 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
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 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.  After the funeral, this pretty basket of Spring flowers was easily divided into 8 individual Posies for Friends to take home to enjoy,
The little Viola plugs were taken away too, to plant out in the family garden. A lovely way to remember & celebrate the life of a Lady who enjoyed gardening. She loved the 'Flower Fairy' books by Cicely Mary Barker & reading them to her Children. Her Family asked me to include some of the 'Flower Fairy' stars in season that week among her funeral flowers. So with this as inspiration, I included flowers for the Heather, Stitchwort, Bluebell, Daffodil, Lady's Smock, Heart's Ease, Cowslip, Snowdrop, Willow Catkin & Forget Me Not Fairies. One or two were garden varieties (6 types of mini Daffodil for example & a fancy Snowdrop) so I used artistic licence a little... Still surprising how many 'Fairies' could be found once I began to look around the flower field & garden. Everything grown here in Galloway. And of course, the basket could be reused & no plastic, cellophane or floral foam was used to make the design.  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!  Flower Girl Posy So Summer 2024 begins - & it's truly bursting with colour, all at once. All the Summer flowers are racing ahead & theirs plenty to cut to enjoy in our homes.
While May might have seemed wet & a bit chilly, it was great growing weather. Look at the grass as proof of that! We've followed a 'No Mow May' plan for many years & this year the grass has grown so long, I can barely see the Orchids below. I think 'No Mow June & July' is going to go by the wayside this year as it'll soon fall over & impossible to cut. The downside of great growing weather though, is it's been great for growing snails & slugs too. I've been dithering about Ducks again to help deal with them amongst the plants. Trouble is, it would probably end badly for the Ducks... Patience needed & all the new birds fledging just now will catch up with them all soon. And of course, Summer for us means lots of weddings. May was our busiest ever & now we're planning frothy June weddings & beyond. The 2025 Calendar is open for bookings & already beginning to fill. Weddings used to be on Saturdays so I knew most weekends were going to be taken up between May & late September. But now weddings are happening on all days of the week & I'm enjoying the flexibility. to plan other activities too The little Posy above was made for a Flower Girl on Thursday who wanted 'Pink, Pink & more Pink!' I think that filled the brief... As the weather has been so warm (the weather people tell me this - It didn't always feel it), the flowers are way ahead of usual. Lupins & Peonies are well into their stride now, Roses are colouring up & I cut my first Sweet Pea this morning. I think about 3 weeks ahead of usual - how about you? I'm planting out Dahlias this week. This is a bit late - I left them as it was so wet in early May, I thought they might just sit in cold, wet soil & rot. About a quarter in so far (just over a hundred) but until all the stored boxes are emptied, it's difficult to judge. Most of come through Winter storage well this year. The 'Arranging A Vase' workshop in June is fully booked, another date is open on Sundays 11th August & 8th September. A 'Make A Hand Tied Bouquet' afternoon is scheduled for Sunday 23rd June - 3 places available at present. I'm looking forward to the new Roses planted over Winter to bloom - to encourage them to build strong roots, I'll resist cutting them this year. What can I begin to grow this month?
It's so abundant & lush just now, we can enjoy big full vases. Foxgloves are among my favourites this week - so tall & twisting into curves in the vase. Lupins, Delphinium, Astrantia & of course, Peonies. How could I forget the Prima Ballerinas of the June garden? Sweet Pea will soon be cut by the bucket. Sweet William - so long lasting & in bright jewel colours that mix beautifully with the pinks & blues. And Alchemilla - it might be common, some even regard it as a weed but i think it gives the essential June froth. Because it's so easy, we can cut it generously too!. This week 3rd to 9th of June is British Flowers Week when all our beautiful locally grown flowers are celebrated. Upcoming Events Workshop Dates for 2024 are;
How To Buy Our Flowers;
Jobs for June:
Until next time, Rosie Galloway Flowers  Bucket of freshly cut Speciality Tulips May is peak time for our Tulip harvest.
