cut fliowers – Gardens. Travel. Life.

Posted on June 20, 2019June 20, 2019 by happyretiredblog · 3 Comments

Here and there. There and here. Somerset and London.

I’ve been in Somerset for the week. Primarily to garden. To dig out the ground elder and to generally tidy the neglected garden. But. Best laid plans and all that. It rained. No it poured down. The drive down to was wet. Very wet. I stopped off for a toilet break. And sat in the car for ages. Waiting for a break. Which never came.

I did manage to empty the pots at the front of the cottage and to replant with geraniums. This year it’s all a bit pink with a bit of lavender thrown into the pots right outside the front door. ‘Thrown in ‘ now that’s a horticultural technical term. Isn’t it? From a man who still calls Coleus Coleus and gets a row for mixing up my pellies with my geraniums.

Even though we aren’t there a lot I like to keep the front pots planted. Now all I need to do is persuade my godson to water them for me. I’m sure he will. I’ve perfected it over the last 16 years. It will give him an excuse to drive his tractor down the lane. Not that he needs one.

I dug and dug until I was almost in Australia in attempt to clear the ground elder and bindweed roots out. Ian arrived mid week and helped me clear large parts of the problem. There is still a long way to go. Not to Australia. That is a long way. But to be rid of ground elder and bindweed.

If you look closely you can see him under dark skies ideen in the midst of the greenery! It’s a side on view rather than the usual back of the head pic!

We all photograph the best bits in the garden. The most photogenic. The ones with a bit of colour. Behind the honeysuckle and to the right is a really untidy bit of garden. At the bottom there is bindweed trying to strangle the currant bushes. Nettles protecting the raspberry canes. But there are some lovely flashes of colour. A reminder of what the garden has and is hidden. In the weeds!

I planted this orange poppy two years ago and it’s flourished. It has flowered and flowered and there aré still more to come.

There are some straggly dark poppies to come through – found through the weeds and I have scattered seed of the Californian poppy throughout the garden. I’d been recommended the colours Copperpot and Ivory Castle so have used them as well as a general mix. I love the vibrant orange. They remind me of my parents garden c1970’s.

Phlomis

Can I admit it? I’m not a lover of this Phlomis. Was on the garden when we bought the cottage so had been around for over 20 odd years. ( some years were distinctly older than others) and it keeps returning. I prefer the pink one. No that’s not a theme of pink big I find this one a little dull.

There is only one self seeded foxglove in the garden. Two years ago they were abundant. The astrantia continues to grow like a weed – they obviously likes it here. I first bought Astrantia in the old Hadspen gardens. It was run then by Sandra and Nori Pope two inspirational gardeners and where I bought Astrantia Hadspen blood.

Astrantia

The Cornus this year has gone crazy. The tree is so top heavy with flowers that the rain has made it hang very low over the garden. I need to look how and when it should be pruned. It’s a beautiful sight especially at dusk and dawn where it illuminates the border.

A the roses are awesome this year. This really pretty pink is smothered in buds. The rambling rector which we thought we had lost has literally hundreds of buds waiting to open and hundreds already open. Not easy to photograph though!!

I don’t usually have much luck with clematis. Rubbish at pruning they are generally left to their own devices. But in Somerset there are three that return year in year. This year it is the turn of my old friend Nelly Moser to go crazy. Big fat blooms.

It hasn’t been all gardening. A message from a fellow Insta & witterer Harriet Rycroft to say she was in Bruton and was I around to meet for a catch up and a visit some gardens. Some. Well three.

Piet oudolf Field at Hauser& Wirth

Coffee and catch up first and then a wander around the Piet oudolf garden at Hauser and Wirth.

As the garden is a 5 minute drive from the cottage it’s a garden I pop into whenever I can. The change week on week is startling. The flowers are coming into their own and the colours are striking.

Slower I suspect than previous years bearing in mind our spectacular lack of summer so far. But you can’t help but be impressed. can you? I am.

The pond

Common Farm Flowers

Next stop was for a quick cuppa with Georgie at Common Farm flowers. Often my last stop on the drive down before I get to the cottage for a cuppa and a catch up. I love the garden and the cut flower farm and even at the end of a busy picking week – deliveries for House party’s, bouquets and wedding flowers all picked and delivered – the garden is still a riot of colour.

The newt in Somerset

Finally a whirlwind walk around The Newt in Somerset. I still don’t like the name – but I’ll get used to it.

My second visit to the new garden and I absolutely love the colour gardens – a homage to Sandra and Nori Pope who gardened here when we first moved to Somerset.

