January is a quiet month at the Flower Farm - after the hectic pace of Christmas, it's a treat to be slow, snuggled up indoors with the log burner going. That sounds rather lazy but I've learned to value the break, nobody can go full tilt forever. 'Burnout' is very real, whatever your work & the past 3 years have been unprecedented here. The long days of Summer will be back soon enough & we want to be ready.
There's plenty to do, of course - the unseen behind-the-scenes work essential for any business. The accounts deadline looms, time with excited wedding couples, & planning what to grow, when & where all season long. I'm not a big goal-setting, 'new year, new you' kind of person but will spend time looking back over the past year. It's helpful to spot trends, to plan next steps in that context. To recognise what worked, where tweaks & additions are necessary & just as important, what to 'stop doing'. As new plant & seed catalogues arrive, it's easy to keep adding 'more' to my growing list - the trouble with being a plantaholic! So many tempting varieties, new colours... But to allow more space for the very good, or to try something new, something must drop off the list too. There simply isn't space or time to do it all. So I've been ruthlessly reviewing flowers I don't use much. Just because 'everybody else grows it' doesn't mean I should. Not everything thrives here. If I don't much like a flower, I rarely include it in bouquets/arrangements. Astrantia for example - I use every single stem produced of the pink, ruby & silvery-white varieties. But there's another white patch, hugely prolific but the flowers always looks grubby, so I never cut it. It's going! Something else can go in the precious sunny metre or so it takes up in a cutting bed. And there are others in my sights too...Cleome are off the list (smelly & spiky), a couple of Roses (can't cope with heavy rain & horribly prone to blackspot). I love Godetia but it produced too little last year, a couple of Dahlia varieties in less favoured colours, a red Achillea that grows faster than any other & I just don't need that much! Some will be moved to the garden for the Bees (I'm not that good at ruthless). Others I'll simply not sow or propagate again. And on those precious dry, even sunny days, the 'to do' list is as long as my arm.The polytunnels & greenhouse await a good wash & tidy to let maximum light in. Seed trays & pots need cleaning & organising ready to use, the compost heaps turning. It's already getting a teeny bit lighter each day, isn't it? So it's tempting to start sowing seeds (social media is full of it) but I recommend caution. Sown this early, seeds struggle for light, becoming thin & stretchy. Seeds sown in early March quickly catch up, even overtake, the early starts. This month, I'll start a few Sweet Peas (most sown in February), Larkspur & Antirrhinum. Everything else can wait. For my vases, it's thin pickings this month, making every stem extra precious. The Hazel Catkins & coloured Cornus stems are lovely - I've a bunch in the kitchen this week. The scented shrubs such as Lonicera Fragrantissima (Winter Honeysuckle) & Daphne fill the garden with heady scents on gentle breeze days. If you planted Narcissi or Hyacinths in bowls, you'll be pleased as you bring them indoors now. But in just a few weeks, the Snowdrops will be carpeting the grass again... The cutting beds look lifeless today but gently pull back the leaves & mulch, there are stirrings beneath! This is a busy month for wedding bookings & 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. The most popular Summer dates book quickly & I can only take on a few weddings each week. I’ve begun putting together an Events calendar for 2023 & booking is open for the first dates. So far;
Doubtless there'll be more cold weather to come, so enjoy any dry, bright weather if you can, admire the beauty of frosts & snuggle up when it's cold. Dream & plan for the beautiful flowers that will come! Until next time, Rosie Galloway Flowers Jobs for January;
'What good is the warmth of Summer, without the cold of Winter to give it sweetness' John Steinbeck (American Writer)
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As any Flower Farmer will tell you, there's no such thing as a typical day. It depends on the season, the day of the week & especially the weather!
Sometimes I know EXACTLY what I should be doing but it's too wet, too frozen, too hot, too dry... And yet somehow there's a rhythm to the year. Winter; relishing the quieter weeks after Christmas busyness. Unseen by Customers, the work goes on behind the scenes. Planning what to grow, where, when to start it so I have plenty of blooms throughout the season. Prepping beds, turning compost, pruning roses. Sowing 1st seeds. Talking to wedding couples & getting plans underway. In Spring, activity goes up a notch. Seed sowing, growing on, planting out. Starting Dahlias. Weeding. Cutting & arranging begins for Farmers Markets, flower sales & the first weddings of the year. Summer; LOTS of cutting, early mornings & late evenings. The days are LONG. Plus, sowing seed, taking cuttings, planting out to keep the colour coming. Weddings are an important part of our work so tend to drive the weekly plan, as we cut, arrange & deliver flowers for our couples. Drying flowers for the winter season. Workshops & garden tours. Autumn; cutting continues if the weather is kind, planting bulbs, sowing seeds, planting out, lifting Dahlias for storage... Dried flower wreaths & Christmas prep. Somehow like any business, there's time to talk with Customers & do admin - accounts, invoicing, website, taking photos, social media. Usually after dark before I ever get to this though. So, no two days are the same - & that's just how I like it Instagram Challenge #FlowerFarmerama Hello & Happy New Year to you!
