Last of the Summer Wine?
I hope not but know the Summer flowers aren't going to be here for ever... So I'm making the most of them - this stunning Dahlia was among our flowers used for todays flower bouquet deliveries. Not everybody's taste I concede, perhaps a little loud for some. I look forward to it every year though, the kind of Dahlia that maybe gets them a bad reputation!
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Growing Hyacinths in a vase of water is a traditional method, much loved by the Victorians. Seeing the bulb roots through the glass looks beautiful & is intriguing, especially for children. You can enjoy the fabulous, heady fragrance of the flowers indoors. And perhaps best of all, it’s easy to do! What you’ll need;
How to start your bulbs into growth; Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
After flowering... The hyacinth bulbs are exhausted after the effort of producing a flower in water only. Transplant bulbs into the garden after flowering. They may not flower well next year but will recover to produce small blooms in future years. Ready to try 'Something New'? Many bulbs will grow in water, just like Hyacinths. You could try Snowdrops, Crocus, Narcissi (especially the Miniature ones), even Amaryllis. Just use a different size jar, & have fun! Blog post by Rosie Gray, Galloway Flowers. Updated from her post first published here on 22/11/2016
Phew! After 2 nights with low temperatures forecast, it's a relief to see our Dahlias unharmed by the cold.
We fleeced them to give an extra layer of protection & this time, it was enough. Temperatures are looking warmer now for a while so fingers crossed, we can enjoy them for a few more weeks. Hopefully there'll be plenty for our wedding couples plus to bring to Kirkcudbright Farmers Market next Sunday. I'm keeping the fleece handy though & a beady eye on the forecast each evening... Jack Frost I'm ready for you! Photo of Dahlia 'Askwith Minnie' just because. A soft & subtle selection of September flowers for Lisa's wedding bouquet, made earlier this week.
As well as Dahlias, Phlox, Rudbeckia, Cosmos, Astrantia, Aster & Antirrhinum, I added Wild Marjoram & Pelargonium for scent, plus seed heads & Grasses for a delicate swish, dancing over the flowers. 100% grown here in Galloway by myself at the Flower Farm for minimal flower miles. I think the Astrantia travelled furthest to my workshop - 50 steps maybe? Locally grown, seasonal & sustainable. All our packaging materials are recyclable &/or reusable also. Lisa eloped to Galloway for a romantic wedding ceremony in the gardens at Galloway House, Garlieston near Newton Stewart, Dumfries & Galloway. When Claire asked me to prepare flowers for her wedding at Gretna Green, I jumped at the chance! Claire told me she LOVES flowers, wanted multiple colours & wanted them arranged in a natural, bohemian style. Her favourites are delicate wildflowers so I included plenty of these - Cornflowers, Forget Me Not's, Buttercups, Daisies & soft grasses. June is a perfect month for this wedding decor style as we grow many at the Flower Farm in Dumfries & Galloway. I was spoilt for choice when I began cutting flowers for Claire! The flowers were arranged simply in mini 'milk bottles', trimmed with ivory ribbon. Then the bottles were positioned down the table as a botanical runner. Very colourful & interesting for guests to look at during the meal as every bottle contained a different selection of flowers. I made several Posies in ribbon-trimmed Honey jars too & these were placed on the windowsills. After the wedding, Claire invited Guests to take bottles away with them as a wedding favour. She added a packet of wildflower seeds & bottle of pink Gin for each Guest too. Claire took several Posies in Honey jars herself to enjoy in her Camper Van as she & Husband Adie toured the Highlands on their Honeymoon. The couple messaged me to say; Thank you so so much for our beautiful Wedding flowers. We loved them and so did everyone else. We’re still on our travels through Isle of Skye with one of ours jars. And the Wedding Cake... As Claire lived in Dorset & travelled to Gretna Green for her wedding, I suggested contacting Jade of The Treats Darling in Kirkcudbright to make her Wedding cake. And what a cake! Jade's cakes are exceptional - delicious & made with love & such creativity. This cake was coated in buttercream & decorated with a selection of food safe flowers grown by myself at the Flower Farm near Castle Douglas, Dumfries & Galoway. As you'll see from the pictures below, it was a real stunner! Thank you Claire & Adie for allowing us to be part of your special wedding day at Gretna Green - best wishes for many happy & healthy years together.
