Georgie Newbery and her husband Fabrizio have what sounds to me like an idyllic life growing beautiful, flowers to cut and create into beautiful posies and bouquets, though I know that in reality it’s very hard work. They started their business five years ago with too many sweet peas, put them out in front of the house in jam jars with an honesty box. The business has developed and now they provide flowers for weddings, funerals and post their flowers throughout mainland U.K. all year round.
What makes their flowers really special is that they’re all seasonal, sweet peas, ammi (a beautiful, well-behaved type of cow parsley), sunflowers, calendula and cosmos are all grown from seed on their smallholding in Somerset. They also grow gorgeous dahlias, roses and tons of shrubs and hedging for greenery.
I’m always banging on about how important it is to grow plants using sound horticultural techniques; the most marvellous design will never reach it’s potential if excellent growing conditions aren’t provided and there’s an understanding of how plants grow. Georgie and Fabrizio have done exactly that, the plants are grown in raised beds containing loads of rich, nutritious soil, when necessary they add lime to break up the heavy, clay soil. They keep bees and encourage butterflies and don’t use any chemicals, pests are discouraged by edging the flower-fields with native hedgerows and generally making habitats for natural predators.
The hand-tied posies and bouquets, starting at £42 inc p&p, include whatever is seasonal They’re sent by post to arrive the following day.
They also run horticultural courses, in July you can learn how to grow flowers for cutting, and make your own lovely, hand-tied bouquet to take home, a delicious light lunch is also included, all for £55 ……. I’m very tempted!
See the website for details of bouquets, posies and courses.
http://www.commonfarmflowers.com
I’ve grown Zinnias and Cosmos which are really easy, do you grow flowers for cutting?
Jill
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