I'm again following the prompts in the Instagram challenge, #Flowerfarmerama challenge, organised this year by FlowersFromTheFarm. So here goes with the Day 1 Challenge... Who am I? I'm Rosie Gray, Flower Farmer & Florist at my business, Galloway Flowers. Based near Castle Douglas in Dumfries & Galloway, South West Scotland, I’m just starting the 8th year growing cut flowers here. I've always been a gardener & growing flowers long before then though. As a child, I was happiest getting grubby in my little patch, sowing seeds, picking flowers for ‘my bouquets’, soaking rose petals in water to make ‘perfume’… Well, the perfume was never a great success but otherwise, I’ve just scaled up a bit over time! Every year we grow thousands of stems, in a dizzying range of varieties. Our main season is from mid-March to October & there’s always something lovely blooming at that time. I look forward to sharing our flowers with you in future days of the challenge. And a photo from last Spring as a reminder the Tulip bulbs are out there in the soil, steadily putting out roots, getting ready for their moment of glory… And because a splash of colour is very welcome on a day with yet another Weather Warning for heavy rain! Gotta love a Festive garland at Christmas time, haven't we?
Luxuriously fat, fluffy lengths of scented foliage left the workshop in the week before Christmas to decorate tables, staircases & mantlepieces. All handmade from natural conifers & evergreens - our Customers can choose the exact length required & the trimmings. Cones have been gathered over recent months as they fall from our trees & added in to the garland. Picture this twined about a few candles, bud vases of flowers, low light for a truly festive feel... Foliage garland can be ordered from Galloway Flowers from late November. December is always a busy month for me making our handmade, luxury wreaths to decorate doors & tables for our Customers. All handmade from scratch, with zero floral foam.
Every wreath is truly bespoke - the Customer can select trimmings, ribbon colour etc after ordering. At the end of the festive season, the foliage is easily removed & can be composted. The mossed ring, cones, cinnamon sticks, ribbons can be reused. Many Customers keep their wreaths hanging for months, enjoying the changing colours as foliage dries. Wrens always seem to love roosting in mine so it hangs on my workshop door until a new one is made! Due to uncertainty about delivery delays, I accepted only a small number of postal orders this year - but they still went far & wide across the UK. Here are a few of my 2022 favourites... These short days & long, dark nights really put the pressure on us all to get anything done in a garden, don't they?
And after the relentless wind & rain of November, I'm well behind... still bulbs to plant, mulch to spread & more. I'm rushing round like the White Rabbit concerned 'I'm late!' But there's so much more growing here now for blooms early in the year than a few short years ago, so I know we'll catch up. Since investing in more perennials every year, my workload is more manageable & predictable. It might not look like it just now, but there'll be plenty of flowers in Springtime, there always is... And if you haven't planted Tulips yet either, don't panic - they'll be fine planted well into January. If you're lucky, there'll be reduced packs for you to swoop on in the garden centre for an early burst of colour in the garden or vase. There are even a few Dahlias left in the ground here still - it was too wet to dig them up. I'm taking a chance on the new plants from cuttings & small divided tubers, leaving some in the ground this winter. Covered with mulch & sheet of plastic, it's a calculated risk - if it's a cold winter, I might lose them. But if it's a mild, I fear the slugs under the plastic will do more damage as the soil warms. Please wish me luck! Of course December is a hectic month of Christmas workshops, wreaths, garlands & more as we near the big day. Freshly cut conifer in my workshop smells wonderful, mixed with scents of Cinnamon, Eucalyptus & lashings of hand cream – wreathmaking is a very tough job for fingers! I'm very easy to buy gifts for at Christmas. I'm almost fully booked for wreaths now - just time to make a few after 12th December. Wreaths can be ordered online. I decided not to send wreaths by post around the UK this year due to the Postal Strikes. Although the wreaths last very well, I'm concerned they could take much longer to arrive. I’ve begun putting together an Events calendar for 2023. So far;
These are lean months for flowers & foliage grown in the British Isles, but there's always something lovely for Christmas
While Children count down the sleeps, I’m counting the days to the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year. Once this landmark date is past, I’ll be looking for every extra minute of daylight in the evenings. There’ll be many long evenings to come poring over seed catalogues by the warm wood burner through December, January & February - but we’ll be on the way. And my last words this month? Sending you very warm wishes to you & yours for the Festive season, a healthy New Year & spectacular Cutting Patch in 2023! Until next time, Rosie Galloway Flowers Jobs for December;
So excited to be a Finalist at the Scottish Wedding Awards 2023!
