Just because a flower is easy to grow, it can be taken for granted, can't it?
And these little Cambrian or Welsh Poppies are so obliging, much tougher than they look. Seeding all over the garden into any space they can (yes, you could call them a 'weed' if you must.) Dependably flowering in May in zingy Lemons & Oranges, they brighten up dull spaces (like here by my workshop). Adored by the bees too. And in tiny bud vases, a cheerful addition for several days to my kitchen (& yes, they often appear at weddings too). So much easier to grow than their diva cousins the Iceland Poppies & definitely a cheerful addition to a Spring garden.
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Time for the Tulips to move over... the Alliums are coming on strong!
The wet winter must have suited them as stems are incredibly long, almost a metre on this variety. These are going to mix in so well with other lush May blooms over the next few weeks. These are growing in my Peony beds - it'll be some years before the Peonies need all the space so gaps are used for bulbs. There might be an acre of flowers here but I still run out of space... Isn't May Marvelllous? The speed plants grow, from zero to bloom is almost magical. Suddenly the Flower Farm & countryside around us becomes a fresh, zingy green. The woods & roadsides are carpeted with Bluebells - stunning!
I wish the month was twice as long (I would gladly give up January...) The pressure is on as all the plants demand attention to keep them in tip top condition. Tiny seedlings need careful watering, larger seedlings must be 'pricked out' into larger pots, then 'pinched' to make them bushy, Of course, then planting out to bring them on to flowering stage begins - a mammoth task. With lengthening days, we seem to eat later each evening... Here the Tulips are spectacular just now - bold & brilliant. Long stems & large flowers perfect for mixed bouquets & filling vases. Perhaps another week of these before we move on to the Alliums. It might seem mad, but I've already started on my order for next years bulbs. It'so difficult to second guess colours & quantities a full year ahead - who knows what I'll need? It's essential though to secure the best, more unusual varieties grown here. Lily of the Valley is one of the most in demand Spring flowers. So romantic & deliciously perfumed. This year, it's early & stems are much longer than usual. A few bunches will be available for collection later this week. Let me know if you would like a special treat. Already Peonies are in bud & many of the Perennials will be ready to cut within the next fortnight too. A tunnel is planted with Sweet Peas & the outside crop is ready for planting outside. All the cottage garden classics I love, beginning another growing season of beauty. Dahlia saga update; about 350 tubers are now chitting nicely in a polytunnel, ready to plant out soon. And it looks as if those overwintered in the ground are going to be OK, as a few are showing leaves. I'll be surprised if none are lost but mighty relieved with this result. Still a few more to start off - I know I've mislaid a box! It's going to be quite a sight - probably over 700 Dahlias in so many colours. As well as tried & tested favourites, I'm trialling more of the whopping dinner plate Dahlias, to test the best for vases etc. Everybody knows 'Cafe Au Lait' & I would like a few more dramatic beauties in a wider colour range. Planting in the 'Big Trellis' garden by the workshop has progressed. Climbing Roses & Clematis are in place, & early crops of annuals growing away. A long way from finished & far from Insta-worthy of course, but coming along. We're planning a small 'Pick Your Own'area for workshop guests & I'm using this area to experiment in. Along with the growing, we've begun this years season of weddings & parties. What a joy the bold colour palettes requested this Spring are, really making the most of our natural flowers. For me it was wonderful to see the flowers arranged for the Coronation in Westminster Abbey by Shane Connolly - all British grown, arranged in water without any floral foam. British grown flowers may still only be 14% of those sold in the UK each year, but their natural beauty & sustainability is being noticed. Very inspirational! Requests for 'bloom buckets' of mixed flowers are building, especially for the busiest wedding weekends in July. So can I remind you gently to book in advance if you're planning to use our flowers to arrange yourself? I started to write a list of tasks for May yesterday & came to the conclusion, all I could write was 'everything'. It feels like that every May. Somehow, we knuckle down & achieve the priorities. At least, 'No Mow May' takes that least popular task off the list & been a great success here. Every year more wild flowers (including Fritillaries & Orchids) return to our areas of grass. Looking Ahead...
Until next time, Rosie Galloway Flowers Just add sunshine, a little gentle Galloway rain - & look at the second image to see the magic that happens!