And once they begin to bloom, especially on a sunny day, they come fast! I seem to walk a flower field circuit, pulling them up ready to go. Then I turn a corner & the varieties visited at the beginning of the circuit have a few more popping & ready to go! To get the longest vase life from Tulips, catching them at just the right stage makes a big difference. The plus side of all the recent rain means fabulous long Tulip stems this year. The 'Peony' flowered doubles begin early in the month & next up are the Parrots. After all the Spring yellows of last month, the pinks & burgundies are a refreshing change in 'Friday Flowers' bouquets. It might seem early but I'm already planning my Tulip crop for next year. Which colours & shapes should I grow in 2025? If you're planning your Spring 2025 wedding in Galloway or are a florist wanting my speciality Tulips next April & May, do let me know. The order goes in this month...  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  Vintage Spode Posy Bowl filled with Spring Flowers If 'April Showers bring May Flowers', we're surely heading for a bumper show next month! The frequent rain has slowed down a lot of our prep work outside recently. A few dryish weeks (please!) are needed to help get things closer to schedule again. Dividing perennial plants as planned has been difficult with the wet ground. Some varieties will have to wait until next year now, reducing productivity this season. It's better than risking loss of plants if we've a prolonged dry spell. The last few years have been exceptionally dry here in late April to early June. Growing flowers doesn't always go according to our plan - we just have to adapt to Mother Nature's! I prioritised precious dry days to complete bare root Rose planting. These had to go in, too expensive to leave. Another 35 rose bushes planted this year. It'll be a couple of years for them to be really productive. Patience is required to grow these lovely diva's well. Most are English & old reliable varieties, selected for health & scent. I've added a few new Hybrid Teas as experiments. I've often been told Roses don't grow well here in Galloway. I've found many do exceptionally well (getting very tall in the rain) as long as they're fed very generously. Three of our giant Conifers have been removed at last. Although there's a lot of mess to clear still, the impact is dramatic. So much light floods this area again & it'll be full of flowers soon. This area was one of the first planted when we came here 9 years ago, producing huge quantities of stems. The Conifers grow quietly & fast, only when looking at old photo's had I realised by how much. Replanting has begun. So far, I've moved Campanula, Achillea & Hellebores into the area - a lot more waiting. The seeds sown earlier this year are being planted, making room for the next batches in the greenhouse. I felt very silly watering them in the polytunnel beds, as rain hammered above. It never rains in the Tunnel (of course) & easy to forget this critical task in a spell of wet weather. Our flower season is well underway now - I've already cut plenty for 2 weddings, florist orders & our 'Friday Flowers' bouquets. The variety of stems available increases steadily in the coming weeks. What can I begin to grow this month? Potted Herbaceous plants (such as Delphiniums) can go in now for a quick show this year. The Garden Centres & Plant Nurseries will be well stocked this month so may make an enjoyable trip. Dahlias can be started off indoors now (need frost protection). This is a great month for seed sowing. Often seeds sown this month catch up on the same variety sown a month ago as light levels increase. Sow Hardy Annuals direct outside & Half Hardy Annuals (such as Cosmos) inside. The Half Hardy Annuals can be planted outside after the last frost. I'm sowing Sunflowers this week for a cheerful crop. Plant more bulbs for summer colour in gaps - Lilies, Gladioli & Acidanthera are reliable & make great vase fillers. What Can I Cut This Month? The simple answer is 'Lots!' I'm declaring 2024 Spring as 'Well ahead of itself' as the flowers are romping away, some 2-3 weeks ahead of most years. The 'Fancy Daffs' are sensational here just now. Blithely ignoring my careful plans for a continuous crop over several weeks, they're opening fast. Plenty for those weddings though... I love the frilly doubles like a ballerina tutu & planted more last Autumn. Other favourites are dainty short varieties such as 'Prom Dance' & 'Blushing Lady' (scented like a freesia). Great value bulbs as they come back every year with little attention. Tulips are beginning to pop & included in bouquets last week. If you would like a bunch (on the bulb or off), let me know. These are strong, large headed varieties & very different to the short, small-headed flowers (grown hydroponically) from the supermarket. Add these glamourous beauties to Honesty, Snowflakes, Cherry or Amelanchier blossom perhaps & you've the making of a lovely vaseful. Buds are appearing on Aquilegia, Sweet Rocket & even Peonies so these aren't far behind. And let's not forget the teeny, short stemmed flowers. The vintage Spode Posy ring pictured above was filled with Spring flowers on Saturday 6th. It's still looking pretty & fresh today, so far not a single stem has failed. These may look delicate but last well. Take a walk around your patch & see what you can find...  Speciality Tulips Upcoming Events
Workshop Dates for 2024 are;
How To Buy Flowers;
Jobs for April: Yesterday we had bright sunshine, gusty winds, hail & heavy rain - classic April weather! So I find it useful to have options when it comes to jobs. I might start a task outside - but am always prepared to dash inside a tunnel or shed to carry on.
Until next time, Rosie Galloway Flowers "In the Spring, I have counted 136 different kinds of weather inside of 24 hours." Mark Twain, American Writer 1835 - 1910  Spring is rushing in at speed this year, thank goodness!