Woohoo - this is the 3rd time we've been nominated & it's still a fab feeling. Thank you to all the couples who trusted us to grow & arrange flowers for your special day. It's been a a pleasure to work with you all. Time to look at frocks perhaps... This 'Miniature Garden' of Fungi & Lichen appeared overnight on a fencepost opposite my kitchen window.
I swear it wasn't there yesterday! Isn't it lovely? Sometimes a dawdling dog in the rain helps slow me down & notice the beauty in the details... When life gives you lemons, make lemonade, they say... or if wild winds & rain bring down plenty of autumnal twigs & leaves, make a door wreath! And it's been pretty wild already, hasn't it? So I made this for my workshop door this afternoon from the bits & pieces. I'll add more bracken, seed heads etc to fill it out as the leaves on it fall.
And the rain has slowed down our Autumn jobs - still planting & dividing to do, we'll get there. I've invested in many more Agapanthus plants this Autumn as they do so well here & every stem is used. For now, they're potted up & patiently waiting for their place in the polytunnel. Taking a wander round this afternoon, I concede it all looks a bit grim just now. Fallen leaves, windblown sticks & rather a lot of drab brown colours. Perhaps your garden is similar? The house though is full of colour - ahead of last Thursday's hard Frost, I picked every last Dahlia stem so they could be enjoyed. Some are drying in the airing cupboard for dried flower bouquets, others in vases in the kitchen. There's still beauty to be found outside though - a Crab Apple planted a couple of years ago has fruited well for the first time, the Nerines, Acers & Hesperantha are still bright splashes of colour. And tiny Cyclamen planted by a Gardener whe came before me, peep out from under shrubs - what a bonus! It's becoming more difficult to create our trademark seasonal bouquets of mixed flowers so we're taking a short break from 'Friday Flowers' deiveries until mid-December. Our Regular Subscription Customers will continue to receive flowers & I'll continue making arrangements for Funerals & Parties etc. using flowers from other British growers. Taking a break now gives us time to prepare for Christmas & next years flowers. And yes, now Bonfire Night has passed, the 'Christmas' word is unavoidable. The Wreathmaking workshops are almost fully booked so please don't delay if you hope to come. These are the only dates I'm delivering workshops this year. All will be here at the Flower Farm.
The Christmas Wreath shop is now open for orders online too. Wreaths can be collected, delivered locally or sent by Post across the UK from Wednesday 30th November. I'm waiting for final confirmation from our British growers for availability & pricing, then ordering will open for Christmas flowers too. (And you can, of course, telephone me on 01644 420407 if you prefer talking to a real person rather than ordering online). This week, I'll be planting up our big pots with 'Bulb Lasagnes' - these give several months of colour & a great use of space. Indoors, this is the time to plant up Narcissi 'Paperwhite' bulbs in pots if you want them flowering indoors for Christmas. It takes about 6-8 weeks for them to reach maturity. Hyacinths & Amaryllis planted now will be ready to flower indoors from January onwards, when a colour hit is especially welcome. Fingers crossed this wet phase of weather will move on. Otherwise I may take root by the side of the wood burner! Until next time, Rosie Galloway Flowers 'To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow' Audrey Hepburn Everything has it's season...
And our season of fresh Galloway-grown flowers is almost at an end. So on the really wet days & longer evenings, I make wreaths & other arrangements to bring colour into homes, using my stash of dried flowers & grasses. All materials were carefully dried by myself on warmer days. To commission a unique, handmade Hoop or other arrangement for your home or as a gift, send a message. For an extra special touch, wreaths can be made in a colour scheme of your choice, while my stocks last. Local delivery, collection or by post across the UK. Looking at my recent posts, it looks a bit like all I grow are Dahlias...
