“Please do not send in unsolicited slugs.” – We’re still having a laugh about this line from the introduction to an RHS slug survey in 2020! A perfect storm of breeding conditions last spring meant that 2024 went down in many people’s memory as the year of the slug and snail epidemic. Our in-boxes and chat forums are already full … Read More
Seeds: Get Saving
Foxlgoves (Digitalis), lupins (Lupinus), honesty (Lunara annua), sweet rocket (Hesperis matronalis), poppies (Papaver) – all of these will be forming seed heads right now and if you have them in your garden or plot, it’s well worth saving and drying them to plant for another year. Over the next few weeks, these will be joined by sweet peas, sunflowers, Cosmos, … Read More
What do you call it again?
Name the flowers shown above…. The one on the right you’ll most probably have called a bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta). On the left? Campanula rotundifolia – the common harebell. Or… if you live in Scotland, ‘bluebell’ or ‘Scottish bluebell’. In New Zealand Wahlenbergia Saxicola is also commonly called ‘bluebell’, as is Phacelia whitlavia in the USA. There are many plants around … Read More
Cut Flower Farmers: Get ready for the UK Border Target Operating Model
Who’s fed up with hearing about Brexit and whether or not things have got better or worse since the UK formally separated from the EU? Probably most of us! If it doesn’t affect you on a daily basis, you’ve almost certainly started tuning out when the latest update on tariffs and border controls is announced. However, if you’re a flower … Read More
Back to basics: planning your cut flower plot – part two
In part one of this blog post, we looked at what to consider when selecting a site for your cut flower beds. If you’ve not already read part one, please do as it includes basic considerations when starting out. Our 7-month cut flower growing course Seed to Vase will take you step by step through the growing season. Join the … Read More
Back to basics: planning your cut flower plot
Whether you have a garden, an allotment, a small plot or a large area of land that’s destined to be a flower farm, you need a plan to get started. This two-part blog post will cover the basics of planning your plot. For step-by-step tuition on setting up a cutting patch, our 6-month Seed to Vase course will run again … Read More
Preventing deer and rabbits from entering your garden or plot
As winter draws in, wildlife ventures further afield in search of food sources. Deer and rabbits are lovely at a distance (or in Disney movies) but can devastate a cultivated plot of flowers or vegetables. Keeping them out is a challenge, but there are several measures you can take to help protect your plants and landscaping. Here are some that … Read More
Flowers suitable for drying
Drying flowers is a wonderful way to preserve their beauty and enjoy them for an extended period. If you’re running your cutting patch as a business, it’s also the perfect way to extend availability of blooms and open up opportunities for selling dried flower arrangements and running workshops on how to do this. Not all flowers that you grow for … Read More
Foliage for floristry
Main image: Cotinus, Eucalyptus in a bridal bouquet, ‘Dusty Miller’ A successful floristry bouquet is usually made up of three parts: Focal: Your main blooms. Filler: Smaller flowers or sprays to complement the focal flowers. Foliage: The backbone or foundation of the arrangement. Whilst we’re busy growing beautiful flowers for cutting, we often neglect to think of foliage. Foliage provides … Read More
Setting seed: the many ingenious (and sometime bizarre) ways that plants propagate by seed.
Plants have developed ingenious ways to spread their seed. From helicopters to ants, they’ll use whatever way they can to keep the line going!
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