The birds are singing Spring songs & ponds are full of frog spawn. Yesterday, the first of these stunning Snakeshead Fritillaries popped open, making Spring official here. I keep a brief note of dates when I start to cut flowers, & estimate many are opening 2-3 weeks ahead of 2023. The dainty Wild Narcissi began flowering in late February. They look like a 'Wordsworth' image by the burn this week (albeit on a very small scale!) I began cutting Pieris, Forsythia & Wild Plum blossom at about the same time too. As Mother's Day was early, I didn't expect to have any of our flowers to include in the bouquets - but we did! Now I'm hoping for some Sunshine soon... Mothers Day was busy, & we sold out days ahead. Thank you so much to everyone who supported us by choosing our 100% British-grown flowers. At this time of year, our flowers are few. So I order flowers from Growers in Cornwall, the Isles of Scilly & Lincolnshire weeks before the bouquet orders arrive. It's always a leap of faith for me. A lot of finger crossing goes on that all will be sold! The pace of our work increases as days lengthen. We're waiting for tree surgeons to fell several large Conifers. Inevitably this will make a dreadful mess, with soil trampled. I'm leaving this area unplanted for now & getting twitchy about where everything will fit. The Conifers have grown fast, taking nutrients & moisture from a large area. I'm sad to see them go but productivity of these beds was much reduced last year. I'm dividing established perennials to reinvigorate them & increase stock of favourites. These plants will be planted in the Conifer area. The clock is ticking to get this done... It's time to begin waking up our Dahlias. A big job & nervewracking. How many have survived through the Winter? It hasn't been too cold so hopefully most will be fine. I'll remove tubers from boxes, check for any rotten bits then divide into smaller pieces to plant. By dividing, the tubers are reinvigorated & produce more flower stems overall. Sowing seeds of Hardy Annuals is accelerating. I'm juggling space in the propagator & on heat mats. I sow small batches, repeated at intervals to avoid them all flowering at once. Followed by nothing to cut. It spreads the risk too. Just one slug or a rogue mouse can destroy a tray of healthy seedlings overnight. It's good to know some seed is in reserve to start another batch, if necessary. I'm adding new varieties of Annuals to try, dropping others. Molucella (Bells of Ireland) & Cerinthe are lovely but don't really produce enough stems to justify their space. The difference between growing for profit & pleasure, I guess. My big surprise success last year was Nicotiana - so prolific, lasted ages in a vase & this year I'll try new colours. When it's wet, Ken has been continuing with insulating the workshop ceiling. It's a big job & hopefully will be finished this Spring. As the first of this years workshops is just 4 weeks away, the pressure is on... What Can I Begin to Grow in March? If you're quick & water well in coming months, you could plant a few more Roses & Clematis. New Perennials can be planted out too & should establish well, flowering this year.. Sow Hardy Annual seeds such as Cornflowers, Calendula, Nigella & more Sweet Peas for a quick start to your Cutting Patch. If you have a warm, frost free space you could start Dahlias off but no rush yet. It's a good time to buy Summer flowering bulbs such as Gladioli & Acidanthera as there's plenty of choice available. What Flowers Can I Cut in March? Move over Snowdrops, it's time to welcome in the colour! Hellebores are now ready to cut, & the first of the Narcissi & Muscari are in bloom, The little pots of Iris Reticulata planted last Autumn are charming by the workshop. Next year I'll grow more in pots as I enjoy changing them regularly. The Primulas too are beginning to flower - short stems, of course but last well in water. Isn't it what egg cups are for? Long stems of Forsythia, Wild Plum & Magnolia need nothing else to fill a large vase & look very luxurious. The buds open quickly when brought inside. By the end of the month, the first of our Hyacinths &Tulips will be flowering (in bud already in the tunnel). Plus the different varieties of 'Fancy Daffs' will be fluttering & flouncing in a few vases. (Fingers crossed in time for our first wedding of the year...) Upcoming Events Workshop Dates are on the website & I'm receiving bookings already. So far,
How To Buy Flowers;
Jobs for March:
Until next time, Rosie Gray Galloway Flowers And the last word this month? 'I can buy myself flowers' Miley Cyrus, American Singer, Songwriter & Actress  Yesterday I pruned & mulched a few more Roses, feeding them lots of goodness to set them up for a stunning show again this Summer.
Not that the Rose bushes show much appreciation... My hands are crisscrossed with scratches, despite wearing gloves. Pruning Roses is a bit like tickling a friendly Tom cat who purrs, winds it's way around your legs, then rolls over to have his tummy tickled... & wham! Those claws are straight in to the soft fleshy bit of your hand. If you've ever had a cat, you'll know just what I mean. Anyway, no hard feelings towards the Roses, they're worth a bit of pain. And today a picture of deliciously scented Roses in sunshine is exactly what I need. This was a new one planted last year, & hopefully it'll be producing plenty of blooms soon.  Batch 1 Sweet Peas are well underway now.