Definitely not a supermarket Tulip. These are the supermodels of the Spring Cutting garden aren't they? Our speciality Tulips were off to a slow start this year but finally are getting into their stride now. This showy variety is just one I'm including in our mixed bouquets & Tulip bunches this 'Flower Friday'. Order Online for collection from the Flower Farm or local delivery. Yes, these flowers are real...
A Corsage made last week for a wedding guest to attach to her handbag. On her black bag, it would really catch the eye. All the flowers & foliage was grown here at the Flower Farm. It's made from Hellebore, with 3 types of Muscari & a touch of Heather for colour. I love making these intricate little creations so if you fancy a unique piece of floral glamour for a special event, do get in touch! The Tulips are coming fast now, & I'm checking them several times a day to make sure I catch them at just the right stage to give maximum vase life. These strong, long stemmed beauties are the last batch from this afternoon.
Now ready for an overnight drink, then they'll be in the mix for tomorrow afternoon's 'Make A Hand Tied Bouquet' session, here at the Flower Farm. How fresh is that! And of course Zero flower miles too - just a few steps from the soil into the Flower room. Tomorrows session is fully booked but we'll be hosting another soon. Be among the first to know dates for all our events by signing up for my monthly newsletter Here (Oh & if this didn't show it's Spring at last, the Cuckoo has been calling all afternoon...) Spring might be springing all around me but it feels very much 'one day on, one day off', doesn't it? There've been a few days of working in shirt sleeves. Then next day, I'm back in my thermals. No sign of even a single Swallow yet so there's a way to go...
The Tulips are definitely running a couple of weeks later here than last year - I've cut our first this week. Soon we'll have buckets of them - big, frilly cups of colour on (hopefully) long stems. To get those long stems, I'll water generously. Until they're ready,'Fancy Daffs' are the stars in my vases - such variety in one plant family. From tiny, delicate stems perfect for a bedside bud vase to tall, frilly doubles. And of course, our choice is no longer limited to bright yellows. But strangely other flowers are ahead this Spring. Lily of the Valley emerged early (not ready to cut yet) & Magnolia is opening today. So who knows? I suppose some plants are governed by increasing temperature, others by lengthening days. At the end of February I felt well ahead for the season, but oh how we've slipped behind in March! Ken unexpectedly spent time at the Infirmary as his Mother was admitted (home again, thank goodness). Plus cold, wet weather including snow meant planned jobs (such as 'Big Trellis' borders & beds by the workshop) were delayed. I was all set to prune roses mid-month & delayed until this weekend. Inevitably, blooms will be late but worth the wait. It's tempting to fret about slipping projects rather than what has been done. Ken recovered the little green polytunnel this week & it's going to be so useful. This tunnel was a cheap Amazon buy, erected just before the 'beast from the east' in 2018. It more than paid for itself that week alone as we moved hundreds of overwintering plants indoors for protection. Since then it's been used for bringing on Dahlias, toughening baby annual plants & producing generous Tomato & Cucumber crops each summer. The cover was always weak, no longer waterproof yet the frame is surprisingly strong. So with a left over piece of polytunnel sheet, Ken has recovered it. Total cost zero except for his time & a few wooden battens. So useful & looks much smarter too. Sweet Peas will be in there to acclimatise & Dahlias for 'chitting' this week... April is a big month for seed sowing. I'll sow more batches of Hardy Annuals & Half Hardy Annuals such as Cosmos. I need the space in that polytunnel! I've been astonished by how many seed packets contain much reduced quantities - have you noticed that? Fingers crossed germination rates are high. Definitely more careful seed saving later this year. You might recall I kept about 300 of my Dahlias in the ground over winter. I've been fretting ever since as we had the lowest temperatures here in a decade. Well, yesterday I removed the black protective sheeting & am optimistic most have made it this far. I left the beds uncovered last night for a good soak in the rain. Now I'll cover them with fleece to protect from late frosts & keep my fingers crossed. Looking Ahead...
Until next time, Rosie Galloway Flowers Summery Cottage Garden style for Rebecca & Jonathan at Haugh of Urr Church in early July.
