The Ledbury Flower Farmer

The Ledbury Flower Farmer As your local flower farmer I grow beautiful seasonal scented English garden flowers for you to buy I offer pick you own flowers in the season too.

I am available for small private events such as hen party flower crown making or flower farm tours for small groups or societies. Please contact me to arrange a convenient time to suit you. I am able to discuss personalising farewell flowers.

Today is the winter solstice, the shortest day and the longest night. It won’t be too long until we notice the days stre...
21/12/2024

Today is the winter solstice, the shortest day and the longest night.

It won’t be too long until we notice the days stretching out and more signs of spring. I am delighted to have a few hellebores in flower and the daffodils are pushing through the soil. I can also see buds developing on the shrubs that provide spring blossom so they will fatten over the coming weeks ready to start the new season in March.

I will be intending to hunker down a little (I’ve spent the day cleaning the house and I’m not sure I’ve made much impression as yet- it will be tidy by February when I’m back out on the flower farm). In the meantime I’ll just be checking on the poly tunnels and doing light waterings, I’ve still got some larkspur to pot on but they look great and will be planted out in the early spring.

I’m sure I may have said it last autumn but I definitely intend to grow more flowers to dry next year. I did this year but then sold them fresh - even more required next year! I’ve some really exciting new and unusual dried flower workshops in the pipeline for you. I may be able to offer one or two in the spring but I’m really enjoying being in the studio now that it’s warm and bright and inspiring for creativity so I’ll definitely be growing more next year so that we can create beautiful long lasting arrangements for you to take home and enjoy.

Tomorrow’s job as it’s Yule tide is to get the Christmas tree in and set up- & to buy a door knocker so that I can finally have a wreath of my own.

For now though I will try to work my way through my pile of reading and keep the fire going.

Happy winter solstice and Yule tide 🪵 🔥 🌲 ☀️

The Flower Farm keeps moving. The seasons come and go and winter means that I can do maintenance and improvements to inf...
15/12/2024

The Flower Farm keeps moving. The seasons come and go and winter means that I can do maintenance and improvements to infrastructure. Last year was the new greenhouse and sorting out the cider mill as a secure place for conditioning and arranging flowers. The studio also had windows, a big paint job and a new floor to make it a much nicer environment for guests to be in.

My old chicken run finally got planted with some beds of gorgeous trees, unusual shrubs and a wind break picking hedge.

It has been a pleasure to invite many people through the gate and onto the flower field and also into the studio for sustainable flower arranging workshops.

Next years project is lined up to start very soon. I’m going to increase my growing space to add 24 x 10 m beds for herbaceous perennials and annuals. These will be with narrower paths, covered in mypex as I have couch grass which drives me insane for the amount of time to try to keep on top of it - and yes it’s beating me. This patch will be square, level and I hope easier to manage so in my first series of video tours when I said about my wet beds on the bank with the alstroemeria - that will become a willow bed and I plan to move plants into new beds in the spring.

It’s going to be a mamouth task but having followed the flowers from the farm account, I’ve seen many driven growers doing and achieving it so I’ve been inspired and feel more confident with my plans.

Thank you for joining me this week, it’s been a pleasure. Good luck with your growing and arranging and I wish everyone a happy Christmas 🎄

It’s still busy on the flower farm. This week I have planted out my autumn sown sweet peas for early blooms in the poly ...
30/11/2024

It’s still busy on the flower farm. This week I have planted out my autumn sown sweet peas for early blooms in the poly tunnel.

I have planted the ranunculus too which all look really strong and healthy.

I have picked the last of the fresh flowers this week for a florist order and my subscription flowers. I’m still picking foliage and ingredients for the Christmas wreath workshops which start tomorrow to be supplemented with some of the summers bounty that has been dried.

I’m also very pleased to have booked a week away in a gorgeous little cottage by the river in the New Forest for after Christmas. Time for some walking, reading and relaxing before the flowers now planted are ready to harvest.

If you would like to grow cut flowers- for yourself or to sell then Jo and I are running a one day Introduction to growing cut flowers on March 1st. You will learn the best times for sowing, planting and how to then harvest and condition your flowers as well as the varieties we love and the suppliers that we use.

There are many methods of growing but some are much better suited to flower farming rather than gardening and we compare the pros and cons of poly tunnel, greenhouse or outdoor growing and raised bed versus in the ground. It really is a very informative day in the studio with a hefty handout to take home along with some seeds and oodles of enthusiasm and a plan for your plot.

Tea, coffee and lunch are provided and there will be a tour of the flower farm during the day too. This workshop has sold out each November and March when we have run it so please do book your ticket as places are selling. Tickets are available via my website www.theledburyflowerfarmer.co.uk and via the link in the bio at the top of my page.








It’s just over 3 weeks until I start to offer Christmas wreath and door swag workshops here on the flower farm in the ne...
10/11/2024

It’s just over 3 weeks until I start to offer Christmas wreath and door swag workshops here on the flower farm in the newly refurbished studio.

There will be mulled wine, teas, coffee and mince pies with delicious home made Christmas pudding truffles.

I will provide all materials for you to create a gorgeous festive wreath from fresh foliages, pine cones, feathers and a selection of dried flowers.

I do still have some spaces on the various dates and times offered so please do take a look via the link to my website in the bio at the top of my page.

I look forward to helping you create a gorgeous welcome for all of your festive guests on your house door.




