 Photo credit Lorna MacLeod Country flowers for a Country wedding... In early July, Fergus & Myumi married at Balmaghie Kirk, near Castle Douglas, Dumfries & Galloway. This is such a pretty Kirk, surrounded by stunning views across Loch Ken & surrounding countryside. A beautiful backdrop for wedding photo's. The Bridal bouquet was possibly the most scented I can remember making. Soft peachy pink Garden Roses & Sweet Peas, with delicate Daisies & Nigella. Just very light & airy as Myumi is petite. At the door, two large flower arrangements stood tall & inside the Kirk, boxes of Summer flowers welcomed guests to their seats. Again, deliciously scented Garden Roses & Sweet Peas plus plenty of Daisies & 'froth' from the Flower Farm in Summer. And of course, all grown sustainably here in Scotland for minimal 'flower miles'. Arranged without floral foam or plastics. It wasn't a long commute to work for me - just to the other side of Loch Ken! Balmaghie Kirk is available for hire for weddings,funerals, christenings/naming ceremonies of any denomination. For more information, visit the Balmaghie Kirk website     Photo credit Lorna MacLeod
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 Here's a gorgeous confetti shot of Rosie & Gregor at their wedding at Crichton Memorial Church, Dumfries in early July. The bright bouquet flowers (all grown here at the Flower Farm) really pop in the sunshine. It included our garden Roses, Honeysuckle & Sweet Peas for scent. Congratulations to both & thank you for sharing the photo. Photo credit Nicola Hunter.  Bridal Bouquet closeup Rosie ordered a 'Bloom Bucket' of our mixed Summer flowers, collected the day before the wedding. Family members arranged the flowers to decorate the wedding venue.  'Bloom Bucket' of Summer Flowers  Natural Heart Wreath Natural Farewell Flowers... Close up detail of a handmade Heart Wreath made in early July from lichen-covered twigs. Simply trimmed with Lavender from a family garden, plus Thistles, Rambling Roses & foliage grown here in Galloway. As individual as the Gentleman remembered, a lover of the wildlife who shared his world. This design is suitable for natural burial sites as it's 100% compostable, without any plastic, floral foam or wire. Below are photo's of 2 small Posies made for other Family members to lay on the coffin. The cream Posy included the garden Lavender also. Both are completely compostable except for the small length of blue ribbon. After the Funeral, the Family sent this kind message; The arrangements and designs using the wicker frameworks, the posies with the hessian and simple, but so in keeping, luggage labels were just perfect and all reflected his personality of keeping things as natural and kind to the environment as possible. It was also so lovely to know the flowers were grown near where he used to live. I just wanted to say how very pleased we all were with them.  Natural Funeral Flowers; small Posy  Natural Funeral Flowers; small Posy  Sometimes small IS beautiful.
Petite Posy of late June flowers grown here at the Flower Farm. Tiny yet packed with the heady scents of the season.  Sweet Pea 'Kings Ransom' This year I grew this lovely Sweet Pea 'Kings Ransom' again but in the warmer end of the Tunnel. They seem to like that little bit of extra mollycoddling, especially given the cold night temperatures this week.
A gorgeous soft shade but sadly, no scent that I can detect. Maybe my sense of smell is being bamboozled by all the other varieties in the tunnel? It still makes my growing list though, I just mix it in with more scented ones in a bouquet.  Phlomis Russeliana (Turkish Sage) Phlomis Russeliana.
Or as it's better known here 'Poodle Tails'. It just reminds me of those fancy groomed French Poodles. I need easy to remember names for flowers as sometimes latin names can be tricky... Whatever you call it, it's still a cracking cut flower.
 Just because they're common, doesn't mean they're a weed...