Scented Sweet Peas, Cornflowers, Daisies, Campanula & Alchemilla plus grasses for a soft 'wild flower' look. Seasonal, scented & all locally grown by us at the Flower Farm. All the Church flowers were arranged (no environmentally damaging floral foam) so they could be moved after the wedding ceremony. They were used again to decorate the Reception at the Cochran Hall in Kirkcudbright. Rebecca said 'We were keen to have local, seasonal fowers & Rosie pulled out all the stops, providing us with pew ends, meadow boxes & jugs of flowers from her Flower Farm in Balmaclellan. We couldn't have been more delighted.' Rebecca opted for a ribbon tied Wrist Corsage rather than a traditional Bridal Bouquet. The Flower Girls carried Posies full of Sweet Peas & the Gentleman's buttonholes complimented the other flowers. We were thrilled to see pictures of the wedding featured over 3 pages in 'Dumfries & Galloway Life' magazine in April 2023 - a lovely reminder of a scorchingly hot Summer day full of flowers! Yesterday we welcomed our first group of 2023 for the 'Cut Flowers From Your Garden' workshop at the Flower Farm. And weren't we lucky with the Spring weather!
Here we're sowing seeds for full flower beds & vases this Summer. If you fancy developing your own Cutting Patch full of gorgeous flowers, why not join me next time? Booking for the next workshop on Sunday 2nd July is open now via links on this page We deserve a bit of a colour pop today, don't you think? Just so dreary. And to think on Monday it felt as if it just could be Spring soon. I recklessly cast aside one clothing layer while weeding - that's definitely back today!
This Sheaf bouquet was made for a mid-April Funeral - grown in Galloway, 100% compostable & Zero plastic or nasty floral foam. As sustainable as I could make it. March has been so cold that our Tulips are running a little behind. But they're on their way & worth the wait! Still plenty of British-grown beauties available this week & for Easter bouquets. Orders can be made via the website for local delivery & collection. It starts my day so brilliantly when I open my inbox & discover beautiful images like these!
Marie & Neil married at Kirkandrews Kirk in March 2022 & asked me to arrange flowers for their special day. I used the delicate flowers of Springtime in white, with touches of blue & plenty of fresh foliage too. Marie tells me; 'The flowers were absolutely beautiful, they definitely were a key part of this day & everyone was delighted about it. The crown of flowers was an essential element of the day, I had chosen it over going to the hairdresser or having make-up & it felt right & special. I am very happy that you prepared the flowers for us.' It was a pleasure to work with such a pretty colour scheme of 100% British-grown flowers. Although early in the year, I was able to use flowers grown by ourselves here in Galloway, as well as some from growers further South. Thank you Marie & Neil for allowing me to share your photo's - & congratulation on your first year Anniversary! One of my favourite Flower Farm tasks today - digging up & dividing Perennial plants to make more. These silvery-white Astrantia have made big clumps - about half way though the patch & already I've made 80 little plantlets, replanted & ready to grow.
These will produce plenty of stems for bouquets & events by late Summer. The rest of the clump will be left to flower earlier, then divided next year. This is one of the simple things I do to keep flowers coming for many months. And who doesn't like more plants for free? To learn more tips to keep flowers coming all season long to fill your vases or perhaps for a family party/wedding, join me on Sunday 2nd April for a 'Cut Flowers from Your Garden' workshop. Places can be booked online via button below or links in this post. Update; Next 'Cut Flowers From Your Garden Workshop' will be on Sunday 14th April 2024 - Booking Open now Online Pressing Anemones is always a challenge...
The combinarion of fine black Pollen, fluffy centres & those little frilly collars requires a bit of thought. But when it works, the bright colours shine out against a background. These are wanted for a particular project, so I'm just doing plenty & fingers crossed, there'll be enough. A cheerful 'Bloom Bucket' of British-grownflowers ready to arrange for a house warming party in mid-March. Guaranteed to welcome guests in with colour & scent!
My Galloway-grown flowers are beginning, although slowed down again by the cold weather. A little Forsythia & Viburnum plus Narcissi was cut this week. By the end of March, we'll be cutting plenty of our 'Fancy Daffodils' & hopefully Tulips too. Our 'Bloom Buckets' of mixed, seasonal flowers look lovely arranged in an informal, relaxed style. Each bucket contains a mixture of fresh flowers, prepared ready for you to simply cut to length & arrange. Lots of fresh flowers, great value & without fuss. Pre-order is essential. More information here And Go!
