flowers & Flower Farm life with you in the season ahead, Until next time, Rosie Galloway Flowers Jobs for the Cutting Garden in February;
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 In my 'Happy Place' - it's a while since I added a picture of me online, I prefer to let the flowers do the talking. But hey, look at those Dahlias!
There are still plenty of Dahlia flowers & they're not slowing down yet. Usually Jack Frost has reduced them to a nasty black mess by early October, bringing our main season of locally-grown flowers to an end. With no sign of a frost in the forecast (I know that can change fast) I've decided they've until next weekend, then I'm going to start cutting down & lifting them anyway. Otherwise, I'll struggle to get them stored properly before the weather is really wet & I'll get behind with work on Christmas wreaths. It's time for tough love... the Dahlias are in beds where bulbs, & Hardy Annuals must be planted. If those plants don't get into the ground soon, they're at risk of not making it through winter or not being ready when I need them. I've more space than most people, but it's always a juggling act. Anemones & Ranunculus are underway now, & should be ready to cut from April. These are probably the 2 most capricious crops I grow - when they're good, they're very, very good ...but oh, boy are they picky. Expensive to buy, they suffer from random rots & moulds, must be well-drained but don't like it too hot & dry. But such gorgeous colours, they're always a lovely addition to the Spring bouquets, so worth extra effort. Most of the Spring bulbs are here & I've begun planting them. Tulips wait until November as it reduces the risk of 'Tulip Fire', a nasty virus that distorts growth & ruins the flower. Looking forward to them already! Traditionally, Sweet Peas are started off this month for early flowers by many growers, kept in a cold frame over winter. I'm not bothering as to be honest, they're expensive mouse food! I'll start an early batch in January to flower in the tunnel from May, & my main crop on Valentine's day for the outside beds. I like them for early weddings, but not too many as it overlaps with other late Spring flowers - I prefer to enjoy an abundance of varied flowers, changing with the seasons. This year the Sweet Peas were fabulous, loving the warm Summer weather & producing long, scented stems for months. Fingers crossed next year they'll be as good, as I loved using so many for weddings. The house is crammed with dried flowers (isn't that what guest bedrooms are for?) ready for this seasons dried wreaths & bouquets. I've made the first & will start putting them on the webshop later this week. If you would like me to make one in a particular colourway or size for you, let me know while I've planty of choice. As the Pandemic seems to be calming locally (or we're just resolved to getting on with life), we''re returning to projects scheduled for 2020. Expanding my little workshop & restructuring the old nursery beds were put on hold - frankly this area has suffered this year as I simply couldn't keep up with my broken arm. All the new trellis, materials have been waiting since March to be used. Fortunately, I hadn't ordered plants as they would have died in their pots during the hot, dry weather). My brother is coming to help (oh dear, I really do need to clear the guest bedroom of those dried flowers...) & this will give us a real boost - another pair of hands makes such a difference. To help us focus on this project, I'll be scaling back 'Friday Flowers' deliveries until early December. We'll continue with our Regular Flower Subscriptions & offer a limited number of local deliveries/collections & funeral flowers each week. If you have a special birthday,event etc coming up & would like me to order flowers, please get in touch early so I don't disappoint you. Christmas - as the television is already screening ads, I think it's OK to say the word. The Wreath shop is now taking orders on the website & natural hand-made wreaths can be collected, delivered locally or sent by post again. More options will be added for Christmas flowers as we get nearer to the time. 2021 Workshops are now booking;
Today it feels like Autumn again - golden sunshine, cool & misty this morning, very still air... a beautiful day for gardening & getting ahead before the inevitable wet weather. I'm listening for the Geese & the Fieldfares to arrive, it won't be long now... Jobs for the Cutting Garden in October;
And a thought relevant for all of us Gardeners... 'The future depends on what you do today' Mahatma Ghandi Until next time, Rosie Galloway Flowers Your Flower Links for October;
 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;
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;
Until next time, Rosie Galloway Flowers Your Flower Links for September;
 How welcome the rain was last week when the weather finally broke. I enjoyed cutting flowers that first wet afternoon, wet hair plastered to my head. Yes, weird I know but just so long since we've had a proper soak here in South West Scotland! I could almost hear plants sighing with relief as they lapped it up - I swear some grew visibly in a few days.