These Purple Foxgloves are perfect for a splash of bold colour & height to a big arrangement, such as a milk churn outside a church. Perfect for a wild, country look. At their best here in June & then shoot short stems in coming months. Self seeded along the bed edges, they love the improved soil & sunshine, growing tall, full flowered & strong. The bees adore them too. The white & apricot varieties do well here too but most of them have been cut now (though shorter stems will appear on them in coming weeks). But seriously, how many layers am I wearing? This picture taken in early June shows me wrapped up in thermals & thick socks as the wind had such a cold edge. Says everything about the Summer of 2024 in Scotland!  Photo credit Luke Bennett Photo It makes my day when I receive gorgeous photo's like these in my inbox! Cally & Chris captured beautifully by Photographer Luke Bennett at their wedding at Cardoness beach in early May. The Bluebells were covering the the woodlands by the shore in stunning blue. I included early mini white Narcissi, Tulips, Scilla, Viburnum & Amelanchier blossom in Cally's bouquet. All grown here except for a few pure white Alstroemeria & the Scilla from a grower in Cornwall. (A few miles north, mine weren't quite ready). Very impressed by the colour co-ordination between the blue Scilla & Cally's boots! (see picture below) Thank you Cally, Chris & Luke for allowing me to share the photo with you. Photographer @lukebennettphoto Flowers @GallowayFlowers Dress @ahwbride Celebrant @solway_celebrant  Photo credit Luke Bennett Photography  Photo credit Luke Bennett Photography  Rich, warm colours & full of scent too - this bridal bouquet from last July is full of both. The scent of Garden Roses, Honeysuckle, Sweet Peas & (one of my favourites) Marjoram softly blended together. All grown here at the Flower Farm near Castle Douglas & freshly cut the day before. We never use noxious chemicals to grow or treat our flowers, we rely on our natural pest control team instead.
By choosing locally grown flowers for your wedding, you can enjoy the freshest flowers, & know the Carbon footprint is kept low too.  Ranunculus may just be the most expensive mouse food on the planet.
I've noticed there are a few gaps in the bed where they had been growing rather well, a few weeks ago. But full of optimism that this year might be different, I've started off another batch. They're gorgeous when they do make it to flowering stage like this. Let's see how it goes. Keeping everything crossed & going to give the supposedly feral cats lounging about in my garage, out of the rain, a pep talk...  'It will never rain roses: when we want to have more roses, we must plant more roses So wrote George Eliot (pen name for Mary Ann Evans, Author of Victorian classics such as 'MiddleMarch' & 'Silas Marner') And she was so right. It takes a couple of years for a rose to get into it's full stride for cut flowers, & if you cut a lot as I do, their life is shorter than when grown to admire in a garden setting only. This Winter I've been adding more to my collection - mostly planted in the few frost free days earlier this month. About another dozen to go in still, currently heeled in waiting. There's nothing quite like the scent of a British-grown Rose in a Summer wedding bouquet, & I adore using them. Maybe I'll add a few more? Our Wedding Calendar for 2024 is filling fast this month. If you would love our seasonal, locally grown flowers for your wedding, do contact me to arrange a chat soon.  Did you know I send my handmade Christmas Wreaths UK wide each year?
In recent years they've brought a festive look to doors from Cornwall to Aberdeen & many doors in between. So if you're looking for a special, original & thoughtful gift this December, this could be your answer! Each wreath is made to order using a selection of fresh foliage. Much of the foliage is grown by us here in Galloway. Before I make the wreath, I'll ask your preferred trimmings including ribbon colour (or no ribbon at all) for a unique finish. When complete, I box the wreath with care & send it on it's way.
 The flower season here is over...