Spring 2023 has officially begun. Maybe a step back this week with the forecast cold snap, but the direction is now firmly set towards sunshine, warmth & longer days. I see it in the morning light (I'm waking earlier) & hear it in the birds territiorial singing. And the ponds are full of Toad spawn, so it must be true... This winter's weather demonstrated loud & clear why growing flowers here in the UK as a business can be challenging. Last Autumn was great for keeping Dahlia's flowering late - but then drying for storage was difficult. Then THAT rain - I've noticed the Snowdrops & early Daffs are exceptionally tall this year - I wonder if rain at that time may be the cause. And then, the December freeze that went on - very cold for so early in the Winter & prolonged. Only now am I seeing the damage it's done. So what did we lose in the cold snap in December? It looks as if my new Rosemary bushes might be dead (replacements for those lost in Winter 2021 - I might give up on them!) Strangely, my Sarcococca's are both looking pitiful and the Eucalyptus too. I'll not give up on these shrubs yet though - given time, they might bounce back into life from low down if I'm lucky. I hope you haven't lost any precious favourite plants? Annoyingly, I've lost my supply of self-sown Ammi & Bupleurum seedlings too. They looked like strong plants in November, & usually provide reliable early cut 'filler' flowers for minimal effort.The prolonged cold was just too much, even for supposedly 'hardy' annuals like these. Fortunately, both are cheap to start more from saved seed. A useful reminder to bring a few of the self sown freebies inside the tunnel next year. Now February was a dry month, wasn't it? Excellent for getting ahead with clearing beds & mulching, many plants have started their Spring early. But this week - it's going to be cold so we're prepping today, ensuring tender plants are safe in lower temperatures again. Hellebores are coming into their own this week. Although lasting well in a vase if cut at the right stage, I rarely cut mine. Just too lovely in the garden & loved by the bees. Their varied speckled faces, in subtle colours & welcome this month when so much is yellow or white. Most work last month has been on the 'Big Trellis Project' to revitalise the area around the workshop. The trellis is now all in place & it's nearly ready to plant the large borders either side. One side will be Climbing roses, Clematis & a big flower border. The other side is shadier & to be planted with mainly evergreen shrubs, possibly not until Autumn. All useful for cutting, of course. In March, work will start on revitalising the old Nursery beds themselves, filling with plenty of flowers for cutting. March takes seed sowing up a gear as I begin on the Hardy Annuals & a few perennials (most of these will begin flowering next year). But there's no rush yet. I want a prolonged display of flowers over a long season, not a huge display of flowers all at once, wasting many. So I'll sow a small quantity now, more next month & again in May. It's tempting to chuck in the whole seed packet in one go - but restraint works best! And if you want to avoid shortages of veg in the supermarket, be sure to start a few Tomatoes too! I fill a polytunnel with Tomatoes once the Dahlias are planted out as we seem to use so many. Top varieties I'll be growing again are 'Sungold', 'Costoluto Florentino' & (new to me last year) the tasty & very prolific 'Bloody Butcher'. New Dahlia tubers have started arriving, possibly rather a lot. I admit panicking after the cold December snap as many of my tubers were in the ground. Most recent winters that would be fine but temperatures were exceptionally low. So I ordered 'a few' (hundred) replacements. So far, all tubers I've dug from the ground or stored in the garage roof are sound, not frozen at all - so there may be more Dahlias than ever. A high quality problem, in my opinion. I'll pick out a few Dahlia tubers to start into growth mid-month. I've invested in new 'dinnerplate' varieties as a trial & these tend to need a longer season. Some years, the wedding favourite, creamy-coloured 'Cafe Au Lait' doesn't begin flowering until early September - not much use if caught by the frost a couple of weeks later. A bit of coaxing in March helps.. Looking Ahead... Mother's Day, the busiest bouquet delivery event for every Florist is early this year - Sunday March 19th. Although too early for our own flowers, we'll have beautiful British-grown flowers from Cornwall, Lincolnshire & the Isles of Scilly for our colourful bouquets & bunches. Local deliveries will be on Friday 17th & Saturday 18th. Collection from the Flower Farm available on Sunday 19th 10am - 1pm. Almost 50% of the delivery slots are booked so please don't leave too late - all the information is here Mothers Day 2023, just in case you need to drop hints... Wedding consultations continue & as expected, more couples are planning to 'DIY' at least some of their own wedding flowers this Summer. Our big 'Bloom Buckets' of mixed flowers are ideal. It's a great way to source plenty of flower variety & all are prepped ready in water. Flowers just need to be cut to length & arranged. If you plan to use our 'Bloom Buckets' of flowers, please get in touch soon as some of the popular weeks are already filling. Workshop schedule is getting busy too;