Wedding Suppliers Gretna Green; Wedding Florist; Rosie @Galloway Flowers www.GallowayFlowers.co.uk Wedding Cake Specialist; Jade @ The Treats Darling Wedding Venue; The Gables Hotel, Gretna Green, Dumfries & Galloway www.Gables-hotel-gretna.co.uk As rain blows across the field this morning, I feel the season turning to Autumn. Quickly forgetting how much rain is still needed - was it really only last Wednesday I gave Dahlias a much needed soak with a hose? I'm even wearing socks today, for goodness sake - how many times has that been necessary recently!
While we never had close to the drought & high temperatures experienced in many areas, this year has been challenging. Great for everybody enjoying holidays locally of course, but concerning for all growing flowers, food & grass. I'm mean with additional watering & the difference shows in stem length of certain flowers. The perennial flowers & early planted Annuals such as Sweet Peas performed brilliantly, their roots down deep. Tomatoes are incredible this year. But the Tender Annuals planted out over the Summer (Cosmos for example) have disappointed. While they survived, they didn't thrive as usual. This month is a good time to note what thrived, what I'll grow more of for next year & changes needed. The addition of water efficient soaker hoses worked brilliantly in the tunnels. Next year I'll add some to vulnerable outside plants too. As we see climate change affecting us, we're learning to adapt for future success. It's been a non-stop Summer of fabulous weddings as couples could plan with certainty at last. From large Marquees in the garden, to pretty country churches, village halls & family gardens, we've loved them all! Never have I known so many elopements - proving romance is definitely not dead. Wedding trends I've noticed?
While flower production slows from this month on, there's plenty to do. I'm making a big effort to save our own seed to resow for more free plants. Many come true from seed so it makes good sense - like everything else, seed prices are soaring. Quality of our own seed tends to be good as it's so fresh - gather it when very dry, store somewhere cool & dry, then resow. Germination rates tend to be high especially for the 'tricky' seeds such as Orlaya & Molucella (Bells of Ireland). So why not give it a go? On Sunday September 11th, I'll be hosting a 'Make A Hand Tied Bouquet' afternoon so if you've ever fancied giving this a try, do come along. Just 2 places left this morning. BOOK ONLINE This week it's time to tidy up the greenhouse ready for filling with tender plants again over winter. The fleece is bundled up ready to throw over the Dahlias if an early frost threatens - the earliest I've known was September 13th here. If I can mollycoddle plants through early cold nights, often I can keep them blooming until late October. Last Autumn was exceptionally mild & I sent buckets of Dahlias & Rudbeckia to Glasgow to decorate Kelvingrove for the COP26 dinner. Jack Frost I'm ready for you! Dried flowers are having a renaissance & my spare bedroom is rammed with bright Statice, Achillea & Helichrysum. Serious wreathmaking has begun...Wreaths will be for sale on the website later this month & can be sent by post across the UK. Enjoy September's misty mornings, Spiders webs on the grasses & the leaves as colours begin to change. I couldn't resist adding these brambles to a vase arrangement, but there are plenty in the hedgerows this year for Crumbles & pies. Hurrah for the return of comfort food! Until next time, Rosie Galloway Flowers 'A flowerless room is a souless room, to my way of thinking; but even a solitary little vase of a living flower may redeem it.' Vita Sackville-West 'Some Flowers' Jobs for the Cutting Garden in September;
It's perfect weather for collecting my own seed this week - dry for several days now.