Last night’s frost was harder than anything experienced before this Autumn, finishing off the few flowers still blooming. I cut our last few Giant Dahlias from the Polytunnel on Thursday for a party - not bad for November. Today the plants are blackened, lying flat on the soil. The colourful, brilliant leaves on the Maples lie in a bright red skirt below. All very final. So it might not be a very November photo above but believe me, those Delphiniums are a nicer sight than blackened Dahlias! A Flower Farm in Galloway in November doesn't look like a 'Country Living' photoshoot, I'm afraid. But it's still a busy time as we put foundations for next year’s flowers in place. Most of the Dahlias are lifted (well, about 150 still to go) which is a comfort to know. I was lucky last year, most of our tubers survived the cold temperatures (though Voles ate more than their fair share as they sheltered beneath the black plastic sheets). But many British flower farmers lost hundreds of tubers in last Decembers cold snap. Replacing is a costly business (& aren't all easy to find) so I'm super cautious this year. Each tuber needs cleaning, then dried & stored away in a frost-free place. Then in March I'll bring them out ready for next year's display. It's very satisfying to see how a small tuber multiplies over time to make new plants if I'm lucky. Roses deserve attention too this week to make sure they continue blooming strongly next year. The new Shrub Roses have got very tall (that rain in August). I'll reduce their height by about a third. This protects them from fierce winds. 'Windrock' causes considerable root damage. I'll gently firm them in at the base & give a generous dollop of good compost too. The hard pruning can wait until February/March. Tulips have arrived & can be planted now. In recent years, 'Tulip Fire' virus is becoming a problem in British gardens. In 2021 the Virus affected several hundred of my bulbs. It's ugly, deforming the flowers & stems. When it appears, destroy the bulb as it spreads fast to the others. Overnight along a row - like fire in fact! None of the affected stems could be sold & I considered whether to stop growing them. Trouble is, when you buy a bulb, you don't know if it has the virus. Last year I reduced the numbers grown & planted all in large pots & buckets. They flowered spectacularly with no Virus at all. This year, I'm trying the pots again & keeping my fingers crossed... Usually, we arrange our last weddings at the end of September as the flowers begin to reduce about then. This year, I arranged flowers I had dried for weddings too, the last in early November. There are still dried flowers, grasses, seedheads remaining & I'll bunch them for sale in the next few weeks. Perfect as Posies for Christmas gifts or for your own craft projects. Christmas is coming up fast now so here's an update on what we're planning; Make A Christmas Wreath' workshops are scheduled for the following dates;
The Wreath shop is open for pre-orders now. All my wreaths are handmade, without floral foam, from foliage grown here or elsewhere in the British Isles. Wreaths can be collected, delivered locally or sent UK wide by post. Christmas Flowers & Foliage
Jobs for November:
Until next time, Rosie Galloway Flowers And the last word this month? 'All the flowers of all the tomorrows are in the seeds of today; Indian Proverb  Grooms Buttonhole made from Scottish-grown Dried Flowers A Buttonhole of dried flowers ready to a pin on the Groom's jacket at a recent wedding.
All Scottish-grown & dried by myself. Just natural colours, no bleach or dyes. Dried flowers are so popular for weddings this year & it's no wonder - interesting details, full of colour & a lasting keepsake of a special day.  Autumn flowers decorated the table at Craigadam Country House Hotel, Crocketford in late October for a special wedding celebration.
Sweet little bud vases placed all the way down the enormous dining table, every one filled with a different combination of seasonal flowers, grasses & foliage. All grown here at the flower farm just a few miles away except for the Eucalyptus from a Cornish grower. The vases sparkled in the afternoon sunshine - imagine how beautiful the table would have looked when all the candles were lit that evening in those candelabra!  Hiding away from the blustery wind of Storm Babet was a perfect opportunity to use some of the dried 'Stuff' I've stashed away over Summer.
All British grown (most here) & dried naturally by myself over recent months. No dyes, no bleaches, just Mother Nature's own colours! To commission a wreath for your own home or as a gift, contact me Various colours available  For a Flower Farmer in Scotland, change can be dramatic & rapid at this time of year... On a Thursday, mid-month, I was cutting Dahlias by the Bucketful for 2 weddings. Then Wham! 3 nights of frost finished the outside crop for this year. And a week later, the plants in these beds have been cut down, covered in readiness for lifting & storing over winter. Some growers prefer to leave their plants in the ground or dig them up in December. I think it depends on where you live & the specific climate/soil you're working with. November & December is incredibly busy here as we prepare for next seasons planting & of course Christmas wreathmaking too. If the Dahlias aren't dug up by early November, it becomes increasingly difficult to find time, especially if the weather turns wet or unexpectedly cold. And this increases the risk the plants will die & they're expensive to replace in the quantities I grow. So I cover the beds with plastic sheeting to keep soil dry until I get a chance to lift the tubers - much easier if soil is dry. This method suits us - as with so many gardening tasks, the best time is when you get time... Fingers crossed, the tubers will get through the Winter safely & be ready to do it all over again next year.   For Megan on her special day in September, a Bridal Bouquet in peaches, pinks & ivory with a touch of green.
