Vale Garden Flowers

18/06/2024

Flower workshops!
As many of you know, I no longer run a flower growing/arranging business but I am very happy to announce that you don't get rid of me that easily and I am using my skills to raise money for the wonderful in Warwick. Never been? It's right by the race course in Warwick and a visit is a glorious way to spend an hour or two. I'm volunteering as a guide but I'm also putting on THREE flowery workshops between now and the end of September. Swipe through to see more details and go on to www.hillclosegardens.com to find out more. Message me if you need more info.
It would be lovely to see you there! 💚

01/05/2024

I've been to Hill Close Gardens today to start planting up my little cutting patch with annuals. There will be small amounts of lots of interesting things, if you know what I mean. So far we've got some ammi, China asters, white malope, nigella Hispanica and daucus dara. And one solitary wayward antirrhinum. His mates should be following next week along with some other beauties
I was planting in beautiful sunshine but now it's dark and wet again. Come on May, you can do so much better than April! 🌞

29/04/2024

We've got our house on the market. No one's bought it yet and I think we're waiting for the people who would react like me if they walked to the bottom of the garden and hidden behind a rather attractive fence found a polytunnel. A POLYTUNNEL!! I'd be beside myself!!
And I grew these Lily of the Valley. They were in the garden when we came but I moved them, cosseted them and this year, here they are. Wonderful 🌿

28/04/2024

This is the last day of a miserable early Spring. I've checked my weather apps (always best to have more than one so that you can pick the most positive) and tomorrow...it gets better. Honestly. By next weekend we'll be in a state of warm euphoria as we adjust to the temperature.
These tulips have confirmed how awful it's been. They've steadfastly refused to open more than this for over a week. So on the plus side, if you're trying to make your tulips last longer, dull, cold and wet weather us the way to go. Silver linings...?!

25/04/2024

It's so lovely to be playing with flowers again 🌺
As we enter a new phase (another house move and more time to volunteer) I am having a wonderful time volunteering at in Warwick. I take groups round the gardens, regaling them with stories and the fascinating history of the place and I also get to tell people all about seasonal British flowers! Forty six people came to my little demo last week and we're hoping there will be more. Head gardener Neil has even given me my own little cut flower patch 😊

12/08/2023

I'm rubbish at accepting compliments but it's so important to me to know I've done a good job. This thank you card and little box of very special chocolates made my heart sing this morning. Thank YOU, Rosie and Calum 💚.
And thank you again for this perfect photo of Rosie's bridal bouquet x

25/07/2023

I've got a couple of weeks till the next wedding so if you need glorious seasonal flowers for an event or a special bouquet, get in touch 💚

09/07/2023

I've said it before and I'll say it again...I seem to have the most lovely wedding couples! L and T got married at on Friday. An absolutely glorious day at a wonderful venue. By yesterday, L had sent me very kind words and some beautiful photos.
Many congratulations to a fabulous couple 💚

02/07/2023

When you get your milk churn arrangements back from a wedding and they're too good to put straight on the compost heap (cheeky elf extra)

26/06/2023

Funeral flowers...don't have to be from a pattern book, don't have to be unscented, don't have to be imported, don't have to contain floral foam and definitely don't have to be the same as everyone else's.
They should be seasonal, natural and personal.
Find your local flower grower/florist at www.flowersfromthefarm.co.uk.

19/06/2023

Mrs Ladybird, welcome! I was beginning to wonder where you were. Please tell all your friends to get over here ASAP, I need you. There's a positive banquet waiting for you! 💚

09/06/2023

The roses are doing well this year, probably due to that winter cold snap and very wet spring. Fewer aphids until now...and not a single ladybird to be seen 😳 Have you seen any or is it just me?! 🐞

Here you can see the Duchess of Cornwall, Boscobel, The Lady Gardener and Emily Bronte (I think...), all hoping to appear in some fabulous wedding bouquets this summer ☀️

28/05/2023

I've been a little quiet recently because of other stuff going on...an emergency hospital stay for my OH and my new found status as head nurse. Or should that be Matron...🤔
Anyway, the flowers have been growing and lots of lovelies are getting ready for upcoming weddings. I didn't (thankfully!) have any weddings this month but if I had the bouquets might have looked something like this.

05/05/2023

Yet another fantastic achievement by Flowers from the Farm. Royal endorsement!
None of my flowers before you ask but lots from various fabulous flowery friends 🤩

Flowers from the Farm is honoured and delighted to share the news that scented, spring cut flowers grown by our members of across the United Kingdom are set to decorate the Quire and the Grave of the Unknown Warrior of Westminster Abbey for the Coronation Ceremony.

The flowers are a gift to Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla in celebration of Their Majesties’ Coronation from our membership association of artisan growers of local, seasonal cut flowers.

Flowers from the Farm has been working closely with floral designer and sustainable floristry advocate Shane Connolly to bring the beauty, joy and variety of local, seasonal flowers to the heart of this historic occasion.

The flowers have been grown in harmony with the natural seasons, outdoors and in polytunnels on flower fields, allotments, cutting gardens and walled gardens. Since every plot has its unique growing and weather conditions, the displays in Westminster Abbey of more than 4500 stems will reveal a unique floral tapestry of springtime in the UK.

Flowers from the Farm members teamed up to relay buckets of fresh flowers to local hubs, regional hubs and then onto the main hub in South Gloucestershire, where they were sorted and prepared for Shane Connolly to arrange at Westminster Abbey.

The Coronation marks a landmark moment for the global flower farming movement. It demonstrates that local, seasonal flowers deserve to be seen at state occasions just as much as they do in bridal bouquets, funeral tributes or vases in the home.

God Save the King!

03/05/2023

I'm doing a talk next week and making a bouquet at the same time. Just checking, after a very long winter, that I can still do it 🤣

22/04/2023

Some years the tulips grow tall and some years they don't...This year they seem to have been very happy. The incessant April rain probably helped 🤣

18/04/2023

So lovely to be faffing about with flowers again. Spring flowers are always special and until the plot truly gets going, I feel the need to make the most of every single one.
Swipe across to see the mechanics. No floral foam, naturally.
Thanks to Hannah for the tip about elastic bands (brilliant!) and big thanks to for having a clear out and sending all her various urns my way! 💚