Silver Grey Foliage

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Silver Grey Foliage

We are a small eucalyptus and flower grower in Headingley Leeds. We grow and sell our flowers locally at Bare_Coffee. We also provide gift bouquets.
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Our first love is wreaths! We do weddings and events with a mixture of grown and flown flowers.

29/10/2024

These stunners are now cut for one of our shop florists.

Today was all about cuttings, divisions, increasing our stock for 2025 and trusting in the process.

Photograph by 🙏🏾

22/10/2024

It’s ok. Infact, it’s wierdly ok.

We’re away for the first time this year, but work is still being done in preparation for next season.

Gemma has been busy:

- weeding and mulching the new Eucalyptus ready for the colder winter days,
- planting out the carrot family seedlings and getting them tucked in for stage 1 of our winter protection plan,
- and tomorrow she has a gorgeous day of pricking out, splitting and potting on to look forward to.

Having an employee is a huge decision. Claire always said that you need to take this leap before you can really afford it.

It’s made the pennies tight. I won’t lie. Very tight. But without a doubt it has been the right decision for us this year and in particular in preparation for your flowers for next year.

If you’re a Florist and you would like to work with us this winter and into 2025, then use the link in our bio to share your information.

If you’re a flower lover-of the non florist variety, then I strongly suggest that you order a Spring Flowers Subscription! They’re going to be Epic! Use the link in our bio to order your 🤓

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Photograph from today.

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10/10/2024

It’s time to take a look inside The Flower Farmer’s Planner.

Yesterday I clicked the final order button. We’ve added an extra coating and made final adjustments to a few pages so that this edit is the best that it can be!

Each month there is space to:

✏️Keep track of the important habits in your Practice

✏️Record your Business and Financial Goals

✏️Schedule your propagating and Planting plans

✏️Make notes about your growing space

✏️Document your weekly goals to keep you moving forwards

✏️Keep track of your cutting records

✏️Identify Gaps

✏️Reflect on the month

No one wil ever record everything every month. But the more that you record the less you have to try to remember!

This season the Planner is undated, so that you will be able to use it as soon as it arrives (if you don’t have the 2024 edit already on the go!)

To plan your most successful season yet, order your copy now using the link in our Bio. Or by heading to the website: silvergreyfoliage.com

Rebecca

10/10/2024

Florists! We’ve cared for our leaves lovingly all year so that you can show them off this winter!

Ordering is easy and I am so proud of the quality year after year after year.

If you are not on our email list, you will need to complete the short registration form before you can order for November and December.

Click the link in our bio. It’ll take no more than a couple of minutes to be closer to having the most amazing British Foliage this winter.

06/04/2024

Apparently it is warmer than it looks!

So Tulips for bouquets and bunches are ready a week ahead of schedule!

I have popped Tulip bouquets on the website for collection all weekend. £10 £25 £50

Come and collect some joy for your weekend!

Link in picture and in our bio!

05/09/2023

When you start a business it’s worth keeping an open mind.

It’s also worth testing different models to see what you like the best.

And it’s worth noticing what other people think that you are good at.

Because often, we miss our strengths by trying to mould our businesses into who/what we think it ‘should’ look like.

I’m just saying… because on reflection, Silver Grey Foliage in 2023 looks nothing like what I hoped for in 2019, dreamt about in 2020, worked on in 2021, and grew in 2022.

My thought of the day, and some flowers too.

Rebecca

24/08/2023

I love to keep a healthy dose of reality on these squares.

So here is part of out bathroom full of flowers from this morning.

It’s the cool, dark, well-ventilated space where we condition your flowers.

So far it has seen approximately 40000 stems this year!

Our growing capacity will significantly increase next season for our wholesale customers and DIY Weddings. We’ll need a bigger bathroom🤣 🤭🙉

Happy Thursday to you all.

Rebecca

09/08/2023

It’s Wednesday.

Just popping these here because cutting and wrapping them made me smile.

I hope they make you smile too.

Rebecca

31/07/2023

We dodged the rain.

My helpers were utterly delighted by this! 3 Dahlia flowers on one stem and each with different colours🤯

Nature is fabulous isn’t it?!

Rebecca

30/07/2023

It feels a little like autumn outside.

The weekend has been filled with:

Weeding
Bed prep
Walks with friends and dogs
Jousting
Ginger cookies
Checking the propagator
Wine
Paying the tax bill🙄
Cake
Sleep
Plant protection

And confirming a very very special crop order for next spring!!

28/07/2023

Hi everyone!

It's been a busy week back.