These were sown in January, & about 350 baby plants are happily being nurtured in one of our polytunnels. Batch 2 are germinating now ready for potting in to root trainers like these soon. Cardboard toilet roll tubes could be used as an inexpensive alternative. These root trainers seemed very expensive to buy but this is their 9th season of use. With care, they'll be reused for Sunflowers & other seedlings later this Spring. Hopefully, I'll reuse them for a 10th season next year. So yes, the root trainers are made from recycled plastic but used carefully, definitely not single use only. And when they do fall apart, they can be recycled & the material used again. It won't be long before we're cutting deliciously scented Sweet Peas by the bucketful for our Customers!  Early September last year - our Dahlias were pumping out hundreds of stems every week, & continued well into mid-October.
The most popular colours with our Customers were the oranges, coppers, & peaches, in demand for weddings with an Autumnal palette. These colours were very popular in our weekly 'Friday Flower' bouquets too. But fashions change & over winter I've been tracking the trends to make sure we have plenty of the 'Must Have' colours for 2024. What do you think I should be growing more of this year? More of the same? Increase the pinks & purples? More whites, burgundies, reds? More...? Fingers crossed I'm on the right track... Your thoughts always welcome! Every year we produce thousands of Dahlia stems. These are used in our own floristry & sold wholesale to professional florists.  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.  Photo Credit Dered Dunlop Photography Sunflowers are among the 'Top Ten' requested flowers by our wedding couples for this Summer.
So this week, I've been sorting out seeds ready for sowing. (Not yet - way too early!) And there are so many gorgeous varieties available now. Looking beyond the cheerful yellow giants commonly seen by the bunch in supermarkets, there are pale creamy lemons, rich oranges, deep plummy reds, stripes, browns... how do I choose which to grow? And best of all, many of these varieties produce multiple smaller flowers with slender stems. They might not win a 'tallest Sunflower competition' but are perfect as cut flowers. So much easier to arrange in a wedding bouquet or vase! The Sunflowers here in Maria's Summer wedding bouquet were just the perfect size - rich, joyful colours & not too heavy to carry. Thank you Maria & Peter for allowing me to share your photo, & of course, to talented photographer Derek Dunlop Photography for capturing the moment.  A teeny little Flower Wand for a Flower Girl's teeny hand, made for a Galloway wedding last Summer...
Brightly coloured blooms including Heather & plenty of swishy ribbons to twirl about. All grown here at the Flower Farm in Dumfries & Galloway, naturally. Who do you know who would like their very own flower wand at a wedding this Summer?  So Goodbye January & Hello February! While I know this is still a cold month, I'm already seeing & feeling the stirrings of Spring. Are you too? The days are just a little bit longer at both ends now. It's easier to wake up, & there's more time to garden in the afternoons. In early January, it seemed as if after breakfast, lunch & walking dogs, the light was almost gone. But yesterday it was past 5.30pm when I came in for a cuppa. And I was ready for it! January was my 'Get Ready' phase of planning, deciding what to grow & placing the orders. Now February is 'Get Set'. It's the month of preparing to implement those plans. Having decided what to grow, spoken in more detail with wedding couples, the picture is clearer. Now I can calculate how many plants will produce those flowers. Then it's the challenging bit - how to fit it all in the space available! Planning can be a frustrating, time consuming task but I'll be ready for 'Go!' by March. It's a good time for doing jobs to make my workload easier in the busy Spring & Summer months. When weather allows, work begins on the big tidy up outside. Heaven knows it needs it after the relentless Storms. The beds & paths look messy, scattered with broken sticks, leaves & pots tossed around in the wild winds. I leave stems & seed heads on most plants in Autumn, providing food for many birds & shelter for insects. But now I'm gathering them up, weeding as I go. I start with plants the slugs & snails love to munch,such as Delphiniums. The tender shoots are perfect for propagating new plants so must be protected. Once beds are cleared, a generous mulch of homemade compost will be added, feeding the plants ready for growth. The first new Dahlias are scheduled to arrive this week. It's too early to plant them but I'll propagate cuttings. Hopefully, my tubers from last year will get through Winter safely & divide into even more plants. Though expensive, I hedge my bets buying new stock, just in case extreme cold destroys the old tubers. This year I've invested in new-to-me rust, red & orange varieties as these are increasingly requested colours for weddings. But there'll be plenty of the favourite varieties from previous years too. The first batch of Sweet Peas have germinated well. I'll prick them out this week & if I can keep the Mice away, these will be my early crop in the polytunnel. I'll sow my main Sweet Pea crop on February 14th or soon after. As