The prolonged sunshine was wonderful & fabulous for all enjoying a holiday here. It was becoming tough for the plants though. And for me - the week it hit the high twenties here, my productivity slumped. We're on a private water supply so watch the water level closely. I watched our neighbours taking water to their animals as the burns ran dry, adding hours to their already long days. Watering polytunnel plants & those in pots added extra time for us too. I knew the lack of water was becoming serious when I found a Toad sitting in the dog water bowl by the back door... How quickly my daily routine switches from saving precious water from the kitchen for plants, to emptying trays full of rainwater to ensure plants don't drown! The plus of the dry weather was tht the grass doesn't need cutting & weed seeds don't germinate - I suspect both of these will be on rapid catch up now! Most outside plants are given a good soak when planted & then usually are fine here. This year, ithe prolonged dry spell slowed growth & flowering, with many showing yellowing on the leaves. Plants can't take up the nutrients they need from dry soil causing yellowing - they'll recover quickly now after the rain & a little seaweed tonic. The Dahlias began flowering really early this year & have taken a break because of the dry. I checked on them this morning & already a new flush of buds have appeared, promising to be back with a bang soon! There were plenty of flowers in July as others came on early - the Phlox, Scabious & Rudbeckia are way ahead, the Sweet Peas have been our best ever. Others have finished early such as the Cornflowers - I'll rip them out this afternoon. My careful succession sowings went to pot as all the Nigella came at once - still plenty of seed pods to dry. It's a text book year for demonstrating how critical it is to grow a variety to be able to produce bouquets over a whole season. And the weddings have been so enjoyable in the past month. Finally, we could flower up several big marquee weddings as well as some lovely small garden ones, & intimate elopements. The wedding industry employs so many across Dumfries & Galloway - I enjoyed catching up with other suppliers all delighted to be working again. Our Wedding Bookings are now open for 2022. Anyhow, it's finally getting back to normal as I've started driving again. Hurray! After 5 months of being chauffered everywhere by Ken, this was quite a day. I felt as if I regained my independence, freeing so much time for Ken. Yes, I'm sad & resigned to the planned projects left undone for this year. Now I'm ready to move on. August may be high Summer still, yet planning for 2022 is underway here. I've a list of Perennials to divide (many should have been split in Spring but my broken arm put paid to that), Biennials are growing on slowly but surely, ready to plant out for early Summer. I'll begin sowing the tough Annuals (Ammi, Cornflowers & Larkspur) for overwintering at the end of this month. Others are being left to collect seed from - they look untidy it's true & very worthwhile none the less. For a while in early July as Corona Virus figures rose, I thought we might have to cancel the Open Weekend. Over half the tickets were booked already so I decided not to put it on social media, just in case. All is looking better now & we're going ahead! At the moment there are 9 tickets for Saturday 14th August & 5 for Sunday 15th. It will be published on social media this afternoon so this is a last priority call to book places. Cake baking will begin, the weather forecast looks OK & we're really looking forward to this big step towards returning to our normal activities. Book Here I'm planning to bring flowers to Loch Arthur Farm Shop & Cafe on Friday August 27th & to Kirkcudbright Farmers Market on Sunday 29th August. If you would like to pre-order flowers to collect, send an email. 'Friday Flowers' are being delivered on Fridays (not 13th August) plus 'Click & Collect' on Fridays & Saturdays. Order online or by telephone 01644 420407. The week ahead looks like a great growing week - full of sunshine & showers. Just as well as I seem to have plenty of suggested tasks for the month ahead... Jobs for the Cutting Garden in August;
Until next time, Rosie Galloway Flowers  As I sat down to write this morning, I thought; What are the highlights of a July Flower Farm?
I sum it up as 'abundant chaos'. Growth is rapid this month as flowers enjoy long days, warmth & a touch of rain. Scents of the Roses, Sweet Peas & Garden Pinks. Bird song. And so much colour! And what a year for the Roses! The settled heat in the last few weeks has brought blooms on fast - & they're loving it! I don't grow many Roses here (they take too much space for the amount of stems I use) but oh boy, those few are flowering their socks off. The heady fragrance is in the air as I walk by throughout the day. But as I walk around, I see tasks to do - flowers to deadhead, noticing what's ready to cut, wayward stems to tie in, grass to mow & oh, my goodness - that needs a drink urgently! Some days I'm so critical of my failings I could forget to enjoy the beauty, to smell the Roses myself if you like. The picture above was early this morning in the soft light after rain. And yes, those Geums need a tidy but hey, what a colour! And so much is flowering now - the Sweet Peas & Garden pinks are right on plan for a wedding this coming weekend. The first few Dahlias, Cornflowers & Achillea are flowering.. Far too many varieties to mention - I tend to grow 'a little of a lot' so I've flowers throughout the season. Every week the bouquets can be a different mixture. And as well as cutting for Friday Flowers, Weddings & Funerals, I'm drying more than ever before. Dried flowers are enjoying a fashion revival so I'm filling the airing cupboard with flowers, grasses & petals for confetti. Last year I made dried flower wreaths with them & I plan to do the same this year. I didn't manage to begin driving again last month - stupid things every now & again (like lifting heavy casseroles...) make me realise my strength still isn't there. But I'm planning to bring flowers to Loch Arthur Farm Shop & Cafe on Friday July 16th for the first time this year. The Castle Douglas Farmers Market is on Sunday 18th July & Kirkcudbright Farmers Market is on Sunday 25th July. I'll be bringing flowers to both. If you would like to