Flowering Now / Garden Tours

The Autumn Garden and ideas for Shade (16 November 2023)

Late Autumn in the garden There is still so much to enjoy with the hydrangeas changing colour, the architectural Cobaea scandens, Ilex x altaclerensis ‘Golden King’, Ferns and Hellebore foliage.

As long as Hellebores are healthy I leave the foliage in place until the new growth starts coming through in late winter, they add some lovely green ground cover as well as feeding the plant making it all the stronger next year!

It’s not the end, it’s the beginning! Garden Tour (31 October 2023)

A quick look round out garden in Late October.

Virtual Garden Tour (10 August 2023)

I thought you might like a full garden tour!

It’s quite long, however you get to see the garden and the flower field. I’ve also answered some of the questions that have come through on DM’s recently. I hope you enjoy it!

Hot Water Treatment for Cut Flowers

Searing involves placing the bottom of the cut steams in boiling water, this increases the surface area available for the flower to use to absorb water and results in a more turgid and upright stem. Be careful not to cook the stems or allow the steam near the flowers or foliage.

20 seconds is enough for the most delicate stems and a bit longer for woody stems.

A simple table arrangement using just Phlox and Cosmos.

You don’t need a dedicated cutting patch to grow enough flowers for arranging.

This year we have created 3 smaller cottage garden beds with different planting combinations. All have been grown with seeds from our grow-a-long in just a few months.

Our Autumn Jump Starter seed shop this year will include more petite varieties of our favourites so you can join in whatever your growing space. Here is an idea for right now, a simple table arrangement using just Phlox and Cosmos.

Time to check in on the Zinnia Seed Trials

The Snapdragons have been flowering away for weeks in the garden bringing us so much joy.

Here is a super and simple quick arrangement with our garden grown stems to brighten up your kitchen table.

Most flowers are phototropic which means they bend towards the light, this is an important reason why we stake them.

Snapdragons are geotropic which means they are influenced by gravity.

Extended video harvesting Snapdragons below

Fallen stems will quickly bend giving a swan neck to your cut flowers.

Once picked flower stems will need to be kept bolt upright for poker straight flowers.

If conditioned at an angle, even in complete darkness the tips of the flowers will bend skywards and fix in that position.

I think a little bending is charming but choose a nice deep bucket or tall vase to keep the stems as straight as possible, at least until you arrange them, after which you can happily allow them to ‘do their thing’”!

Finally the wind has dropped enough (albeit temporarily) to take you on a quick wander around the garden to see the first of the dahlias coming through.