February News from Galloway Flowers

  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.

• 'Cut Flowers from Your Garden' Sunday 27th April (only 1 place)
• 'Make A Hand Tied Bouquet'  Sunday 4th May (3 places)
• 'Arrange A Vase' Afternoon' Sunday 15th June (4 places)

Plus new for this year, I'm planning

• an afternoon exploring methods to Press Flowers successfully
• A day for those interested in Growing & Arranging their own Wedding Flowers

Still working on the details for these & intend to finalise in the coming weeks. If you would like details as soon as bookings open, send a message. Social media is increasingly random in the posts we're shown now, I wouldn't want to disappoint you.

Jobs for February;

• Sow Sweet Peas (indoors), Antirrhinums & Larkspur. For veg growers, it's time to sow your Broad Beans & Leek seeds. Aubergines, Chilli & Tomatoes later this month. Leave the other seeds alone - unless you have grow lights & a heated space to grow them on, IT'S STILL TOO EARLY!
• Order & plant bare root Roses & trees - still plenty of rain to come to get them established (I'm still dithering about a few more Roses...)
• Start corms such as Ranunculus & Anemones for flowers in May & June
• On a mild day, take the chance to weed, clear space around perennials pushing up shoots. A good time to spread a generous mulch of compost too
• Prune late flowering Clematis & Honeysuckle this month. Leave your early Clematis though or you'll be cutting off all the flower buds
• Folklore tells us birds choose mates on Valentine's Day. So it's a good time to put up a few extra nesting boxes for your garden pest defence team. This gives time for them to be discovered before nesting begins
• Remember the birds &  Squirrels in cold weather. They appreciate feeders full of peanuts, sunflower seed & fatballs. Clean fresh water is a great help to them when normal sources are frozen

How To Buy Our Flowers;

• Weekly deliveries or collections  Next Bouquet delivery will be Valentine's Day Friday 14th, 28th & Mothers Day weekend Sunday 30th March
• Dried Flower stocks still good if you need a bunch for craft projects or to order a bouquet/wreath
• Flowers will be available across a wide area through the Galloway Food Hub again this year
• Flowers for Funerals, weddings, parties available all year round using 100% British grown. Pre-booking essential.

   And you can, of course, telephone me on 01644 420407 or email if you prefer talking to a real person rather than ordering flowers online. Much of my work is 'bespoke' for House flowers, parties & funerals so doesn't really fit the neat boxes necessary for online ordering. 

 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