pre-order flowers to collect at the market, send an email. Because of the broken arm, I know so many plans here haven't been implemented. There's a large pile of trellis panels & paving slabs lyng on the ground since March. These are part of the plan to transform the old Nursery beds area. Thank goodness I hadn't ordered the planned climbing plants - they would be unplanted & dead in their pots by now! Needless to say, that project will not be completed by the mid-August open weekend. But it is what it is & I'm going to cut myself some slack. I don't suppose I'm the only person who spends far too much time fretting about things that aren't perfect, incomplete, even the weeds in their gardens. Instead I'm trying to focus on things we've done since we were last open in 2019 - actually quite a lot! So Pandemic situation permitting, we'll be open over the weekend of Friday 13th - Sunday 15th August. All visits will be pre-booked & booking is open online NOW. Further details & booking link here . Just 15 tickets each afternoon so everyone can keep a safe distance & enjoy walking comfortably among the flowers. https://www.gallowayflowers.co.uk/flowerfarmtours-499880.html 'Friday Flowers' are being delivered on Fridays (what a surprise!) plus 'Click & Collect' on Fridays & Saturdays. Order online or by telephone 01644 420407. So now I'm off to smell my Roses while they last, snip a few Sweet Peas for my kitchen & enjoy afternoons of Wimbledon Tennis this week. Why don't you too? Jobs for the Cutting Garden in July;
Until next time, Rosie Galloway Flowers Your Flower Links for July;
 Finally the days (& nights) have reached steady temperatures encouraging the plants to grow faster. Though flowers may start blooming later, they don't necessarily continue for longer. Many are going to put on a fabulous show in the coming weeks as they race to catch up. And they're growing very fast - yesterday afternoon I planted out 30 mini-Gladioli (I plant them in batches as I don't need many at once.) Given a splash of water at bedtime, this morning 4 have popped up shoots already! Lupins are the same - on Thursday I cut every stem ready for Friday Flower deliveries. This morning 25+ stems are passed the ideal cutting point. Never mind, all the more for the bees... So many firsts of the year for us this week - the first Sweet Peas, Cornflowers, Iris, Alstroemeria, a couple of Dahlias. Plus the Garden pinks are almost open in the polytunnel too. Most are in small numbers yet but will be going into the mix for this weeks bouquets. I made a strange bouquet in the first week of June - the last of the Tulips, Narcissi & the first Lupins, Alliums, Cornflowers, Geums & more from the field plus a few Leicestershire-grown Peonies. It was like one of those 'Old Master' paintings with an incredible mix of flowers not normally possible to see together ...only possible in 2021. We're finally planting out the Annuals - very late for us. Partly because I planned it - there were few weddings booked for June, usually one of the busiest months. It made sense to minimise the volume blooming then. And mostly because I'm behind with weeding, making new beds because of my broken arm. We're catching up & will have plenty of flowers for July, August & September when the number of weddings is high. I'm pretty much back to normal strength & intend to begin driving again this week. Ken will be relieved not to have to do all the deliveries! 'No Mow May' was a thing this year & hopefully many will have given it a try as this can help pollinators to flourish. We stopped cutting large swathes of lawn 6 years ago & the results are exciting. There's simply too much grass 'lawn' here to mow when there's so much else to do. I use the term 'lawn' loosely - many wild flowers have appeared, including Orchids. We've added to the floral richness by adding small bulbs & seeding additional flowers such as Cowslips. Difficult to measure but I'm sure the populations of Hoverflies & Moths are increasing. I'm seeing Moths new to me so something is changing... Picture at bottom of the page to give you an idea of how it looked this morning. It's time to start sowing again for 2022 - the Biennials started this month will be strong plants to face winter. Honesty, Foxgloves & Sweet Williams are on my essentials list & all easy. If you haven't tried them before I recommend them as they're great for filling the floral 'Hungry Gap' in May when the bulbs have just about finished, & before the Hardy Annuals begin to flower. Our first cutting Peony of the season is opening this morning (a Coral Charm), way behind the main British crop - a beauty! They take a lot of space & I grow only about 20 plants. Never enough! Instead, I bring boxes of these direct from a grower in Leicestershire to add to our bouquets, weddings etc. this month. We're all watching the Pandemic situation closely again, of course. At the moment, we're planning to be take part in the Big Flower Farmers Weekend' again this year. We'll be open over the weekend of Friday 13th - Sunday 15th August. All visits will be pre-booked & booking will open online on 1st July. Further details here - a Booking link will be added when open. The Castle Douglas Farmers Market is on Sunday 20th June & Kirkcudbright Farmers Market is on Sunday 27th June. I'll be bringing flowers to both, including some of those luscious Leicestershire-grown Peonies. If you would like to pre-order flowers to collect at the market, send an email. 'Friday Flowers' are being delivered on Fridays (what a surprise!) plus 'Click & Collect' on Fridays & Saturdays. Order online or by telephone 01644 420407. If you tried to order flowers between Thursday 3rd June & Thursday 10th June - our email service was down. No messages were delivered during this time - please resend if you wish to book funeral, wedding or bouquet deliveries. Now June is bursting out all over, be sure to take time enjoy these long, long days & remember to smell the Roses (plus the Sweet Peas, Pinks, herbs & more all around... Jobs for the Cutting Garden in June;
And the last word this month? ‘To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow'' Audrey Hepburn Actress 1929 - 1993 Until next time, Rosie Galloway Flowers Your Flower Links for June;
 'No Mow May 2021' ay Galloway Flowers  2021 Spring is, in my humble opinion, turning into one of the weirdest of weather years... ever.