The seedheads on many easy to grow cut flowers are beginning to mature now & when dry, store well. This Orlaya, a favourite white umbellifer-shape flower is one I always collect. If the seed isn't really fresh, germination can be poor. But from my own seed, well used to growing conditions here in Scotland, I get good results. Each individual seed is like a little hedgehog (it splits in 2 along those cracks you see opening?) covered in hard bristles. It catches on anything that brushes past (my leggings, dog coats...) explaining why it can pop up in surprising places. But it's a 'good' weed to have! I'll sow some this week (that's what I mean by really fresh) for a light, airy froth of flowers in weddings next May & early June. Then another batch or 2 will be sown next Spring. Like everything, seed is shooting up in price so why not have a look around your patch & see what seeds you could collect for free? No chemicals, no air miles to transport long distance - just fresh seed for you, & perhaps to swap with friends. And a little beauty in your garden to look forward to in 2023... To learn more about growing cut flowers to fill your garden & home with beauty, join me at my next 'Cut Flowers From Your Garden ' workshop. Find all the details & Book Online Here The imposing Auchen Castle Mantlepiece decorated in mid-May for Christy & Andrew's wedding, Full on Springtime with fresh, seasonal greens & whites. Auchen Castle is a beautiful venue near Moffat, Dumfries & Galloway, Scotland. Elegant rooms with large windows for plenty of light, gardens for the photo's & such a relaxed yet professional team. And Christy was a dream client for me - a lover of Vintage & British-grown flowers & when asked about details, replied; 'Do what you like, as natural as possible'. Thank you, Christie! Well, that's pushing on an open door for me... So lots of my vintage crystal, Solomon Seal, Birch, Tulips open wide Ranunculus & so many more in variety. Everything British-grown & most here in Galloway. To add scent, the first of this years Lily of the Valley, cut that morning & a touch of Jasmine from my conservatory. Sustainably grown, with minimal flower miles & no floral foam. Huge thank you to Christy & Andrew for allowing me to share these photo's of their special day.
Photo Credit; Martin Mclellan Photography Venue; Auchen Castle Hotel Celebrant; Lindsey Mason Ross Vintage Wedding Dress; Those were the days Bridal, Edinburgh Flowers; Galloway Flowers It's a while since I've had a picture of me on here so as this growing season is coming to a close, here's a little intro. It's a picture from earlier in the year - I didn't get as far as posting it here. Tells you everything about this year!
I'm Rosie & supported by my Partner Ken, we grow Cut flowers near Castle Douglas in Dumfries & Galloway, Scotland. 2022 is our 7th year since we started the Flower Farm & every year our output increases a bit more! From March to October we cut a wide range of cottage garden flowers, including many unusual varieties. The flowers are used for weddings, funerals & lots of local bouquets. Our Tulips & Narcissi are cut from mid-March to mid-May, finishing as the next wave of flowers are coming in to bud. Soon, it's Ranunculus, Anemones, Aquilegia, Scabious, Cormflowers, Sweet Williams & many more filling our buckets each week. As we go through the seasons, the flowers available changes - Sweet Peas & Dahlias are among the cottage garden favourites to follow. Many of our flowers are deliciously scented, adding a very special 'something' to a bouquet. For more about us & the flowers we grow, take a look at our 'About' page 'How can I keep Tulip stems straight in the vase?' I'm asked often. 'Will they stay straight if I put an old penny in the water? Or prick them with a pin?'
NO! More to the point, why would you want to? Aren't they at their best when twisting & dancing, opening wide, then tumbling downwards in a relaxed, 'old master-ish' style? They aren't dead, the stems are still strong, firm to touch - it's just their natural progression, doing what Tulips do. Naturally attracted to the light, they move during the day. And yes, they might be wild & wonky, & they're still beautiful! When cutting Tulips, I wrap them in brown paper & immediately place in a tall bucket of clean water overnight. After their long drink, they're firm, straight & much easier to arrange. But they fight back - growing several inches of stem to rise above other flowers in a bouquet. Given space as here, they begin to dance... These flowers know what they want, flowers with attitude. Our Galloway-grown Tulips are planted in November/December & cut daily between mid-March & mid-April (depending on the weather, of course). They're beautiful for weddings in Spring as they come in such a wonderful range of flamboyant & subtle colours. Then it's goodbye for a full year & we welcome the early Summer flowers as they arrive... Last Minute, 'Secret' Weddings were a bit of a thing here in July & always fun to do.