And of course, it's not true at all! I do grow a LOT of Dahlias, but it takes much more to make an interesting, botanically-inspired bouquet or arrangement. This Wreath made last week for a funeral contains several varieties of pale pink Dahlias plus Nerines, Sedum, Michaelmas Daisies, the last few stems of Astrantia, wisps of silvery Honesty seedheads. The flowers are slowing down, becoming less predictable from week to week. But still treasures can be found when I walk among the beds. The Wreath was made without any plastics or floral foam, as always here. Irresistible...
Indulging my 'Inner Child', a bowlful of these silky skinned Conkers. My kitchen window sill looks more like the school nature table by the day! 'Of course I know all their names' I say.
And I do, honestly - it's easy while Dahlias have such an array of flowers. Many colours, shapes & sizes, all easy(ish) to identify. But soon the frost will come & I'll cut the wet, blackened stems down to the ground. Not so easy to be 100% sure which muddy tuber is which when dug up & prepared for storage. I spent a quiet hour yesterday among the Dahlias, checking every plant still has a clearly written label. I replaced any missing ones. A real 'stitch in time' job. If you have a growing collection of Dahlias, you'll be glad you took time for this next Spring. Bookings are well underway for our 'Make A Christmas Wreath' workshops.
Small, friendly groups, with all the materials necessary to make a natural. floral foam free wreath for your door.
Book online Here Autumn weddings are among my favourites this year!
All the beautful, varied Dahlias in glowing colours plus such a choice of 'twiddly bits' to make every bridal bouquet unique. 'Twiddly Bits' is, of course a technical Flower Farmers term, referring to all those little details such as grasses, seed heads, pods. I love the way these add texture & a bit of swish to a bouquet. We grow Dahlias in many, many colours not just this glowing selection. The first bloom in late July & they're at their plentiful best from August to early October. 100% of this bouquet (made for Lindsay a couple of weeks ago) was grown by us, here at the Flower Farm near Castle Douglas. If you're a Bride-to-Be in 2023, love Dahlias & 'twiddly bits' too, would you like me to create a special bouquet for you? Do get in touch soon about availability on your chosen date. Autumn is definitely here now, no longed for 'Indian Summer' for us this year. We protected Dahlias on several nights with fleece & they survived light frost. But our 7th (can you believe it?) season of growing flowers here has come to an end, our last wedding scheduled for the year delivered on Friday. So now, we'll stop the protection & let Jack Frost win.
Last year, the mild Autumn allowed the Dahlias to bloom into November.It put us under great pressure to lift them when the soil was cold & wet, not ideal for storage. Also, it left little time to prepare for Christmas wreathing - even the dried flowers were barely used, still in boxes in the spare bedroom! So while always sad to see my much-loved Dahlias go, I've learned the lesson.... There are still flowers of course - plenty of Nerines, Hesperantha, Dahlias, Michaelmas Daisies & grasses. I'll cut & use them in bouquets etc. while I can. Just not enough to fill the 'Bloom Buckets' of flowers we've supplied over the year to those wanting to arrange flowers themselves. 'Friday Flowers' will continue this month - please give as much notice as you can of those upcoming birthdays, anniversaries etc to be sure I can supply. Often we think of Autumn as the end of the gardening year, time for 'putting the garden to bed'. For us though, it's very much the beginning of our 2023 season with so much to do. My desk is littered with post it note reminders... New plants to grow, some to grow more of, others to grow less off (sorry Lupins). And all those catalogues to flip through! So tell me, what are you planning to grow in your cutting patch in 2023 - I would love to know! Anything you love & recommend I try? Seeds sown last month are poppping up nicely & on their way for next years flowers in May & June. An email on Friday warns me the bulbs arrive this week - some to plant immediately, Tulips will wait until November to minimise the risk of 'Tulip Fire' a nasty viral disease. Many of last years Ranunculus & Anemones are popping up in the beds where I left them over Summer, reminding me to get more underway indoors. The big job of the month is dividing perennials to increase stock & maintain vigour. As dry Spring weather becomes a pattern, this is an October priority as they re-establish so much better while the soil is moist & warm. For us, this Autumn & Winter is about getting many of our delayed projects back on track. That means putting up the trellis bought 2 years ago for new climbers, revitalising many of the areas in the old nursery & continuing to plant foliage shrubs. And finishing off my workshop renovation, started in Springtime. I'm promised a new window pane (without a large hole) & we plan to repaint the walls. Woohoo! The workshop needs finishing as we'll be hosting Christmas Wreath Making workshops here at the Flower Farm this year - a deadline always helps doesn't it? Groups will be small so please don't delay if you're planning to book. The dates are;
Enjoy the glorious Autumn colours in the coming weeks & do make the most of any sunshine - it really is a beautiful time of year. KIck up the leaves like a five year old, collect conkers for your 'Nature Table' & fill your vases with glorious golden foliage & berries. Until next time, Rosie Galloway Flowers 'To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow' Audrey Hepburn Jobs for the Cutting Garden in October;
Dodging rainshowers last Wednesday to cut flowers for a wedding & for 'Friday Flowers' bouquets. Not ideal but as they say, 'No rain, No flowers'.