May should be a month of burgeoning growth, plants growing visibly overnight, & colourful flowers. Maybe it will yet, but the cold temperatures & prolonged dry in recent weeks are holding so much back. Now we've had plenty of rain, things are getting going but we so need warmth (& that's me, not just the plants!) I tend to have a mental calendar in my head, knowing when plants should come into bloom. Our huge Magnolia usually flowers in the first week of April, fabulous for early weddings. This year, I cut it for a Florist on the 1st May! The little posy above was made on the 7th May last year, all from our Galloway-grown flowers. This year, the Narcissi have all flowered bang on time but I've yet to cut a stem from our outdoor Ranunculus, Aquilegia & Pinks. It shows how some flowers are encouraged by light levels (which were good in April) & those that need warmth to flower. Back in 2018, I sent a large box of flowers to be included in the Gold Medal winning display by 'Flowers From the Farm' at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show - this year I would struggle to send the same mix. Being positive, when the flowers do start, wow, we're going to get a lot of blooms all at once. The low overnight temperatures have slowed the germination of seedlings & their growth - they'll catch up but many haven't been pricked out as quickly as usual. We're running out of space in the greenhouses, moving trays around to ensure all get their share of light. Trays of the tougher seedlings are being moved in & out each day now so they toughen up ready for planting out in the beds. Perhaps as well because my broken arm has slowed down my bed prepping - it gives me a chance to catch up on weeding... The Tulips are being cut now to go in the weekly bouquets, & there are some beauties. I grow unusual varieties - the doubles, the fringes & the Parrots. These are late too & keeping bouquets full until the first Peonies & Perennials bloom. The Alliums are in bud so hopefully will flower in the next couple of weeks.The mad thing about growing flowers to cut is how far into the future I must look - this week I ordered my 2022 Tulips & Narcissi to be sure I get the varieties best suited to bouquets next Spring. Talk about needing a crystal ball - how many do I need? Ken has been creating beds in the new polytunnel - we put it up last year but didn't use it for flowers. It was packed with Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Courgettes, Basil & Chillis. The beds will increase productivity & it's already planted up with plants enjoying protection from Galloway rain. Light coloured Dahlia 'Cafe Au Lait', Garden Pinks, darker petalled Sweet Peas. I'll add Zinnias in the next couple of weeks when big enough to plant. And Lettuce & Rocket is tucked in front of the dahlias - indoor space is precious & can be used until they need it! This has meant we can move on to the old, larger polytunnel & reconfiguring the space to be more productive. As well as more flowers, the tender veg will find a space there. Best of all, weddings are back & there are 3 this month. All smaller than planned but beautiful none the less. The first is an Elopement wedding this week - sorry can't say more as it's a secret... The Castle Douglas Farmers Market is on Sunday 16th May & Kirkcudbright Farmers Market is on Sunday 23rd May. I'll be bringing flowers to both. I'm so looking forward to catching up with our Customers & getting back in the routine. I was touched by the kind messages & offers of help after my broken arm - it was truly appreciated. I'm mending well, being relatively sensible about what I lift & hope to be driving again soon. It's just stupid things that are difficult now - like opening tins! Try explaining the slow service to 2 hungry cats... 'Friday Flowers' are being delivered on Fridays (what a surprise!) & 'Click & Collect' orders can be placed online & by telephone now. Order online or by telephone 01644 420407. Hoping for some warmth in the next few weeks (& gentle overnight rain, please) to get everything growing well. The Bluebells are coming out all across Galloway so a good opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors as well as the gardens. In no time we'll be enjoying Roses, Sweet Peas & Peonies - then it'll really be like Summer! Jobs for the Cutting Garden in May;
‘Where Flowers bloom so does hope' Lady Bird Johnson, Former First Lady of the United States of America 1912 - 2007 Until next time, Rosie Galloway Flowers  Spring is springing all around us now, isn't it? A flight of Swallows was swooping over the lochan on Friday (VERY early), lambs are racing round on the other side of the wall as I weed & birds are busy in the nest boxes. I love these bright mornings when every day some new plant or flower reappears from it's winter sleep. A few have been lost (strangely all my Achillea 'The Pearl' seem to have been zapped) but I'm surprised by other slightly tender plants that have made it so far. Annual Rudbackia for example - a real bonus as this will give earlier flowers than seed sown a couple of weeks ago.