There's something very special about long term couples making the decision to say 'I do'. Quietly eloping together (for a morning) & surprising friends & family with their happy news! And I mean last minute - one bouquet was requested on the Sunday before a Tuesday beach wedding! For this signing table arrangement, I had a few more days notice (4) - fortunately, we had plenty of flowers to cut & as it was mid-week, happy to help. I hope it gave a country vibe to the wedding photo's. Arranged in a vintage glass bowl (no environmentally harmful floral foam, all fully reusable) it pinpoints the date to me - the first of this years Cosmos, the last of the Alchemilla before it began to crisp in the heat. I couldn't have made an identical arrangement the week before or the week after. It would have been equally lovely, yet different. Availability of specific flowers on a certain date is impossible fir me to guarantee from the Flower Farm. Given notice, I try my hardest to deliver favourites (if in season) & work to a broad colour scheme, but ultimately, the weather decides. Will it be a warm spell? A cold Spring? It can make a difference either way, often several weeks. By working with a network of specialist flower growers across the British Isles, we source varieties elsewhere sometimes (eg Lilies). I never import flowers from outside the British Isles - never have, not starting now. I tell my wedding couples, there'll be flowers, plenty of flowers - I just can't guarantee exactly which flowers... The amazing British heritage of cut flower growing offers an immense selection, changing with the seasons. It's surprising to many unfamiliar with flowers other than the limited selection available in the supermarket. And it makes wedding flowers using our flowers special, unique - nobody else ever had exactly that combination before you, never will again. Our wedding calendar for 2023 is open now. If you would love flowers for your special day that are seasonal, with a low carbon footprint, are deliciously scented & above all, gorgeous, let me know. I might be able to do 'last minute' - but a little bit of notice is appreciated...
Happy May Day! The Cuckoo is calling so it's officially 'Spring Time' in my book. I might not be skipping around the maypole wearing a flower crown but am celebrating the welcome return of our flowers. The speed we move from no colour in the cutting beds (just plenty of weeds) to cutting blooms is a miracle. The Narcissi have been so abundant, undamaged by rain, they've lasted exceptionally well. Every year we've added a thousand more bulbs & now there are plenty uncut to enjoy in the garden too. What a luxury! The Tulips are now coming on strong. Every year I vow to stop growing them as they're an extravagance (admittedly, 1200 bulbs probably is). Then they bloom & I'm smitten all over again. They're so popular in Friday Flower bouquets & for Spring weddings, I cannot resist them. The one above is a great example - starting as an egg shaped bud a week ago, now opening wide with a satin sheen. A jugful in the kitchen looks like a flock of Flamingo's flying against the white paintwork. Does any other flower fade so gracefully? I know it won't be long before a carpet of petals lands on the floor but I'll enjoy them till the last elegantly drooping petal... For the very best cut Tulip flowers with long, strong stems I grow them close together in beds, & pull up with the whole bulb. The bulb is discarded, replaced with new stock for next Spring. It's expensive. I know many will repeat flower (some bulblets are always left behind in the bed) so this year, I'm planting many of the discarded bulbs in long grass under fruit trees. Not all will make it & any flowers in future years will be smaller, shorter (& prone to tulip fire disease). But still beautiful. From experience, the Parrot & Lily-flowered Tulips (for example 'Ballerina', 'Ballade', 'Merlot') are particularly good at returning healthily for many years. Space is at a premium undercover just now, with seedlings growing on until it's warm enough to plant out. Dahlias fill the little green polytunnel & the main tunnels are beginning to bloom with early flowers destined for May weddings. Any day now, it'll be a snowstorm in there! The first row of Sweet Peas is planted, & now we've had welcome rain, more will go out this week. It's been cold at night still & I'm cautious - none of the tender plants will be outside until later this month. One frost & so much work can be lost. Earlier this year I moved most of the Peonies to new beds & the first buds are appearing. It'll hurt me to do it but these buds must be removed. This encourages them to put all their energy into re-establishing roots, able to produce many more flowers long term. Peonies are long-lived & if cared for, could easily outlive me. Deferred gratification & all that... Ken will be delighted to take part in 'No Mow May' again this year as mowing is one of his least favourite jobs! We've left large