Until next time, Rosie Galloway Flowers And the last word this month? “I can buy myself flowers.” Miley Cyrus, American Singer, Songwriter & Actress Beautiful British-grown flowers will again be available for pre-order for Mother's Day (Sunday March 19th, in case you had missed it)
🌷Limited local delivery on Friday 17th & Saturday 18th 🌷Easy Online Ordering I'm looking forward to filling the workshop with the best colours & scents from our British growers again. And as Spring seems to be coming early, we may even have a few of our Galloway-grown flowers in the bouquets this year too! Reminded of Maria & Peter's Sunflower wedding, while ordering seeds.
Such a lovely smiley set of photo's from Derek Dunlop Photography. This year I'm growng more Sunflowers. So many new varieties, especially the smaller headed ones, much easier to use in bouquets like this. And the colours - lemons, rusty browns, the stripes... might need a whole extra bed for them! Late last October, talented local Slipware Potters Hannah McAndrew & Doug Fitch popped over to collect a few flowers.
The couple were preparing an Autumn photo shoot for their new catalogue of beautiful Slipware designs. It really was the tail end of our season., with thin pickings at the Flower Farm. A day later, even these Dahlias would have been ruined by Jack Frost. But we found a few last flowers, berries & seedheads. It's always a pleasure to see how others use my flowers. Thank you Hannah & Doug for sharing these images of your stunning pots. More of their work can be found on Instagram @FitchandMcAndrew & online shop www.fitchandmcandrew.co.uk Image credit ShannonTofts Truth is, most flower growing jobs in February are essential & not necessearily photogenic...
Take planting roses for instance - this year I've invested in more plants. Most Climbers are already in on the new Pergola, still a few more shrubs to arrive. Still a few more to choose for the new trellis. All are varieties selected for their divine perfumes & health. I'm baffled why anybody would want a rose with the scent bred out of it - I mean, why? These are going to be amazing additions to local weddngs as they mature. Never too many Roses... Buying them bare root like this, direct from British rose nurseries, is the most economical way to increase stocks. Top quality & really fresh plants, the plants are dug from the field & sent direct to me. It's the most likely method to be successful too as plants will get a good soak to settle them in over the next few months. These bundles of thorny sticks, while very exciting to me when they arrive in big bundles, give little away. But in just a few months when the first flowers open, then the photo's will be a bit more special! Before planting, I give bare root roses a long soak so they're fully hydrated before planting. Then into nice deep holes with a good dollop of compost. Now I've just got to wait... Sweet Pea jenga...
I'm moving on a batch of Sweet Pea seeds into these root trainer pots. These give a good long depth for the plants to grow strong roots ready for planting out. They're very space efficient too, increasingly important as we get started on the new seasons seeding next week. This tower is enough for just a fraction of the Sweet Pea plants we grow each Summer. Keeping single-use plastics to a minimum is an important part of improving our sustainabllity. These pots are plastic & much tougher than they seem at first glance. Treated carefully, these are now being used for their 8th season. Some pots are used multiple times in a season as they're good for beans & Sunflowers too. Just a quick brushover to clean them up & we're ready to go... To grow a small number of Sweet Pea plants at home, use toilet roll tubes stood in mushroom trays. Slowly, steadily, minute by minute, the days are getting longer. After a few dreary days, the following bright one highlights how those few extra minutes add up. Yesterday, it was 5.30pm when I came in from the garden - no wonder I was gasping for a cuppa & slice of cake!