There is so much to see. First lunch in the garden cafe. Beautifully set so you look out Over the circular walled garden. The walled garden has espalier apples adorning the walls. Each section is Mamés for the county or country where the variety of apple is from. It’s a gorgeous walled garden and unusual in that it is circular.

The colour gardens are red. White and blue. I liked the white garden which was beautifully planted. But can I be honest. I’m not a huge lover of totally white gardens. But there was no getting away from it we both agreed it was beautiful.

The blue garden was – well blue and again beautiful.

But for me it was the red garden that stole the show. I just think I’m a bright colour type. I have to admit I missed these gardens on my first visit but to be fair there is so much to see.

We both agreed that we needed a selfie. It hadn’t happened unless we did. Looking at it sent me to have a haircut the following day.

London Garden

The rain drove us back to London. Not literally. But it was too wet to do anything more in Somerset and I needed to do some things in the garden before I headed off to Spain. The garden is planted in pots. Everything is is pots. The reason was that we hadn’t intended to stay long in the house and we could move the plants we wanted with us. 17 years later it’s still in pots.

is decided that lavender was in order for the window boxes this year and they are doing great. Attracting bees like crazy.

The back garden is small and these two salvia are a welcome colour. Salvia amistad is huge. A beautiful deep colour and as I’ve planted it ( in a large pot) and shoved it ( another horticultural technical term) at the back of the garden it has had to climb up through other stuff and is now as tall ( or as short) as me. Salvia hot lips is well hot and grows like crazy.

Ian’s a fan of tree ferns so we have had to have them in the garden. I love them too but as they are his favourite then it’s only polite to let him buy them. A win win situation.

I love this time of year as the fronds are opening up and are as green as they are. Mark from Todd’s Botanics recommended I put a handful of alpaca poo beans in the crown every 6 months. And to feed liquid feed fortnightly too. I have and it works. Always good to Poo your plants.

I love agapanthus. Easy to grow in pots in the garden and again this year they are.

Budding up nicely. All bar one. All fed on alpaca poo from Lou Archer Yep. I poo my plants.

There is good colour scent and shape in the garden at the moment. The honeysuckle, planted in a Victorian chimney pot blasts out a great scent now that the jasmine has almost finished. The banana is growing well but all would do better with a bit more sun.

If you have got this far then thank you. I realise it’s been more a marathon than a sprint.

Lesson learnt. Blog a bit more often. And shorter.

Posted on September 13, 2018March 10, 2021 by happyretiredblog · 7 Comments

Summer of Love – Dahlias Dahlias. Dahlias.

Can there be too much of a good thing where flowers are concerned? Can you suffer from dahlia overload?

It may seem like that this summer for me. I love them. But sadly through the beast of the east and two seasons of neglect in our Somerset garden I had none of my own. Previously I had a lot which I boldly left in the ground. Year on year. But this year the weather and my inability to manage the garden beat me. I then beat myself for the neglect. But a new project and a new house and garden has been all consuming. But you already know that.

I have therefore had to rely on the generosity of other peoples gardens for my dahlia fix. Oh. And what a fix it has been. There have been open gardens – Jack Wallington and Alex and Joe ( The Gardening guys ). There has been Common Farm. And Instagram and twitter. A quiet start to the dahlia season and then. Boom. They were everywhere.

Well not everywhere obviously because there weren’t any in my garden. At all. Some people also struggled. Later blooms. Smaller flowers.

Yet look at his one. A big fat dinner plate dahlia as big as my head. Taken at Jack Wallington and Christopher Anderson’s open garden last weekend. Emory Paul. A dahlia I recall seeing at RHS Chatsworth last year and thinking. Blinky blonky blimey. Look at the size of that. Which I did and thought I want – no says Ian I think you mean you would like. Which I do and I will next year. Even if its just the one in a big pot on the terrace in Spain. It’s magnificent. But truth be told its never just the one. Never just the one plant. Never just the one trip. Never just the one bar of chocolate.

Jack and Chris opened their Clapham garden twice this year for London NGS, and I was pleased that I could make one of the two. Jack likes a dahlia or two. Or thirty three and grows most on his allotment and had picked a lot of the dahlias from there. ( Hint. Maybe an open allotment day next year!) I say picked but I think he stripped the allotment of all the blooms.

A bright blue sky always helps a photograph look better.

The varieties and colours were fabulous and not only did he fill a room with single stem dahlias he and Chris erected a dahlia arch over the front door, so there was no escaping what house was having an open garden day as you turned the corner.