areas uncut now for 7 years & the return of wild flowers (Cowslips, Orchids, Harebells etc.) has been dramatic. Numbers of pollinators has increased too so it's a worthwhile initiative. This month, we'll be absent from the Kirkcudbright Farmers Market - a market date change has caused a clash with a long scheduled wedding. I'll be back in June & until then, flowers can be ordered for collection or delivery on Fridays, A few more events have been added to the Workshop calendar - the next 'Cut Flowers From Your Garden' workshop will be on Sunday July 10th. Short Sunday afternoon sessions to arrange flowers have been added too. While I was at the Farmers Market in March, Ken knocked down the dividing wall in my little workshop - woohoo! This project, delayed 2 years, has doubled the space & so welcome. Yet to be painted but hey, Rome wasn't built in a day either you know... Paint charts are being studied. It's Bluebell season in Galloway, the woods carpeted with gorgeous blue flowers. Hopefully, there'll be sunshine & gentle rain (overnight please) to bring on the fresh growth in all our gardens as we race towards the abundance of early Summer. My favourite time of year, full of promise & the arrival of flowers unseen in such a long time. Take time to enjoy it all! Until next time, Rosie Galloway Flowers 'A flowerless room is a souless room, to my way of thinking; but even a solitary little vase of a living flower may redeem it.' Vita Sackville-West 'Some Flowers' Jobs for the Cutting Garden in May;
Most of the plants grown here at the Flower Farm are grown by ourselves either from seed or cuttings. It keeps our costs low & often is the only way to obtain the best varieties for cut flowers.
Perhaps we want specific colours or tall, strong stems, or extra long vase life. Some varieties are better than others for these traits. This little Delphinium seedling may not look much here when pricked out in mid-March. But soon it'll be producing plenty of tall, frilly flower spikes. Growing from seed is exciting as I never know exactly the colour each plant will be. Every one is an original. I'll select the best & grown on for more stock in years to come. Will 80 be enough? And we're off! The 2022 Seed Sowing & Growing Marathon has begun here. Greenhouse shelves are full of Sweet Peas, other Hardy Annuals are popping up in the propagator & on the heatmat. Undercover space is at a premium already.
I'm sowing Hardy Annuals (such as Cornflowers, Nigella, Phlox, Ammi, Delphinium, Molucella, Rudbeckia) this week.These are tough enough to be put outside when a little bigger, before the last frost. I'll sow another batch of the same next month to keep the flowers coming all Summer. It's so tempting to tip the whole seed packet on compost at once but taking this disciplined approach means flowers keep coming longer. It's often said you know when to sow direct into the ground when weed seeds start popping up. Well, the weeds are doing up in numbers now so I'llit's time to start a few toughies in an outside bed too. Poppies dislike being moved so this is the easiest way to grow them. Lots for the bees & pretty seed pods for me! Hold steady on sowing the less Hardy seeds (such as Cosmos & Sunflowers) until the end of the month though. Our last frost here is usually the end of May so I protect many of the baby seedlings until then. It takes a lot of space but otherwise, one late frost could kill the lot. I'm often asked; 'Seed left over from last year - can I still use it?' Of course you can! How successful it is depends on the type & how well it has been stored. If stored somewhere cool, dark, dry (like a plastic box in the garage) it's got a good chance. In an opened packet on the kitchen windowsill, above the hot radiator - maybe not. But seed is expensive, so what's the worst that'll happen? Maybe the number of seeds germinating is a bit lower, maybe you'll waste a bit of compost. Give it a try now & if nothing has popped up in 4 weeks, there's still time for a fresh packet of seed. Tomato & Lettuce seed lasts years, Parsnips are legendary for being weak - you need fresh seed every season or nothing grows. I've sown seed from opened packets already & have Sweet Peas, Calendula, Nigella from them. Experiment! Defence against Mice has been stepped up. After losing so many Anemone & Ranunculus corms, the next batch planted are defended with great care. Sweet Peas are on the high shelves, Seed trays on the heat mat are covered in wire mesh or plastic propogator lids. Seeds liking darkness to germinate are wrapped in old compost bags or covered by upturned greenhouse trays. Two feral cats on the payroll & I would like to know what they're doing... Enjoying a daily plate of Tesco's best cat food & sitting in the sun mostly, I think. Somewhere I got their training wrong... I'm hoping for a run of dry days so I can divide many of the perennial plants. It's a big job, overdue because last Spring I couldn't do it because of my broken arm. It'll delay