And with increasing daylight, the world steadily moves towards Springtime. Birds are singing loudly today, establishing their territories, trying to impress a mate (note to self - need to clean out bird boxes). Snowdrops, Aconites, the first few Crocus & deliciously scented Daphne to enjoy. It all lifts my spirits no end. A plant group of special interest just now are the Catkins. Hazel Catkins wiggle in the breeze plus the soft, tactile little 'Pussy Willow' Catkins appear. Haphazardly, I've gathered a small collection of Pussy willow in recent years. Cuttings of good silvers & a few of the black catkin variety (SalixGracistyla Melanostachys) given by a friend are growing happily but not quite ready to cut abundantly. The pink variety 'Mount Aso' is the star of the path through the meadow this week - like pink fluffy raspberries glued on long wand-like stems. A real beauty for adding to bouquets, alone in a simple vase or the garden. It's worth looking out for if you have space because it seems to be reliably earlier than my other Catkin varieties. But beware the 'false Spring' - a few welcome days when a coat isn't needed means little, I'm glad to still have a good stack of logs for the woodburner. Although tempting to start sowing seeds or pruning roses, I'll hold off a little longer. The 'Beast from the East' of 2018 is fresh in my memory & a repeat could be damaging. On dry days, I've begun the tidy up of perennial beds, clearing dead sticks, weeds & assessing damage from winter weather. These perennials are the main stay of our Flower Farm. Looked after, they deliver good volumes of quality stems reliably without too much labour, Most have fared the winter cold well & little tufts of new growth are appearing. Phew! Our neighbour reports temperatures of -12 degrees on several mornings in December, much lower than we would expect. There have been losses (all my Ammi & Cerinthe seedlings were zapped by cold in the polytunnel). My beds of Alstroemeria had looked dreadfully damaged. I feared the worst as they're expensive cutting varieties. This week, I've been relieved to see new spears appearing so while it may be later than usual before I cut any, I'm optimistic the plants have made it. The soil deserves special attention this month. Heavy winter rain has beaten bare soil & will have washed precious nutrients away. Everything will be given a good mulch to replenish those nutrients. Plants can't keep giving without me giving back in return to support all the worms & microorganisms essential to good healthy soil. Progress is finally being made on redesigning the area around my garden workshop. Two years ago, we took out a large strip of Leylandii hedge, bought some lattice fencing to support climbers & planned new planting for the whole area. Then days later, I broke my arm & that was that. By the time I could wield a fork again, we were busy with weddings & had no time for new developments. The outside area remained an embarassing mess, if I'm honest. But now we're finally beginning to plant! This weekend, I've added new climbing roses to the Pergola & I'm looking forward to the scents already. My first batch of Sweet Peas are germinating, another batch will be sown on Valentine's day (nice & easy to remember). From the 15th, I sow a few tougher seeds I can plant out before our last frosts. Anything tender waits. For example, Cosmos seed packets often suggest seed can be sown from February. And it can be. The seed will germinate but it doesn't mean it's a good idea. Cosmos can't withstand frost so you'll need to keep baby plants inside until then, potting on, providing extra water, light & warmth. I don't have space or time for that so wait until early April before sowing. Not sure if I should encourage you... but this is a good month for a bit of armchair shopping. I've noticed deals appearing on Dahlias & bare root Roses (still plenty of time for planting either). And stocks of mail order plug plants are good. Growing flowers from seed can be a cost effective way to fill a Cutting patch, but isn't the only way. If space or time is limited, or you simply want a few plants of several varieties, try plug plants. You can buy a wide variety of cut flowers as plugs by mail order Our Wedding calendar is filling nicely & detailed consultations wiith couples have begun to plan their flowers. Colour schemes include lots of bright colours this year, as well as the ever-popular 'green & white', 'blush pink & burgundy' classics. if you know a couple planning to tie the knot this year, the wedding pages can be found by following the links from this page. As well as bespoke wedding flowers for couples planning 'the whole shebang', we'll again be supplying 'Bloom Buckets' of mixed flowers for family & friends to arrange themselves. Inevitably, the most popular Summer dates book quickly & as I take on only a few weddings each week, pre-order is recommended. The first dates for our Events calendar for 2023 are;
This month make the most of Spring sunshine, look out for the Comet overhead & listen to those birds - they know Spring is on the way. After all the cold & wet, I'm excited to be beginning another season of growing flowers & sharing our progress with you. Until next time, Rosie Galloway Flowers Jobs for February;
“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) 'Top of my List' to grow more of this year is best described as the peachy colour range - consistently popular & good mixers with other colours too. I admit a weakness for anything listed in a plant catalogue as promising me peach, watermelon, toffee, caramel, mango, copper, apricot - I just have to try it! From the Narcissi, Tulips & Ranunculus of Springtime, through Summery Antirrhinums, Roses & Sweet Peas, to the vast selection in this colour in late Summer/Autumn - so much to choose from! Here are a few favourites from the last few years grown here at the Flower Farm. So that's my weakness - tell me, what's yours?