Having watched an insta story the night before of Jack trying to put the arch up I wasn’t that hopeful to be honest. Sorry Guys! You had even turned the sound down so we couldn’t hear the angst. But patience is a virtue and it was brilliant.

Don’t ever go on that telebox programme Through the keyhole” guys. This room would give you away when they say ‘ who lives in a house like this’ Um. Must be Jack and Chris. I loved it but boy I was nervous. I stood at the edge and admired and took photographs. Too nervous to put my size nines anywhere near the flowers. I still wonder how Rumbles – the cat , not their nickname , doesn’t just go in and paw each single stem. Fred our cat would. One by one. I loved the dark red/black dahlias in the brown bottles. Recycling at its best there!

But just look at them. Gorgeous.

It wasn’t all about dahlias at their open garden – in the garden were Rincus, Jacks fern wall, coleus (sorry guys I am old and they are coleus to me), salvia, great seed heads on the clematis, shadows on the leaves of the banana and great foliage plants. But this is about dahlias. Just dahlias. There are more pictures of the other plants on my Instagram feed and Jack has a blog on the foliage plants on his feed.

Oh and course there was cake.

Another dahlia fest for me this summer were my days at Common Fam Flowers. A working flower farm. With rows of dahlias. Dahlias for picking. Dahlias for bouquets. Dahlias for weddings. Not just dahlias of course.

The thing about going there in the summer is that you are guaranteed a dahlia or two. To be honest it was Georgie who made me realise that I did actually like a dahlia. I ordered some flowers from her early on in our friendship and the bouquet included dahlias. I was hooked. Much more interesting shapes colours and styles than grown in my parents garden decades before.

Growing up my parents grew some. Not many. Pretty dull ordinary dahlias. Yes there are such a thing. I hated them. Always full of earwigs. Which fell out as you picked them. It put me off for years. I was sent to pick them to bring indoors. Which my parents always did – had flowers indoors – there was none of ‘ flowers are just for the garden’. That’s where i got my gardening habits from. Amongst other habits. Like talking constantly like my mother. Her deadheading obsession.

I digress. The dahlias of Common Farm Flowers never cease to amaze me. This year the Cafe Au Lait were and are stunning. Another one for my one pot dahlia on the terrace in Spain. Spectacular in arrangements or in a brides bouquet or equally gorgeous in a single vase. Such beautifully formed petals.

Now please dont think of asking me the names of all the dahlias. I know the names of three. The rest are either pretty dahlias, pink ones, pom-poms or cactus.

This one took my eye when we were preparing the flowers for a big wedding. 85 jam jar posies. 8 large arrangements for the table centres. Pew ends. A huge ball to hang from the ceiling. Garlanding. Buttonholes. Included in all but the buttonholes were dahlias. All colours. All sizes.

This is American Dream. And it is. A definite Dreamy dahlia. Sat quietly in a bucket I zoomed straight in on it. The flower was in the bucket. Not me. That would have been silly. And required a large bucket.

The petals shape size and form on Cafe au lait are just fabulous. I don’t mind that its not my usual big loud blousy colour choice. It’s just beautiful in its simplicity.

I was given a jam jar posie from Georgie when I called in last week which included dahlias. And a big fat Cafe au lait included. Not one. But two, lucky lucky. Worth a stop on my way to the cottage.

Here’s a few, just a few of this years delights. None of which I can take credit for – though the photographs are mine.

I think I maybe all dahlia’d out for this year. Is that a thing? I need to move on. I have.

To the bulb catalogues for tulips and alliums. For Canna and agapanthus. Tulips and alliums ordered already.

But I have one more wedding at Common Farm to help out with at the beginning of October and I am sure that there will still be blooming lovely dahlias about then. In the meantime I have made a list of what I would like to try in Spain next year. It has to be a short list. A very short list. But don’t tell Ian.

Posted on July 4, 2017November 22, 2017 by happyretiredblog · 4 Comments

Lovely day for a white wedding – my day in the life of Common Farm Flowers

Have I mentioned I’ve retired. Just once or twice I’m sure. The joy of being retired means I am able to do different things. Able to indulge. Whether it is gardening or travelling. Meeting people I have been engaged with ( rather than to ) on social media over the years. One of my biggest joys has been the opportunity to spend time at Common Farm Flowers with Georgie Newbery. The flower farmer of British grown flowers. Grown not flown. It’s well known I’m a huge fan. I buy flowers. Have attended workshops. Wandered the garden.