flowering this year but rejuvenate plants for the next few years. More plants too! I've been quiet on social media in recent weeks. In part when world news is so overwhelming, my wittering about seed sowing & flowers seems frivolous. I wonder whether to grow Sweet Peas or Beans? No right answer, of course. So believing beauty makes the world a better place, I just keep on keeping on. But also because we've been busy, trying to get ahead & those February Storms slowed us down. Storm Franklin was by far the worst as we lost power for some time. Lightning struck the telephone exchange, knocking out the phone lines to many locally. Each morning after a storm, I walked down the garden with dread expecting to see the tunnels shredded & our greenhouse glass blown out. No major damage, thank goodness - we were lucky. Mothers Day is later this month & we'll be delivering flowers on Friday 25th March only - over half the slots are booked already. On Sunday 27th, Mothers Day, we'll be at Kirkcudbright Farmers Market with plenty of small Posies. Bouquets can be pre-ordered for collection. Again looking ahead - the 'Cut Flowers From Your Garden' workshop on Sunday April 3rd has just 2 places remaining. BOOK HERE And a date for your diary - the 'Flower Farmers Big Weekend' is on Saturday 6th & Sunday 7th August. We plan to open for Garden Tours again & details will follow nearer the time. Spring is springing even if the cold wind doesn't feel like it. The birds are pairing up & there is Toad spawn in the pond. Our first weddings of the year have been delivered (picture above was of a Flower Crown made for our Bride yesterday). The Flower year is now underway & the first of our flowers are going out in bouquets again. I hope the fresh shoots of new growth are appearing in your garden too - it's an exciting time of year as it changes fast! Until next time, Rosie Galloway Flowers Jobs for the Cutting Garden in March;
Dreaming of your own Cut Flower Patch at home this Summer? Join me in April & I'll show you how to make it happen! All the details & Online Booking on the 'Cut Flowers From Your Garden' workshop page Here Spring IS on the way - I've been cutting these Anemones in the Greenhouse in the last couple of weeks.
Wonky stem on this one so it's for my windowsill. Others have started to appear in our 'Friday Flowers' bouquets delivered locally. The days are finally getting longer at both ends & after a quiet January, I feel ready to begin another year of flowers (our 7th) here. Early bulbs are pushing up through the soil & many of the Perennials are appearing too. By late March we'll again be cutting our own grown flowers for bouquets & events. Bring it on!
The highlights in the garden just now are the Scented Shrubs - Daphne, Winter Honeysuckle (Lonicera X Purpusii) & Sarcococca. Most of the year these are plain, unassuming shrubs but their scent just now is delicious. It wafts about on gentle breezes. I cut a stem or two to bring into the house or to tuck into bouquets. It's just enough to keep people guessing what it is - any more & it can be overpowering. If you have space for one of these lovely plants in your garden, I recommend them highly. The Hellebores are forming nice fat buds & will be ready to cut soon. They're a fabulous cut flower but require a little care to ensure they don't flop pathetically in the vase. The trick is to leave them until at least one flower on the stem has been pollinated by the bees & a seed pod is beginning to form. I sear them in boiling water too just to give them extra strength - with care they last well. Most of my Hellebores were grown from seed given to me in a tiny envelope nearly 30 years ago by the Great Aunt of a Primary school friend. Over time, I've picked out & increased the better colours - they're still called 'Auntie May's Hellebores' though! The new seasons seeds have arrived & I'm itching to begin sowing! But I know it's too soon & must step away from the seed packets... Seed will germinate given warmth but unless additional lighting is available the seedlings will grow weak, & skinny. Wait a few weeks & seed sown later with better natural light soon overtakes the early starts. If you want to sow something now, Sweet Peas, Antirrhinums & Broad Beans will appreciate the early start. I'll cut the first of our Anemones this week, early as they're last years corms brought into the Greenhouse. My expensive Ranunculus planted in October have been a complete disaster - all eaten by a mouse! Fortunately I only planted half the corms so still time to plant the rest for late May/June flowers. The wedding calendar is filling up nicely in recent weeks - if you know a couple hoping to use our locally grown flowers this year, please suggest they get in touch soon. I take on only a few weddings each week & the popular weeks fill quickly. And today I've made a few events for this year available to book on the website - the first in a very long time. We're looking forward to welcoming visitors again soon.