I love Sweet Peas, it's an easy date to remember! What can I begin to grow this month? It's too early to sow most of your seeds - wait until March for better results. If your fingers itch to start, sow Sweet Peas, Antirrhinums & Larkspur. Plus start corms such as Ranunculus & Anemones for flowers in May & June. In the vegetable patch, Broad Beans can be started off now. Later in the month, Tomato, Pepper & Chilli seeds can be sown if you have a warm, light space for them. I planted Garlic yesterday between some of my Roses. I've read planting Garlic & other Alliums (onion family) among Roses deters Blackspot. The Blackspot wasn't bad last year but I don't know if it was the Garlic protection or coincidence. But it was good Garlic nonetheless so as good a place to grow it as any other... What Can I Cut This Month? The Snowdrops are pushing up so fast this week & last well in tiny bud vases of water. The Wild Daffodils here have buds on now so will flower before month end. Hellebores are budding up nicely & I've cut a few from the Tunnel already. Twigs & foliage are beautiful still, giving height to arrangements. Bright Cornus & Willows, Catkins on Hazel, Birch, Alder, Garrya & Pussy Willow. The berried Ivy, Skimmia, Viburnum Tinus, Heathers, & Arum leaves. The scented shrubs such as Lonicera Fragrantissima (Winter Honeysuckle), Daphne & Wintersweet are wafting scent about the garden. You need just a few stems to scent a room. I've cut a few stems of Forsythia this week as it will quickly open buds indoors. Mix with a few stems of Narcissi from the Isles of Scilly, perhaps a few Lincolnshire Tulips (hydroponically grown indoors) for an cheerful Winter arrangement. I have these available most weeks so let me know if you wish to order.  Wedding bookings are being confirmed & there are already weeks in 2024 fully booked. 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.
The 'Arrange Your Own Wedding Flowers' option is now open for bookings. This is an affordable option for Couples wishing to fully DIY their wedding flowers. Upcoming Events Mothers Day is very early this year - Sunday 10th March. Bouquets of colourful British-grown flowers for local delivery & collection can be ordered online now. And you can, of course, telephone me on 01644 420407 if you prefer talking to a real person rather than ordering flowers online! Workshop Dates are on the website & I'm receiving bookings already for the first dates. So far,
Jobs for February:
Until next time, Rosie Gray Galloway Flowers And the last word 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)  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...  Well, I know I've said it before... but I ask you, if you don't wear flowers in your hair on your wedding day, when will you?
And flower circlets like these are among the memorable details in photographs you'll look at over & over again. I love making these flower circlets for our Brides & attendants on their special day. Choosing elements from the bouquet & adding other touches from around the Flower Farm. Often I can use the dainty short-stem flowers that pinpoint the season (such as the Muscari & Pieris top right or the first stems of Heather in the bottom circlet.) The only thing I don't like about Flower Circlets? Taking a quick reminder photograph before I deliver them! It's so hard to capture a good image when lying flat in my workshop... But it all changes when a circlet is in place. And beautiful Bride Tayla, married last July shows us just how it should be done! (Thank you Rene Welch for the beautiful photo of Tayla - SO much better than my two photos!)  '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.  Rosie Gray, Flower Grower & Florist at Galloway Flowers Summer afternoons cutting Dahlias by the bucketful seem a long time ago... And as it's been a while since I've posted much on the blog, a little introduction/reminder of what I do is overdue too.
I'm Rosie & since 2015, I've been growing flowers near Castle Douglas in Dumfries & Galloway, Scotland. But I've gardened since a toddler, & selling flowers was a side hustle long before. Every year I grow thousands of stems, in a dizzying range of colours, scents & varieties. The selection changes as we go through the season, no two weeks are exactly the same. When I look at photo's of wedding flowers I arranged, I can date it pretty accurately by the combination of flowers in the bouquets! A strange superpower, I know... The flowers grown here are mostly used for local weddings, funerals, parties & bouquets. Our flowers are available for all to buy during the season. They can be ordered online, by telephone, through the Galloway Food Hub or at Kirkcudbright Farmers Market. I'm happy to chat about your flowery requirements coming up this year & how we could work together. I offer relaxed, flowery afternoons here too from April to September (plus wreathmaking in Winter). To learn more about what's growing, events planned for 2024 & tips for growing your own cut flowers, join my monthly (ish) newsletter or follow on Instagram/Facebook.  And off we go again, preparing for our 9th season at our Flower Farm in Galloway.
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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
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
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