Romantic & softly toned Dahlias, plus Garden Roses, Honeysuckle & more for a delicate scent too. All grown at the Flower Farm near Castle Douglas, South West Scotland, except for the sprinkle of white Gypsophila & a few stems of peachy Hypericum from the Fens.  And the Colour keeps on coming...
These are some of the buckets full of flowers cut on Thursday, outside the workshop. A long drink of water overnight & then off on Friday to local celebrations & also some into today's 'Friday Flowers'. Locally Grown, Seasonal Flowers grown here at the Flower Farm in Dumfries & Galloway, Scotland  A bouquet for Joanne's Tea Ceremony earlier in July...
At this point, the bouquet wasn't 'finished'. Often I take a few quick photo's like this as I go along. Somehow, I can spot improvements more easily from a photo than I can just looking at the flowers in front of me. (Yes, I know it probably sounds daft but it works for me!) So, I tidied up some of the random bits poking out along the top, lifted a few stems to raise them higher & added some extra coral Sweet Peas along the front edge. And of course, as the last step I added ribbons of Joanne's choice. Every single stem grown here in Galloway by myself, cut from the flower field & carried to the workshop to be arranged. The bouquet includes Garden Roses, Honeysuckle, Sweet Peas, Phlox, Marjoram, Scabious, Rudbeckia & more for a real 'gathered from the garden' look.  Sunshine on a rainy day...
I wouldn't normally cut this early as Dahlias don't open much more in the vase. But this stem of Dahlia 'Hollyhill Serenity' had been knocked to the ground by the gusty wind today. So it had to come inside to be enjoyed in the kitchen. The Dahlias seem to have been a long time coming this year but hundreds of buds are just waiting for some of that elusive sun & warmth  The lightest & most delicate of Summer flowers for Tayla last Saturday for her wedding at Gretna Green, in Scotland. Tayla travelled from Buckinghamshire for her special day. Every stem of Tayla's bouquet & flower crown were grown by myself here at the Flower Farm near Castle Douglas except 3 stems of Eryngium thistle, grown in Lincolnshire. No matter how much Eryngium I grow, I never seem to have enough for all our weddings! We just wanted to say thank you. Rene (Mother of the Bride) Absolutely beautiful flowers! They are stunning. Made the day so perfect xx Tayla (the beautiful Bride)
Thank you so much Tayla & photographer Rene for permission to share this gorgeous photo with you. I loved making this for you! And delighted a Red Squirrel made an appearance too...  White Dahlias in the tunnel have a few more buds coming this week.
I cut this Cactus one (called 'White Swallow') in mid-July. It's always nice to welcome back 'old friends' that haven't been seen for a while...  For Veronica in mid-July... The colour theme was a soft baby pink with blue, & I was asked for daisies & 'a little bit wild'. So I added 3 types of Daisies, Sweet Peas, Honeysuckle, Garden Roses & much more. The scent was delicious yet not overpowering. And 100% of the bouquet was grown here at our wildlife-rich Flower Farm near Castle Douglas, South West Scotland. I cut flowers fresh on Friday, & delivered for the wedding at GG's Yard, near Gatehouse of Fleet, on Saturday morning. 100% grown less than 30 miles away from the venue. Every single stem. Sourcing seasonal flowers from a local grower gives the lowest possible carbon footprint for your wedding bouquet.   Some of the 'Friday Flowers' delivered earlier in July - it was a big 'Birthday Week'.
Orders for next weeks local bouquet deliveries & collections are open now on the website or by phone 01644 420407 (do leave a message if I don't pick up quickly - I'm probably in a polytunnel!) The selection of flowers changes as we go through the seasons. Next week I hope to add Dahlias into the mix. Nice warm sunny days plus gentle overnight rain would help... Mixed 'Country bunches' of our locally grown, seasonal flowers are available to order on the Glenkens Food Hub too (plus lots of delicious goodies from local producers). Bunches can be collected in Dalry, Castle Douglas, Low Auldgirth, Kirkcudbright, Moniaive, Gatehouse of Fleet & Newton Stewart on alternate Fridays. Go on, treat yourself... |
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