The last two years have turned so many of our plans upside down (like everybody else, of course). We worked hard to keep this little business afloat & when I look back to 2020, it seems plans for that year are mostly still on the list! Probably not completely true (we did get the second polytunnel up & running) but my workshop hasn't been knocked through & the Old Nursery area remains a complete mess after the Leylandii hedge was removed. It is what it is.Hopefuly these projects will be completed this year & we can get back to what we do best - growing lots of beautiful flowers!. Today was miserably wet & didn't encourage me out for long. It's a good opportunity to snuggle by the fire, read seed & plant catalogues & plan for this years flowers. But I could see the Catkins dancing in the wind, a reminder that Spring is on the way... We look forward to sharing our flowers & Flower Farm life with you in the season ahead, Until next time, Rosie Galloway Flowers Jobs for the Cutting Garden in February;
I'm asked often how I choose the flowers to grow each year at the Flower Farm. After all, there are so many options & I admit, it can be difficult...
I select the flowers for many reasons - they must be beautiful colours my Customers want to buy, tough enough to produce lots of stems in our growing conditions & with organic practices, & last well in a vase. Plus whenever possible, be deliciously scented too. We've become used to the imported flowers offered for sale in the UK (i.e. most of them) having no scent. Many have been bred for this quality or treated chemically as they'll last longer on their journey from where they're grown, thousands of miles away. The treatment destroys scent. So it can be a revelation to discover REAL British-grown cut flowers & their exquisite perfumes. Many children at the Farmers Markets have been astonished (& delighted) to smell my Roses & Sweet peas, for example. They've never smelt them before! Another flower I grow with a fabulous perfume is the Garden Pink - here's a bucketful cut last July. Like little Spray Carnations but with a knock out perfume. Just perfect to add a few to a bouquet, or a bud vase by your bed. Best of all, starring in wedding buttonholes with personality! Available usually from me from late May through July. I use many in my floristry but you can usually order a bunch to collect in season. So get ready to inhale deeply - the flower season is coming... As I walk around the Cutting beds, the flowers bring back memories of people who gave me those seeds, that cutting, recommended it, perhaps that day out when we bought a plant.
Like old friends really. There's Mrs Jefferies Geraniums, Terry's Fuschia, Auntie May's Hellebores. And so many more. But if I had to choose one flower with special memories, it would be the Aquilegia because I adore them & frankly IMHO, deserve more notice! Grannies Bonnets, Pixie Hats, call them what you will - I came across them first as a cut flower rather accidentally. There used to be WI stall on Salisbury Market (maybe still is) & I would get up early on Saturdays so I had the pick of the wonderful bunches of cottage garden flowers. In May there would be Aquilegias aplenty. The perfect Cottage Garden flower & I wanted them in the country garden I was making! I tried to save seeds as the flowers faded (I know now it wouldn't ever work) & eventually built a collection of plants. Many found their way here to Scotland with me. They're promiscuous seeders, happily hybridising & if allowed, quickly become a weed. But a high quality weed if ever there was. Well, I appreciate how they sparked my interest in cut flower growing. And I often sneak a few stems into early Summer bouquets... The flower we grow in greatest numbers is the Dahlia.