I’m delighted to be at Holloway’s on the 21 November. If you would like to come follow the link to book your ticket, I l...
05/11/2024

I’m delighted to be at Holloway’s on the 21 November. If you would like to come follow the link to book your ticket, I look forward to seeing you there.

Floral workshops are a definite favourite of mine whether fresh flowers or dry as we are now arranging with. When people...
03/11/2024

Floral workshops are a definite favourite of mine whether fresh flowers or dry as we are now arranging with. When people come into the flower studio they often comment on the wonderful smell of the flowers drying.

It’s always a pleasure to see the colour combinations that people create - yesterday we had brights, pastels and neutrals. Next week we are creating flower panels or meadows to hang on a wall or door and the week after hanging mobiles which are just beautiful hanging by a window or over a table or kitchen island.

In the spring we will return to arranging with fresh flowers all with sustainable techniques and never using floral foam. They are perfect if you arrange in churches or wish to learn how to create your own wedding flowers and want to create something larger scale and with impact.

Also coming up and available to book are the Christmas wreath and table arrangement workshops. Please click on the link at the top of my profile to take you to booking on my website.





Erin has summed up the year and job of flower farming here. I’ve still got gorgeous chrysanthemums, some celosia, Michae...
19/10/2024

Erin has summed up the year and job of flower farming here.
I’ve still got gorgeous chrysanthemums, some celosia, Michaelmas daises and until the frost some cosmos.

I am also very busy clearing and mulching beds, the dahlias have now all been lifted. In the greenhouse I’ve been able to plant out some of my young plants ready for flowers next spring and there are lots more growing ready to be planted in the spring. I’ve also got the ranunculus and anemones chitting ready to plant out in a week or two. January is the time of rest for a flower farmer.

As the season has slowed recently with the end of my wedding season I’ve been able to enjoy more time with the children at weekends - Tilly and I competed in a pairs competition recently 🐎 which was nerve wracking but great fun and I’m looking forward to catching up with friends for the dog walks that we’ve been delaying.

I’m also already looking forward to flower dates in the diary for next year. The diary is almost full for weddings with 2 in the diary for 2026 already. I’ve some other exciting plans for 2025 which I will share soon. For now enjoy those autumn walks and rides and a slightly slower pace. 🍂

We are coming into a very busy period on the flower farm. There are still lots of flowers growing at the moment and the ...
14/10/2024

We are coming into a very busy period on the flower farm. There are still lots of flowers growing at the moment and the chrysanthemums are only just starting to flower but there are still some autumn flowering perennials and shrubs to pick from too along with a few annuals not caught by the frost yet.

There is also next years planting and growing well under way- the tunnel has young plants in it ready for early spring, the ranunculus and anemones are starting to come and the staging in the greenhouse is full of those that will be over wintered to be hardened off and planted out at the end of winter.

Meanwhile there are gorgeous dried flowers stored away for overwinter creative projects in the flower studio.

If you would like to venture into growing to provide fresh flowers for the house and plenty of surplus to give to friends next year then join myself and Jo on November 6th for our introduction to growing cut flowers course. If you can’t make that date then there is another on March 1st. These are all day with a locally sourced lunch and we discuss everything from our favourite flowers and perennials to suppliers of tools, seeds and compost that we couldn’t be without.

We go through our methods of growing, how we plan our plot taking into account the conditions that we have and how to tackle the pests, wind and water logging. The day finishes with a demonstration of how to make a handtied bouquet and questions and answers too. There is also a hefty handout to take home with notes that you’ve made on the tour and during the day.

To book your place drop us a message and we can share the link or go to our websites and follow the link to workshops.

We look forward to seeing you and discussing everything flower growing with you.








Gorgeous photos from a wedding 2 weeks ago at the Orchard at Munsley wedding venue and Munsley church.
02/10/2024

Gorgeous photos from a wedding 2 weeks ago at the Orchard at Munsley wedding venue and Munsley church.

It’s been quite cold today hasn’t it. We may have had some sunshine and no rain but the ground is sodden and I can’t get...
27/09/2024

It’s been quite cold today hasn’t it. We may have had some sunshine and no rain but the ground is sodden and I can’t get onto my clay without causing compaction and problems for the future so other than picking I am keeping off for now. We’ve a few drier days forecast. I created my last bridal bouquet of the season this morning ready for tomorrow- it’s beautiful pastels. However I feel that the shrubs and temperatures are definitely more autumnal which made me think about these 2 farewell arrangements that were made in August.

The first is a large single ended sheaf in rich golds and burgundy with the cherry caramel phlox that bridges the two colours so perfectly. The flowers are very simply tied and are delivered in water to keep them really fresh to the last minute. They can easily be untied and the flowers shared afterwards if you would like or with no wires or plastic they are perfect for a green burial and are 100% home compostable.

The second tribute is arranged in damp moss in the leather cartridge bag. It’s full of August seed heads, with wheat and the delicate grasses and hedgerow blackberries yet to ripen. There is a dog lead and some spent cartridges from a day enjoyed in the outdoors. I now have lots of pheasants strutting their stuff around the flower farm - they are having dust baths in the dry soil in the poly tunnels and waiting eagerly for me to plant the ranunculus- a favourite of theirs, mine and yours so we do have words about that when I find them with pecked leaves.











Single ended sheaf photos

This was on the BBC website yesterday
27/09/2024

This was on the BBC website yesterday

Women work long and gruelling hours to grow the flowers sold across Europe.

17/09/2024

Address

Dunbridge Farm, Gloucester Road
Ledbury
HR82JE

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