But I'm not complacent. The weather forecast for the coming week has cold night temperatures, as low as we've had all winter. While no precious tender plants are outside yet, this could damage soft new growth on the perennials (especially the Delphiniums, Lupins & Phlox). Even the Alstroemeria in the polytunnels could be damaged so extra layers of fleece will be out tonight... Is there anything you need to protect? I had a bit of a mishap last month & broke my arm. 3 days before Mother's Day, the busiest day in the Florists calendar & I was at DGRI having an operation. That's when I truly appreciated having good friends. Maybelle Thomson (the inhouse Florist at GG's Yard) saved the day by helping make up bouquets. Ken had a crash course in bouquet wrapping & delivered them all to the Mum's as scheduled. Together we got through & crashed in an exhausted heap on the Saturday! The arm's mending well (fortunately it's my left one & I'm right handed), I can wiggle fingers & manage to sow seeds, plant out etc. But I've no strength in it yet & it'll be a while before I can lift much or drive. Very frustrating when there's so much to do! I love my early morning 'patrol' around the greenhouses at this time of year.. It's exciting to see which seeds have germinated overnight. Little specks of green confirming a packet of seed was good & these have a chance of making it into a bouquet later this year. The March sown seedlings will need pricking out into their own space soon & their places on the heated benches are quickly filled with the next batch of seed. The Chrysanthemum cuttings ordered over the winter have arrived & potted up to grow on. I hope to discover good varieties to thrive outside here as these would be a great addition to our Autumn bouquets. They have wonderful names, often obviously after somebody - I would love to know more about the people whose names they bear! Who is/was Tom Pearce? Denise Oatridge? Ada Evans? It's easier to remember plant names when they're human... We've finally begun to cut our own flowers again now - in the past few weeks Pieris, Hellebores & Forsythia, now Narcissi & the first Tulips. These will be mixed with beautiful Sussex-grown Alstroemeria in the April bouquets. I'm able to arrange the weekly bouquets again now & Ken is helping tie, wrap & deliver them. Slowly, everyday life is beginning - from this week we'll be able to offer 'click & collect' at the gate again. The Kirkcudbright Farmers Market will be back in late April for food businesses only. Fingers crossed, we'll be back at both Kirkcudbright & Castle Douglas Farmers Markets in May. The next delivery day will be Friday 9th April & orders can be placed online now. Order online or by telephone 01644 420407 Enjoy the freedom to get out & about again this month & the beautiful Spring sunshine. It's a joyous, uplifting season & heaven knows, our spirits all deserve a little bit of that! Jobs for the Cutting Garden in April;
‘Where Flowers bloom so does hope' Lady Bird Johnson, Former First Lady of the United States of America 1912 - 2007 Until next time, Rosie Galloway Flowers  Sunshine - what a difference it makes to our mood! Today it's been a pleasure just being outside, checking on progress in the Cutting beds & feeling sun on my face. Not enough to pack away my thermals for the year but it's moving in the right direction & days are noticeably stretching. And the first Daffodils are flowering, yippee!