This little lot is drying off in the polytunnel now, ready to arrange tomorrow (the wedding is on Friday) Now just the whites & golden, Autumnal tones to cut. Will it stay dry for that? Unlikely! So if you ever wondered why my hair is so curly - now you know... More information on how to buy our locally grown flowers 'By the Bucket' for Weddings, Parties, Church flower Arranging etc, is here A Floral Hair Comb for Emma, on her wedding day at Marthrown of Mabie, near Dumfries in July.
The Summer flowers on the comb (all grown here by us at the Flower Farm) echoed some of those in her Bridal Bouquet. I love making these intricate little details, always completely unique & shouting 'Special Occasion', just perfect for a wedding don't you think? A Natural Funeral Wreath of freshly cut Summer flowers, made for a gentleman who loved his garden.
Flowers are gathered on a handmade willow hoop base & trimmed with natural hessian ribbon. All grown here at our Flower Farm, near Castle Douglas in Dumfries & Galloway. 100% compostable for the lowest possible carbon footprint. Definitely no floral foam or other plastics used to make this. It would be suitable for most Woodland Burial sites. When faced with choosing flowers for funeral or memorial services, it can be difficult to know what is available. Often a catalogue of standard designs (most using floral foam made from plastic) is presented at the Funeral Directors. We're encouraged to make a decision from the catalogue. But you can order flowers from any Florist you wish, or you could even arrange flowers yourself. You know better than anybody the right style for your loved one. If you prefer a natural, plastic-free alternative (such as the Wreath above), take a look at the website 'Flowers From The Farm'. You'll find listings of Flower Farmers thoughout the UK & many (like myself) arrange flowers in this way, locally to you. For natural Funeral Flowers in the Dumfries, Castle Douglas & Kirkcudbright area, there are examples on my website also Here. Flowers can be collected from the Flower Farm if you're further afield. Saying goodbye to a loved one doesn't need to cost the earth... Dahlia of the Day... 'Night Butterfly'
Deliciously dark, fluttery petals & loved by the bees. Dahlia 'Babylon Bronze'
Big & blowsy, like wedding must-have Dahlia 'Cafe Au Lait' - but orange! Absolutely fabulous, in my humble opinion. What do you think? Meet Dahlia 'Stolz Von Berlin'. This little sweetie measures just 9cms across, just perfect for popping into small posies & informal jugs of country-style flowers.
A very useful lilacy-pink too (if there's such a word). A very old variety (over 100 years since introduced) & still growing strong. Dahlia of the Day... 'Sweet Nathalie'
Palest not-quite-white with a soft blush of pink towards the back, hard to describe without resorting to paint charts. Always gorgeous in a wedding bouquet, don't you think? 'Bit subtle for me' says Ken, as he saw me posting this. He has a point. In a garden setting, I prefer the bolder colours too. But in those softly coloured wedding bouquets, well she's hard to beat & on my list every year here to grow. Dahlia of the Day... 'April Heather'
I'm trying a number of these single Dahlias (called Colarettes) this year. They've a bit of a reputation for having a short vase life so I've been keeping a close watch. I cut this one last Thursday & 4 days later it's looking unblemished. Just see how it goes. Anyhow, this one is definitely going on my 'Grow More Of' list for next year, because as well as good looks, our Honey bees love it! If you're looking for pollinator-friendly plants for your garden, these single Dahlias are a great choice as they're irresistable to so many pollinators. Sunflowers & smiles from Maria & her Maids back in June at Mabie House Hotel, near Dumfries. Thank you to Maria for allowing me to share this photo & to the talented Derek of Derek Dunlop Photography for taking such a relaxed image.
One of my favourites from this year - it always makes me smile back! |
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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