The week at Silver Grey has looked like:

Cutting for orders
Cutting for drying
Deadheading
Feeding our flowers
Collecting seeds
Weeding
Protecting crops
Sowing seeds

We're taking orders for next week. Wholesale and bouquet orders are welcome.

My two helpers are enjoying earning some pennies over the holidays, and I would be very grateful if you'd keep them busy!

Thank you ☺️

Rebecca

17/07/2023

A summer’s bouquet with a crisp kraft paper collar.

For a bouquet like this one, I almost build the bouquet in layers.

I like to make sure that some flowers are clustered as you would fine them in the garden.

And I always make sure that there is an abundance of colour and texture and scent.

Delivered to a man who smiled and just for a moment, before I dashed off, I watched his eyes dance over the flowers.

A bouquet of flowers is always the perfect gift.

12/07/2023

I escaped to the field this evening. I did need to cut flowers, but I also needed to empty my head.

These made me smile. 🙃

12/07/2023

It’s taken a while for me to feel genuine affection for Dahlia.

In our first year I chose based on recommendations and was happy enough, but not overwhelmed.

In our second year, nothing seemed to be the colour that I ordered.

Last year I seemed to have tonnes of yellow! I love yellow, but our customers don’t love yellow Dahlia!

This year’s collection are entirely new and curated to fit the shapes that I like and the colours that my customer love.

They have absolutely loved the rain that we have had over the past few days!

Infact last year they performed much better in September once the summer had cooled down and the rains came.

I guess I had to learn how to love them.. Are you a Dahlia fan?

11/07/2023

Behind me in this picture is the fence of our new field area.

This fence has had more attention this year than I care to admit.

First we put up stock fencing to keep the sheep out.

Then we trenched chicken wire to keep out the rabbits (we still have rabbits).

Today the children helped Antony to raise the fence to keep out the Deer that ate the tops off my entire Phlox crop over the weekend. And a few things.

I tell you, growing the flowers is the easy bit🤯

04/07/2023

All of these reasons are true, and there is one more......

Records form memories that we can look back on and see how far we have come.

They help you to give yourself a well deserved smile.

Order your Flower Farmer's Planner now in the Pre-Order Period to receive the best price.

Thank you
Rebecca

03/07/2023

If you look back to our posts about The Flower Farmer's Planner for 2023, I wrote alot about dealing with the overwhelm that Flower Farmer's experience and how The Flower Farmer’s Planner helps.

Overwhelm happens when there is too much to do and an abscence of priority. It’s horrible.

There will always be more things to do. The question that you need to be asking though is ‘what needs doing now?’

The Flower Farmer’s Planner helps you to work out what has been done and which step needs doing next.

Because in reality you can only influence what you need to do now.

Use the structures in your Flower Farmer’s Planner 2024 to keep you moving forward.

We’re into the 2nd week of the pre-order period. Follow the link in our bio or in the stories to order yours.

Rebecca

26/06/2023

Hi!

We are Rebecca and Antony and together we have grown Silver Grey Foliage from a crazy, silly, dream into a growing Flower Farm cutting 10's of thousands of stems each year.

We are based in Headingley, minutes away from the Cricket ground and surrounded by a vibrant and diverse community. We love it here.

We grow our flowers for Florists, DIY weddings, Bouquets and subscriptions.

We grow our foliage for Florists, Wreaths and Eucalyptus subscriptions and bouquets.

If you are a Florist in Leeds, or further away, drop me a message to see how we can work together.

Antony and I established Silver Grey Foliage in 2019. From courses, books, people and the internet Antony have learned about everything from setting up our Flower Farm to running our website.

Going from nothing and no knowledge to growing and profitable in 4 years has been a steep learning curve. There is genuinely so much to know and so much to do.

How we have done this does not fit into a post on Social Media! However the structures underpinning how we PLAN, PREPARE, GROW, CUT and SELL can be summarised to help you to work efficiently and effectively.

This is why we wrote The Flower Farmer's Planner.

Don't get me wrong. The Flower Farmer's Planner DOES NOT do the work for you! But we hope that if you use it well, you will be better equipped to .