Suddenly it's as though the race is on. It's early yet but I still feel as if I'm falling behind, so much to do. The recent dry spell has been a gift as I've been able to prep many of the beds already - weeded, composted & fed. As we follow organic methods we work to create good, healthy soil & this preparation is vital to keep plants producing high volumes of stems each year. I've split quite a few of the established perennials as although it will reduce stems this year, it keeps them healthy & is a cheap way to increase overall numbers of plants. I'm being ruthless with some of the ones I don't like much - some of the Michaelmas Daisies are fairly dull so being reduced in number overall, others I'll move & use as a foliage in Summer rather than wait for them to flower. Seed sowing has begun, slowly. I start Summer annuals off this month (such as Nigella, Rudbeckia, Cornflowers) but there's no rush. I want a small number of plants to keep flowering for months, rather than a huge volume in July & then nothing. It's always tempting to sow a whole packet of seed at once but really, it works better to divide it into batches. So some will be sown in April & May too. I must watch the seeds carefully as they develop - some are covered as they need dark to germinate, some need light. Some are outside in the cold, others on the heated bench. Watering needs to be watched too. They mustn't dry out & die, or get too wet & 'damp off'. Fussy little things, & it makes plug plants seem such good value! This past month we've felt at times as if we've gone backwards - the Tree Surgeons came for 3 days to take down a couple of large dying trees & a section of Leylandii hedge. What a difference! So much space & light which is wonderful - but oh, what a mess it looks just now. You don't make omelettes without breaking eggs they say... It'll be good in time. Our display of bulbs is going to be even more spectacular than usual this year - last May I ordered extra Tulips, Crocus & Iris Reticulata, hoping to run the 'Bulb Lasagne' Workshop again in November. Of course, that didn't happen so there'll be quite a display - the bees are loving the Crocus. This months work is dominated by Mothers Day on Sunday 14th. This year I've been stunned by how far ahead Customers are planning - & I'm grateful. It's our busiest weekend of the year (apart from big weddings) & this year even more so as Customers aren't allowed to collect flowers from us - all has to be delivered. We'll be delivering on Friday & Saturday, & Ken has been enlisted as an extra driver. As I write, we've almost sold out. The wrapping paper has been folded, the ribbons cut, tonight we'll write message tags & we're as prepared as possible. I may deserve a glass of something nice next Saturday night... And if you've forgotten to order flowers, don't panic. There's still time to order Gift Vouchers for flowers later in the season or a 'Regular Flower Subscription', where I deliver a fresh bunch of flowers every 2 weeks or monthly. The figures for Corona Virus are improving fast in Scotland, though still serious. We're hopeful 'non-essential' shops (which includes us) will reopen in late April & maybe we'll be able to restart Flower Farm visits in late May or June. Ken & I have both had our jabs, much earlier than expected so feel as if we're getting closer. The Kirkcudbright Farmers Market will be back in late March for food businesses only - hoping we'll be back soon too. I understand an update on the restrictions in Scotland will be announced on Tuesday so fingers crossed. After Mothers Day, the next delivery day will be Friday 19th March & orders can be placed online now. Order online or by telephone 01644 420407 Every year is different in the garden, there's always something new to try. We're looking forward to sharing our flowers & seeing everybody again very soon, Jobs for the Cutting Garden in March;
‘Where Flowers bloom so does hope' Lady Bird Johnson, Former First Lady of the United States of America 1912 - 2007 Until next time, Rosie Galloway Flowers Your Flower Links for March;
 February is often the coldest month of the year, & still too early for most seed sowing. Mind you, January was cold enough, wasn't it? I can't remember a year when I've spent so much time indoors. Normally, I wrap up well & find something useful to do outside. But this year, so many jobs were impossible - the ground & compost were too frozen, even to weed. Frustrating, but on the plus side, my accounts are unusually up to date. Hopefully the cold might knock back the slug population a bit too - Fingers crossed on that one...
It's been a good excuse to spend time daydreaming about warmer days, planning what to plant where, to flower when. It's pointless growing a mass of flowers for a few short weeks - if a surplus, they end up on the compost heap & take ages to deadhead plants too. So planning a succession of colours to flower from mid-March to October takes days (& in my case a lot of sticky notes). I need to think about the weddings already booked, farmers markets, events yet unknown, bouquets required & make the best guesses I can. We use about an acre for growing flowers but it's never enough! This year we want to improve productivity further by making extra beds in some of the spare, unused corners. Often these are slightly more tricky spots (& ignored up until now for that reason). Perhaps slightly shady, close to trees or the sticky, stony soil near the bottom walls. 