I adore their diversity & sheer flower power for months on end. Within one family of flowers there are so many shapes, so many colours & they just keep on giving masses of stems for cutting. Last year our total Dahlia plants topped 600. It was a pretty disastrous year for me as I broke my arm & 'only' about 400 were planted out in the field. But all the others were potted up & fed so the tubers kept on growing, ready for their moment this year. The Dahlias are sold in our Bouquets, bunches & even by the bucket (preordering essential). The large Funeral Spray arrangement above was made for a September Funeral, without floral foam. I dry Dahlias too & use them in dried bouquets & wreaths during the winter months. I eastimate we might just top the 800 plants - buckets & buckets of beautiful blooms to look forward to! To order Dahlias to arrange yourself, send an email. The Dahlia season is from mid-July to September (depending as always on the weather!) We grow Cottage Garden Flowers in many, many varieties. I love their soft colours, their scents & the way each has it's season. From late March to October, each week brings something new into bloom. So with such a choice, no two weddings using my flowers are identical, every bouquet is unique. It takes a special type of couple to tell me what you love (no need to know the names of the flowers), your preferred colours & style. Then to trust me to choose the best flowers in bloom on your wedding day. But I do grow a LOT of Sweet Peas (all selected for their delicious scent) & as you may know, I do have a bit of a thing about Dahlias... 'Where are you?' is one of the most asked questions when we're at the Farmers Markets in Kirkcudbright & Castle Douglas.
So,let me tell you... We're on the 'Hidden Road', off the A713, North of Castle Douglas, Dumfries & Galloway in Scotland. At the moment we're closed for our winter break as the flowers are out of season just now. It didn't look quite like this today! This is our essential quiet time to plan this years growing season, prepare the beds & lots of wedding talk with this years couples. From April to October, flowers can be pre-ordered for local delivery, collection from the Flower Farm or at the regular Farmers Markets in Kirkcudbright & Castle Douglas. In season, flowers can be ordered by phone (01644 420407), the Contact page on our website or the Online Order page. I add pictures on this blog, Instagram & Facebook of the flowers as they come in to season, so this gives an idea of the flowers we grow & when they bloom. There are so many varieties here, changing through the months, it would be impossibe to list. Each season some flowers are dropped to make way for new varieties. Perhaps the colour was less popular with Customers or it didn't perform that well here. This year, I'm running a trial of some of the new Sunflower varieties. (And quite a few new Dahlias...) Hoping to discover new favourites! We're open occasionally in the Summer for Garden tours & workshops - to know when these open for booking, be sure to sign up to the monthly newsletter on the website. Roll on the lengthening days - I'm looking forward to the flowers blooming again! We're back into the routine after a longer than usual break after the New Year.
To be honest we needed it as we were flat out all last 2021 & 2020. Sometimes we all need to stop, think, breath... I've been catching up on wedding enquiries & planning our planting for months of colour. Lots of ideas for 2022 (a holiday break didn't include a no seed buying rule!) & looking forward to getting the flowers underway. Our Galloway-grown flowers will be limited until mid-March when they begin blooming again. Until then I'll bring in limited supplies of flowers from British growers in the South each week for our Regular Flower Subscription customers & Funeral flowers. If you would like to order a bouquet of British-grown flowers delivered locally or for collection on a Friday, please order by previous Friday am. It'll not be long until I can include Hyacinths in bouquets but for now, these scented beauties are cheering up my kitchen windowsill in a pot! For me it's a long list - I love working with others who share my lifelong enthusiasm for our beautiful British flowers, who appreciate their variety, colours, scent, their seasonality.
You have to catch British-grown flowers while you can - every season brings it's own special treats, even winter. Many of these flowers are available for just a few short weeks each year. You know how the very best British-grown Strawberries, Elderflower, Gooseberries or Asparagus burst with flavour? And how the equivalents flown from around the globe all year round, simply don't taste the same? Well, our flowers aren't the same either. The delicate scent of a Narcissi, a Tulip (many are scented), a Rose or a Sweet Pea - I could go on... Each has it's own personality, adding something unique to a bouquet or arrangement. I can tell you the week of the year when most of my bouquets were made when I look through the photo's as the combination of flowers will tell me which flowers were just starting it's season, & which were coming to an end. A strange floral quiz game... So I love sharing this enthusiasm with others who grow them in their gardens (or Grandad/ma did perhaps), or who want them in their homes, wedding bouquets or at the funeral of a loved one, with those Florists & Flower Arrangers who create stunning designs with my flowers, other flower growers & those who simply want to learn more about British flowers at a workshop or garden visit. I always find the learning is two-way & I've met so many wonderful friends through my flowers. Looking forward to meeting with even more in 2022! |
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
April 2024
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