The Pre-Order window for the 2024 edition is now open. Order yours now by tapping the picture, following the link in our bio or heading to our website: www.silvergreyfoliage.com

Thank you

Rebecca

Photograph by the talented -

Address

Headingley
Leeds

Website

http://www.silvergreyfoliage.com/

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Videos

Good morning This isn’t a masterclass in floristry! It’s just me, enjoying 10 minutes of peace with flowers from my garden. There’s no music because I didn’t have any on! And no voice over because what I am doing is self explanatory. I hope that watching this brings you a peaceful moment in your day. And maybe it will inspire you to order a Flower Frog so that you can enjoy mindful flowery monents too. (Use the link in our bio) Rebecca #mindfulflowerarranging #takeamoment #gardenflowerarrangement #easyflowerarrangement #easyflowers #ceramicflowerfrog #flowerfrog #giftforflowerlovers

1 - Lets get started with our Flower Frog. 2 - Don’t be put off by the flowers, they are literally things that I like but don’t sell from around my garden. 3 - All you need to have a mindful moment with bits from your garden are: a jam jar or water glass tap water or rain water and the this Handmade Ceramic Flower Frog, made by @‌lornagilbertceramics for @‌silvergreyfoliage Order yours using the link in our bio, or the product link on the Instagram picture. Everyone can arrange flowers using this! #handmade #ceramicflowerfrog #handmadeceramicflowerfrog #easyflowerarrangingtool #jamjarflowerarranging #bringflowersintoyourhome #fromgardentovase #diyflowerarranging #flowerarrangingathome #flowertherapy #naturemakesyoufeelbetter #giftforflowerlover #presentforflowerlovers

We’ve snuck away 🤓 In the video I talk about the Flower Farmer’s Planner. The proof is now with the printer! There is alot of information in the video so do watch and listen! Just a quick reminder that the the Pre-order price ends on Sunday at 4pm GMT😬 More tomorrow Rebecca #getonandgrow #flowerfarminglife #growingflowersfromseed #growingflowersforcutting #flowerfarmrecords #britishflowergrower #flowergrower #flowerfarmer #growbetterflowers #flowerfarmersplanner #flowerfarmerflorist #flowerfarmrecordkeeping

October flowers…. #britishflowersoctober #seasonalgiftbouquet #giftsforflowerlovers #leeds #yorkshire #bramhope

The world of Silver Grey Foliage started with Eucalyptus. I hold my hands up in the knowledge that planting 18 Eucalyptus in your garden is neither a logical response, nor a rational approach to planning a friend’s wedding flowers. Especially when I was never going to be able to use them for that wedding🤣 My comments over the video are actually wrong because there 2 test plots at the field. In one, we learnt about grass. Yes. Grass! In the other we have learnt about spacing and varieties that are suitable for the field. So in the video are the relative babies of our Eucalyptus! They are our 4th and largest plantation. We grow 10 varieties in total and they have all been selected under thd keen instruction and immense support of Hillary (and Ben) @hardyeucalyptus.hilary Hillary taught us the steps that we need to take when planting. It’s guided the successfull planting of all of our shrubs and foliage. It’s not the cheapest or the quickest method. And we could definitely grow more if we skipped a few steps. However the planning, preparation. planting and protection means that we have productive trees. And the method works every time! This year we’ll have enough for all of our workshops and for wholesale/retail orders. Do get in touch if you’d like to know more! You could decorate your home, your shop, your church, your winter wedding…. I’d love to talk Rebecca #silvergreyfoliage #britisheucalyptus #seasonalfoliage #leedsfoliage #foliageforflorists #learningourway #leedsindependentbusiness #leedsbusiness #eucalyptusdecor #eucalyptusshower #shopdecoration #winterwedding #sustainablechurchflowers #sustainablechurches #leeds #getonandgrow

My friends I have failed you…. I haven’t posted a single picture of orders leaving through the red door this week. A huge thank you for all of your wholesale orders! We’ve cut so much that the spreadsheet is behind🤣🤭 We’ll be delivering subscription bunches and bouquets today before taking a couple of days by the sea. I do hope that you’re well. Rebecca 🌿 Ps The first batch of dried flowers are almost ready. There’ll be a list with prices in the next Florist’s newsletter. If you’d like to receive the list, please drop me a message. Thank you. #seasonalcutflowers #aglimpseofjoy #leedsflowers #leedsflowergrower #getonandgrow #britishflower #britishfoliage

I’ve only used Roses in 2 bridal bouquets this year. And I haven’t used a single Peony😎 The Peonies have ALL had a holiday this year. I love Roses, they’re a flower close to my heart, so we’ve been nursing just over 100 of new Rose bushes this year so that next year, we’ll have more Roses for our brides and florists. Just thought I’d let you know🤓 #seasonalflowers #growingroses #leedsflowergrower #yorkshireflowergrower #bridalbouquetleeds #weddingflowersleeds #britishfloral #britishfloraldesign