'Right Plant, Right Place' is the mantra for getting the best from these spots - there are plants that'll be happy there, I just need to choose carefully. There's plenty more space here to expand further but I want to fill up all the existing area first. It avoids unnecessary walking back & forth. It'll save time when cutting too as it'll be easier to track flowering stage of all the plants each week. The other thing about spending time indoors is - time to indulge my guilty internet shopping secret. The results of my (sometimes Chardonnay-Fuelled) late nights online are beginning to arrive. No, not clothes, shoes, amazing buys on ebay or whatever guilty pleasures you may have - but more plants. I've invested the price of a very nice weekend away on Alstroemeria plants for the new polytunnel, & they arrived last week. Of course they're an investment - how could you doubt it? I've been trialling a few varieties over the past few years & loved their long stems. They're such good producers over many months, last ages in the vase, so I need more for weekly bouquets. I'm sure Ken will enjoy looking at them far more than a weekend away... And well, you knew I had a Dahlia habit didn't you? I admit to losing count how many are going to arrive in the next few weeks, they're just irresistible. I need a spreadsheet to track them alone. A few special ones will be started this week to increase stock from cuttings quickly & cheaply, the rest (including our stored stock) will wait until the end of the month. Dahlias can't be planted outside until after the last frosts here, so take too much space if I start earlier. So now you know why I need yet more beds! Our flowers are still a few weeks off (apart from Snowdrops, Catkins & Pussy Willow) so I'm bringing in flowers from growers further south each week for our Friday bouquet deliveries. The selection is increasing every week - I love opening the boxes when they arrive to see what treats we have. This week we'll have the first Parrot Tulips, to add with the Hyacinths, Narcissi & Pussy Willow. We're lucky to have these British-grown flowers so early - as they come to an end, our own Tulips & Narcissi are just beginning. We all need a little bit of Springtime just now... We're delivering more of our 'Flower Therapy' Selections each week as lockdown continues. These are ordered for/by flower lovers who enjoy arranging flowers themselves, perhaps mixing with their garden foliage. A different selection of flowers each week, with a little foliage, all stems prepped, conditioned & ready to arrange. And unlike other 'Letterbox' flower deliveries, these are 100% grown in the British Isles, all year round. These can be ordered through the usual flower delivery page At present, we're allowed to deliver contactlessly but not to offer Click & Collect. Valentine's Day is next week - I'll be delivering on Friday 12th & Saturday 13th February. Just thought I would mention it in case anybody you know needs a nudge about ordering flowers for next weekend. Mothers Day is coming up fast & similarly, I'll be delivering on Friday 12th & Saturday 13th March. Order online or by telephone 01644 420407 As well as planning the planting, I've continued working on the Events Calendar. We're both still waiting for our jabs (Ken's parents have had theirs so that's a huge relief) - this is the key to be able to open bookings. One date for your calendar is the Big Flower Farmers Weekend will be Friday 13th -Sunday 15th August. We intend to open again over the weekend along with many other Flowers From The Farm Members around the UK. As soon as it's safe to do so, we'll be welcoming visitors to the Flower Farm again. The weather should begin to improve this month, & it's a good opportunity to get outside, breath fresh air deeply & listen to the birds singing their hearts out as they defend territories. Just taking a turn outside on a bright day lifts spirits as the bulbs are shooting up fast now. We're beginning our sixth season growing flowers here now. We'll be trialling new varieties (such as new Dahlias, Chrysanthemums & of course those Alstroemeria) & lots of old favourites too. It's going to be a 'blooming marvellous' display! We're looking forward to sharing our flowers & seeing everybody again very soon, Jobs for the Cutting Garden in February;
‘Where Flowers bloom so does hope' Lady Bird Johnson, Former First Lady of the United States of America 1912 - 2007 Until next time, Rosie Galloway Flowers Your Flower Links for February;
 Moving on to Winter Whites this week after taking down the Christmas brights - I like it when indoor colours reflect outside. Most of the year, that means green but in the last cold snap, these Narcissi 'Paperwhites' reflected the snow through the windows. Deliciously scented too!
The snow is finally melting today & the garden green again. To be honest, after the snow it looks rather beaten down & muddy out there. Fingers crossed we've not lost precious plants - the heaters were on in the greenhouses as night time temperatures plummeted, hopefully all is safe. Most vulnerable are the Eucalyptus plants outside - they're still young & it isn't unknown for hard frost to cut them back to the ground, or worse. It’s already getting that little bit lighter in the evenings, isn’t it? While there’s still cold & wet weather to come, changes appear daily in the garden as this month passes. The beds look lifeless – but pull back a few wet leaves & you’ll find stirrings beneath. A few Cyclamen flowers, shoots on the Narcissi & Snowdrops, buds appearing on the Hellebores & fancy Primula grown from seed. Best of all is the scent from winter shrubs - the Winter Honeysuckle (Lonicera Fragrantissima) wafts it's heady perfume around on a gentle breeze. It doesn't last many days indoors, still a few stems on my desk this week, helped me work through accounts. It's one of my 'Desert Island Shrubs' planted in every garden I've owned. I was delighted to discover a nice mature one by my office window when we moved here. January is a strange month at the Flower Farm. I'm itching to get started with a list of jobs longer than my arm, yet the big freeze has frustrated me at every step since Christmas. I want to make new beds for annuals & shrubs - impossible as both compost & ground is frozen. The greenhouse windows & polytunnel need a good scrub to let in maximum light, & seed trays are piled up awaiting washing prior to sowing too, But the thought of wet, cold hands last week didn't thrill me, so it's left undone. It's early yet but these practical tasks make life easier later. So planning & prepping is all I can do until the ground thaws fully. And planning isn't easy for any of us just now, is it? I put together a Flower Workshop programme of new events & planned to launch it today in this Newsletter. But all the carefully planned dates for March & even April look a bit optimistic now. The work is done & I'm sure we'll have a better understanding in a few weeks time. I'll put the information up as soon as the situation is clearer &bookings can be made. This week, we've again been talking with several of our Wedding couples, revising plans. Some are facing their third changes. All I can do is grow flowers, guess at the most popular colours & know there'll be plenty of flowers when required. 