January begins with more detailed consultations with our 2023 wedding couples.
It's always exciting to learn the ideas for their special day - the colours, favourite flowers, the details to make the flowers memorable. Then I take those ideas, translate into my plans for flowers to grow here at the Flower Farm, this season. And this year, it's looking like (even) more Dahlias. more Grasses for swish & plenty of colour! I'm looking forward to it already... And thank you to @WillowandWilde.co for the photo of Lisa's bouquet made last September. If you would like seasonal, locally grown flowers for your wedding, send email to ask for availability A question I'm often asked is 'Do you have any Specialities?'
And I have to answer like a true Gemini; 'yes, definitely, lots of them!' In truth, I specialise in growing Cottage Garden flowers for cutting. Each has it's very own flowering season, sometimes lasting a few short weeks. Take Lily of the Valley, for example, - a weeks holiday & I could miss it for a year! Each season, there are flowers I grow in larger quantities - Tulips & 'Fancy Daff's, followed by Sweet Peas, followed by Dahlias. Every bouquet, wedding or funeral arrangement I make, every bucket of flowers filled is a carefully prepared & curated selection of flowers at their very best, that week, that season. Looking at this wedding bouquet, it could only have been created for a late May wedding. It includes the last stems of Springtime Solomon's Seal & the first of the Summer's bright blue Cornflowers. I included 3 stems of scented white Stocks from Lincolnshire - I grow Stocks but mine weren't quite ready to cut that week. Everything else, grown here in Galloway. This is what 'Seasonal Flowers' really means - it's what's in season in this place, in South West Scotland, in the UK, grounded in reality, now. It doesn't mean 'in season somewhere in the world' like Supermarket Strawberries at Christmas or red Roses on Valentine's Day. So I grow a wide variety to be sure of a choice from mid-March to October, Many are delicate, unsuited for transporting long distances across the world (like the Aquilegia in this bouquet) but very worthwhile growing as a cut flower. Many of my flowers are deliciously scented, adding an extra special 'something'. For example, I select particular varieties of Sweet Peas for scent. But as for specialities, I mentioned the larger quantities of some flowers grown each season - more about that another day! I came to Flower Farming as a life-long home Gardener. I loved discovering new flowers, learning how to grow them. My particular interest was always traditional Cottage Garden flowers, many of which are great for cutting.
And I grew a LOT of flowers - how luxurious to cut generous bunches to fill my home & gift to friends… Over the years, I’ve realised gardening for pleasure & flower farming as a business are very different. Of course, charging the right price to cover costs & make an essential profit to pay bills, like any other job, is the first crucial lesson. But the hardest lesson for me might sound obvious; plant in the best available space, where there is a space. Even if the flower/leaf colour screams next to it's neighbours! Yes, colours must work in an arrangement, but when growing, it’s not important. The idea of a Cutting Patch is to CUT flowers! In my planting plans for the year ahead, my love of harmonious sweeps of colour still creeps in… It makes sense where a lot of similar flowers are together (such as my hundreds of Dahlias or Sweet Peas) - cutting is quicker. Otherwise, it's not the best use of space. Probably my unique, weird little lesson about creating a productive cutting patch. At least I know I'm doing it now! Just part of my transition in mindset from home garden to business. |
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. Archives
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