Over the last 18 months Georgie has allowed me to be part of the team at Common Farm Flowers to assist on busy days whether it be for Mothering Sunday,Easter, Christmas or one of my favourites – big wedding days. My friend Lorraine Pullen and I roped in as part of what Georgie calls ‘the dream team’ working alongside Georgie and Sharon in the flower studio. Who would have thought that 18 months ago I was pushing a pen around a bit of paper in Canary Wharf – not the actual Wharf but in a building on it – and now I’m occasionally pushing gorgeous British flowers into fantastic flowery arrangements. And loving it. Totally.

I was delighted to have been asked again last week to help out with a white wedding. So delighted I arranged my holidays around it.

The bride had asked for white. Previous weddings I had helped with were more colourful so I wasn’t sure about all white to be honest. But hey. What do I know. I’m just the work experience guy in this! Georgie had mentioned that the studio was full of around 4,000 stems. I’d seen the studio full before but boy. Was it full. And white. A small corner of colour for the bouquets going out that day. But predominately white. I love the studio but when it’s full of flowers, scent in the air it’s awesome.

The list was long. Brides bouquet. 4 bridesmaids. Button holes. Two large arrangements for pedestals for the church. A local Rural church in Cucklington whose records date back to 1291. One for the Norman font – a glorious arrangement warranted for such a historic structure. . Garlanding for the church entrance. Garlanding for the tipi in the field for the reception. Little arrangements for the gates of the church. All white. With green foliage. The list was endless. Where to start. How about a cuppa tea and a croissant. I came armed with goodies.

I’d called in the day before. right’ says Georgie cracking the whip ‘ ‘ early start tomorrow’ she reminds me . There’s a lot to get through. Say 8.30. Thanks. Did I mention I’m retired. 8.30! I work gentlemans hours – some say I always did. But for Georgie and the joy the day gives me I’d be there at 6. But don’t tell her that. Please.

My role for the day is to make a start on the 15 table arrangements – oh I forgot those in the list- oblong arrangements with a hurricane lamp and candle for the centre.

15. That’s not too bad I thought. That’s not what I thought hours later with an aching back and cross eyed from looking for gaps.

First job was to soak the oasis. Thanks Sharon – she had done it already. Team work that. I love Sharon. We work well together. She laughs at my jokes. She eats more cake than I do. Doesn’t mind my teasing her. And is brilliant at what she does. Sharon gets on with the garlanding. My job is easy compared to hers. That’s what I think. She just quietly gets on with it. In between answering the telephone. Life at the flower farm goes on. Despite 4,000 blooms sitting waiting to be arranged.

Make sure that the whole of the oasis is covered with green foliage says Georgie. Ok. That shouldn’t be difficult. I’ll be finished by lunchtime. Hmmm.

First I go cutting ivy. A wheelbarrow full ready to make a start. Which isn’t enough. I have to go cut more. Thankfully there is a lot. I can’t go wrong cutting Ivy.

Along with a whole host of other foliage. Including Rosemary – eucalyptus, camelia, lots of trachelium as greenery. Oh. And more ivy. More eucalyptus.

Sharon concentrates on getting the garlands made. These will be amazing at the end of the day. Great attention to detail. Worrying if she should add more. Or less. If less is more. If I’ll ever shut up up telling her she’s missed a bit. It’s really interesting how adding a different flower actually lifts the garlands. One minute you wonder – then with a small addition it lights up.

How hard is it I’d thought. 15 table arrangements to green up before the flowers go in. Can’t be that bad. Right. As soon as you think it’s done you look again and I can see a bit of oasis. If I can see it the boss lady will too. Eyes like a hawk. . Turn it around. There’s another. How much more foliage will it take. Let me tell you. Loads. And loads. And when you think your done. Loads more. I hear The boss say ‘ I don’t want to see any of that oasis’ – yes boss. Before we start adding white flowers. And then more white flowers.

Meanwhile Georgie is full on with bouquet and pedestal duty. Oh and in between some colourful bouquets for a 50th to be delivered later. Life isn’t only about tomorrow! There are orders to take. Other flowers to arrange. Kids to sort.

There is constant banter between us. We are missing Loraine who because of injury – not a flower arranging injury… but the banter continues. She always joins in. And gets us singing along to cheesy tunes. I miss Lorraine. She’s a diamond. Like me retired. A whole different life in the police behind her and it’s great to spend days like today as a team. That’s one thing I do miss in retirement. Team work. Common Farm works as a team. With Georgie at the helm.

I’d like to say that this is Sharon and I playing peek a boo over the flower tables. But it’s not. This is sharon checking for gaps. The garland will be high up and needs to be covered. I love this photo. Not only is it fun. It shows the attention to detail that Common Farm Flowers applies to the arrangements. Flowers. Friends. Fun. What more could I ask for. Other than another piece of cake. A cuppa tea. A sit down.