'Flexibility' is becoming my new middle name as large weddings become small garden weddings & even elopements. Interesting to see how these small weddings are evolving, becoming very special & perhaps more individual. And whatever might be happening out there in the world, there’s plenty to look forward to in the cutting garden this year. All our new Dahlia tubers are ordered, many tried & trusted favourites plus new varieties too. This year I've invested in a large stock of Chrysanthemums - shock, horror! I know they've been out of fashion. I've been dabbling with these quietly over the last couple of years. Once past the dull 'petrol station' bunches & supermarket horrors dyed blue (& even covered in glitter), I've come to appreciate their beauty, longevity in the vase & range of shapes & colours. Many bloom very late too, keeping quality stems coming after the Dahlias have been hit by frost. By the end of 2021, I'll either be smitten with a new obsession or they'll be dumped! These are lean weeks for British cut flowers, making every interesting stem more precious. I bring in boxes of deliciously scented Narcissi from the Scilly Isles & love mixing them with evergreens & interesting stems such as coloured Cornus, Twisted Hazel & Willow. Current restrictions limit us to deliveries at present (no Click & Collect yet). Our Regular Subscription flowers & flowers for funerals will continue as normal. Local Bouquet Deliveries will continue on Fridays 22nd January & 5th February. All 100% grown in the British Isles as always. To order flowers, please give as much notice as possible to ensure I've plenty for you - volumes are low at this time of year usually & I order only what is required. Order online or by telephone 01644 420407 Usually I end with a list of jobs for the coming month - this time, there are several don't do's instead! Make the most of the bright days when you can, wrap up warm & enjoy the beautiful frosted garden & landscape. Jobs for the Cutting Garden in January;
‘Flowers always make people better, happier & more helpful; they are sunshine, food & medicine for the soul.' Luther Burbank, American Botanist Plant Breeder 1849-1926 Until next time, Rosie Galloway Flowers Your Flower Links for January;
 Another gorgeous golden Autumn day here so I feel compelled to make the most of it. A couple of weeks ago, I would confidently told you I was on track for this autumns work. But a string of wet days & suddenly the weeding, planting, sowing & general prep for next year is slipping behind. Who needs the gym if you spend this much time bending & stretching in the garden?
Digging dahlias when they’re stuck in wet, sticky soil is a horrible job. I admit to delaying. Hopefully it's not too late yet – the frosts haven’t been too hard. We had some beauties this year & hope they’ll keep through winter. My absolute favourite ‘can’t live without’ Dahlia after this year? ‘Caroline Wagemans’ – so productive even in light shade & a gorgeous soft peachy apricot. Pretty brilliant all rounder – one to look out for your borders next year. Mind you, that’s just my favourite Apricot… I’ve favourite whites, pinks (pale, medium & dark of course!), favourite burgundies, coppers, lilacs… When the tubers are dug, I’ll wash them & leave to dry before packing away in wood shavings till March. This seems to be the best medium I’ve found for storage – relatively inexpensive, clean to handle & compostible. The Tulips are going in this week. I spread planting for continuous cut stems from March to mid-May. I select a mixture of varieties, some early & some late season. Then each variety is divided into groups – some in the polytunnel for extra early blooms, some in full sun outside & others in part shade. Although wedding bookings are coming in, it’s difficult to predict the ‘must have’ tulips for weddings next Spring. I like to have options! Using 'everlasting' or dried materials is a hot floral trend right now & social media is full of inspirational Autumn wreaths. Over the summer I've been carefully drying & storing a large selection of flowers, leaves, seedheads & more. As well as using in my own Autumn wreaths, I held back a generous stock to share at the planned evening workshop at the Frothy Café in Dumfries last week. Unfortunately to the horror of both Café owner Lucy & myself, the venue was double booked! I'' reschedule in the New Year. But there are plenty of other opportunities to try your hand at some floristry in the next few weeks. We’re getting all Christmassy making wreaths in Dumfries (Frothy Café again – definitely booked), New Galloway (Cat Strand) & in early December. Details & online booking under the 'workshops' tab or by clicking on links above. And I’ve opened up the order book for Christmas wreaths, garlands & Scilly Isles Narcissi for December delivery. Order online or drop me an email if you prefer. We’ll be at the Christmas Fair at the Cat Strand, New Galloway on Saturday 23rd November & Kirkcudbright Farmers Market on Sunday 24th November. I'll be bringing Christmas wreaths to order plus some of our dried flowers. Your Flowery Inspiration links;
Until next time, Rosie Gray Galloway Flowers |
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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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