January News from Galloway Flowers

​  And off we go again, preparing for our 9th season at our Flower Farm in Galloway.
Slowly to start with, just easing back into a routine after the Christmas & New Year break. January is less pressured, without the urgent deadlines of flower-producing months (Just the tax deadline at the end of the month, of course.) Everything else fits around the weather - indoor & outdoor jobs identified, completed as & when.
  There's plenty to do of course. The invisible work behind the scenes (usually snug by the wood burner) ensures plenty of flowers to cut later. Excited wedding couples planning their special day remind me of changing flower trends & this years colours. Hours of reading plant books & catalogues for ideas, dreaming up colour combinations. Next, on to the detail. Deciding what to grow where & when, how much in each colour... I may have an acre of flower growing space, but it fills up fast. I wish a crystal ball could tell me! Then on to the fun part - sourcing the seeds & plants. Who can resist a bit of plant shopping!
  Most of the new seeds are ordered & nice, fat, rattling packets are arriving daily. My fingers itch to begin sowing but apart from Sweet Peas & Larkspur, I'll wait. Light levels are low & while seedlings will germinate, they'll grow thin & weak. Ignore whats happening in Instagram-land for now. Later sown seedlings will give you more flowers over the season..
So what will I grow this year? A lot!
  To keep a plentiful succession of flowers through until October, I grow many, many varieties. The final list changes each year though. More of the very popular staples (Dahlias, Astrantia, Scabious, Delphinium). More grasses too. And others must fall of the list to make space - Molucella (Bells of Ireland) & Lupins are going. I love both but they never do well enough here to keep their space.
What Can I Cut This Month?
  If you had been stomping around in the frost this morning with me, at first glance you might think 'very little'. But look a little closer. You'll notice the 'January Jewels'. Coloured stems such as Cornus & Willow. Catkins on the Hazel, Birch, Alder, Garrya & Pussy Willow. The Ivy, Skimmia, Viburnum Tinus, Heathers, & Arum leaves. A few seed heads such as Honesty, Miscanthus & Chasmanthium still look good.  And to make them even more special, many 'January Jewels' have delicious scent too. The scented shrubs (Lonicera Fragrantissima (Winter Honeysuckle), Daphne & Wintersweet are all worth growing for cutting. Mixed with a few stems of Narcissi from the Isles of Scilly, perhaps a few Lincolnshire Tulips (hydroponically grown indoors) for an interesting Winter arrangement.
Plus coming later this month, there'll be my indoor Hippeastrum (Amaryllis) & Hyacinths, Hellebores & Snowdrops too. Perhaps not such slim pickings after all... 
  January is a busy month for wedding bookings & I love to decorate a wedding with our seasonal flowers!. If you know a couple planning to tie the knot this year & who would love our locally grown flowers, the Wedding Pages can be found following the links from this page. As well as large Bespoke Weddings for Couples planning 'the whole Shebang', we'll again be supplying Couples with our simpler Wedding Packages options. These include 'Bloom Buckets' of mixed flowers for Family & Friends to arrange. Weddings are arranged from March to October only.
  Workshop Dates are on the website & I'm receiving bookings already for the first dates. So far, 'Cut Flowers From Your Garden' on Sunday 14th April  'Arrange A Vase' Afternoons' in June, August & September 'Make A Hand Tied Bouquet' on Sunday 28th April All the Workshops will be here at the Flower Farm. December visitors will be relieved to know the legendary potholes on the Hidden Road have been filled!
  And you can, of course, telephone me on 01644 420407 if you prefer talking to a real person rather than ordering flowers online!
Jobs for January:
* Still a good time for planting new bare root Roses & Trees as they'll have plenty of rain to get established
* Established Roses would appreciate a bit if love. Remove any dead leaves from below the bushes, then give a thick layer of compost. This will keep your Roses healthy, preventing the build up of diseases such as Blackspot. Leave pruning until late February/March
* Hellebores are coming in to bud now. Trim away any dead, tatty leaves to reveal the flowers. This prevents them being marked
* Sow a batch of Sweet Peas in deep pots. Protect from Mice!
* On a mild day, give your greenhouse glass or polytunnel cover a good wash. It'll let in a surprising amount of extra light ready for seed sowing.
* Sort out your seed trays, plant pots & labels too. With care, they'll last for years, saving money & plastic waste. If you need more pots, keep an eye open at your Garden Centre. Many give away spare pots to Customers
* Remember your garden regulars such as the birds & Squirrels in the cold weather. They'll appreciate feeders full of peanuts, sunflower seeds & fat balls. Fresh, clean unfrozen water is appreciated too when it freezes. Worth looking after the natural pest control Team who help with the Aphids, slugs & snails later in the year
​It's a dry, cold week ahead ahead so a good opportunity to get out in the fresh air again. I feel as if we had a winters-full of rain last month (maybe we did?) So enjoy brisk walks, a wander round your garden to see what's stirring & yes, perhaps a little armchair shopping for seeds & plants after dark. The 2024 growing season has begun & is going to be blooming lovely!

Until next time, 
Rosie Gray
Galloway Flowers

And the last word this month?
'All the flowers of all the tomorrows are in the seeds of today;
Indian Proverb