Every Sunday Antony and I discuss which week I mean when I say ‘This week’. So for clarity, these flowers and more were cut over the last 7 days. Thank you so much to all of you for ordering flowers from us. Every order helps Silver Grey (Antony and I) inch closer to our dream. I do dare to dream. So rarely do I dare to hope that a dream might come true. Thank you Rebecca and Antony Growers of honest flowers and foliage in Yorkshire. #thankyou #yorkshireflowers #yorkshireflowergrower #flowersforyorkshireflorists #getonandgrow

When we started in 2019, I used an old lazy susan to make my arrangements. It leant to the right no matter how many times I weighed down the left. I bought a new cake decorating spinner last season . It’s a revelation to work on something flat and stable! I unpacked it this week in preparation for next week’s wedding. I thought I’d see if it made short films any easier. I’m not convinced but it was a fun experiment. You’ll forgive me if I point my phone/camera in one direction at a time mostly. This bucket for Nicola is the penultimate order for this week. Orders have included: 🌿Cosmos Bipanthus doubles 🌿Snapdragon 🌿Amaranthus hot biscuit and coral shades 🌿Dahlia 🌿Marjoram 🌿Morocan Mint 🌿Perennial and annual Scabious 🌿Nigella seedpods 🌿Achillea-Cassis, Proa, Love Parade and Goldplate 🌿Ammi V 🌿Hydrangea Annabelle 🌿Limonium 🌿Agapanthus 🌿Physocarpus and if I’m allowed just one favourite, strawflowers! When the sun comes back to Yorkshire there will be buckets of Dahlia! I can’t wait. They’re all ready to pop. Happy Thursday! Rebecca ❤️🌿 #seasonalflowers #flowersforflorists #yorkshireflowerfarm #yorkshireflowers #favouriteflowers #Yorkshire #Leeds

We must have had alot of faith in Silver Grey when we did those first workshops in 2019…. Today we’re doing our first big workshops of the year. Corporate workshops for 40 in total! I was quite clear that we wouldn’t have clean aprons for every set of 10. We have 30, which is pretty close! With the most enormous thanks to Mr Silver Grey for washing, ironing and packing this essential piece of kit away every time they’re used. These aprons have seen a fair few box sets! And alot of Wreaths too! 🤣 #corporateevents #corporatechristmas #corporatechristmasparty #corporatechristmasdecorations #corporatewellbeing #corporatewellnessprograms #teambuildingideas #teambuildingactivity #sustainablebuildingdesign #yorkshire #leeds And yes, we are taking bookings for group parties this Christmas. 🤭

So it’s peak flower season and we’re cutting buckets or fresh flowers all the time. We’re also cutting flowers specifically for drying. Most flowers are cut for drying when they are in peak condition. With the foliage and fillers that I dry, I cut some early on. Allowing the drying process to start on the plant outside means that you get a gorgeous range of colours naturally. We don’t dye our flowers. Nature does a wonderful job all in its own. The children and I cut a boot full of Bupleurum, Nigella and scabious for drying today after holiday club and before the rain! #getonandgrow #cutflowersfordrying #naturallyairdried #naturallydriedflowers #goldentones #everlastingflowers #workingwithnature #seasonalbounty #slowflowers #slowfloralstyle #driedflowers #slowliving #slowsimpleseasonal #thefloralseasons

A June Bridal Bouquet The trust that our brides put in us and nature is humbling. Our brides trust that the combinations of colour and texture provided by our field and garden will be perfect on their special day. To Cat and Rob-may your marriage be filled with colour and fun forever! Rebecca ❤️🌿 #junebridalbouquet #grownnotflown #yorkshireweddingflorist #bouquetandbuckets #yorkshireweddingflowers #diywedding #yorkshireweddingflowers #flowersfromthefarm #leeds

Shortcuts

Who are Silver Grey Foliage?

Who are we? Antony and I (Rebecca) are husband and wife and lovers of foliage and flowers.

Where are we? Based in Headingley, Leeds, we grow flowers and foliage in our garden (at present) and design and create floral arrangements here too.

What do we do? Firstly we grow and sell seasonal flowers and foliage. Our Eucalyptus plantation is planted and in it’s first year! Our flowers are currently available daily at Bare Coffee, Far Headingley. We provide weekly flower bouquets to local businesses from our own and sourced stock. We cater for events from weddings to wreath workshops and corporate team building events from our own and sourced produce.

Why? In life there are many things that we can do, there are lots of things that we like to do, but there are few things that we love to do. Growing and working with foliage and flowers is something that we LOVE to do and this resonates through what we produce.