I was wrong about white. I like colour. But the white flowers were gorgeous. I’ll take a deep breath and try and remember what we used – Antirrhinums, sweet peas, feverfew, philadelphus, daisies, astrantia, limonium, jasmine, larkspur, delphinium, stocks, Ammi, roses, scabious, all looking awesome in the arrangements. Bears breeches to give height to the large arrangements for the altar. Ammi dancing and floating in the arrangements. The large floating heads dancing above the rest. Posh cow parsley someone said. Maybe. But I love it. I must actually look up pink cow parsley which I saw in the garden at Ardraich in Scotland. The stocks smell delicious. The small white roses look awesome. The larger more open roses fill the spaces. Will look even better tomorrow – I hope!

The large arrangements for the altar at the lovely local Church are given height with lovely bears breeches. To stand magnificently in the little rural church.

I’m also ‘odd job’. Collecting the cuttings. Of which there are many. Many trips to the compost. All organic here at Common Farm Flowers.

Or being sent out to cut the white roses to be used for the rose petal confetti. I love that. Being sent to the cutting garden on my own. That means I’ve been promoted. Trusted to cut on my own! Hurrah. I spend more time admiring the flower patches than I should. I’ll make up for it by making lunch. Which I do. Make shift pizzas. Alcoholic lollies.

The day is long. Tiring. I’m not used these days to hard work. Standing for hours. Bending. Having to constantly ask questions to Georgie. To Sharon. What should I do! Is this short enough? What flowers should be used next.? Told how many of each. For me the day ends at 7. The large arrangements have been delivered to the church. A bit of a panic over the altar cloth. Me ironing another. Did I say I was odd job.. too right. One thing my mother said I should be able to do was iron a shirt and sew a button on. Which I can. Oh. And bake a cake.

All that’s left is for the rest of the flowers to be delivered the following morning and put in place. I’m not there for that bit. But it doesn’t stop me worrying that all is well. That the flowers haven’t dropped in the night. That they like them. That I haven’t messed up in any way. That I won’t be asked back.

The following photos are courtesy of Georgie. To show the flowers in place. In the Church. In the tipi. At the gate. The sun came out and The flowers were fabulous. I’m sure the bride was fabulous too. A lovely day for a white wedding.

I declined from joining in the photo. I’d didn’t want to spoil the bouquet! Ian was already traumatised when I said I was seeing Georgie about wedding flowers. I didn’t want to give him a heart attack. He said we’d done it twice without flowers. No need for a third ceremony. Just for flowers.

Georgie wrote about using white in the tipi for wedding flowers. Top tips for the tipi! Go look at her Blog here for inspiration.

So what does a flower farmer do when he or she has finished. Take photos of what has been created.

The day after the wedding Georgie received a letter from the bridegrooms father. Saying how lovely the flowers were. That for me makes my aching back. My tired legs all worth while.

For my small contribution to the day.

For my part I’m hoping that I get asked back again to continue my valuable ‘work experience’ along with Lorraine who is my senior and with Georgie and Sharon. That is if If Sharon hasn’t asked that don’t return unless it’s without my camera. Especially without my camera and my ability to take some awful pictures of her. Taken unawares. But not for here! Plus my constant requests of ‘ can I turn the lights off please’ . I’ll go back with almost any conditions! Almost.

Information on Common Farm Flowers can be found here. Great place to order bouquets – I know – I have ordered a few in my time! Great workshops too. Oh. And wedding flowers.

Posted on September 20, 2016March 10, 2021 by happyretiredblog · 5 Comments

Dahlia love 2

I used to hate dahlias growing up. My parents grew them – not a lot but they grew some. But I hated them. They largely grew Pom Poms. They were always plagued by earwigs. Which seemed to creep out when I was near them. Or picked them.

Decades later I received a bouquet from Common farm flowers which included dahlias. Beautiful colourful dahlias which looked amazing in a vase. I was hooked and decided to grow some. I put in a small cutting patch of dahlias. This year I added a few more. Next year is an odd one. We are possibly doing an extension which means changes in the garden. But whatever happens there will be dahlias. From Peter Nyssen

On Friday I was at Common Farm Flowers for the day. And there were dahlias. Some gorgeous colours. Shapes. In the brides bouquet. In the jam jar posies for the tables. In the larger arrangements. Mixed with rose petals in the confetti.

Here are a few pics of this years flowers. Some are Common Farm Flowers. Some from my garden in Somerset.