The Joy of Spring Flowers and Food

 

This post is really by way of a thank you to the lovely members of the Midlands and North West Flowers From the Farm who made the journey to join me for a Joy of Spring Flowers Workshop last Wednesday.  A classic spring day with our table set in our building site come workshop, come home, and lulled by the warmth of the day time flew –  and somehow I forgot a few names of the tulips I had grown in my cut flower garden! Hmm, but those who know me, this will come as no surprise! As always lulled by a new colour, shape or texture, when I started out making my spring garden, somehow their names seemed secondary.  But always thinking and reassessing this journey through flowers, I now realise the huge meaning of remembering the name of a tulip.  It’s ridiculous, of course you need to remember the name – it’s what the flower is, what it means and feels is not just about the colour, texture, shape and place in an arrangment, it’s a part of the history of the Tulip.  Anyway, feeling slightly shamefaced, I wanted to thank you all for your patience – and now I can confirm the names of those I missed last Wednesday, as well as a few not included in my notes!  The missing names were: Tulip Sapporo, Tulip Ballade, Tulip Antraciet, Tulip Flaming Purrissima, Tulip Havarn, Tulip Charming Lady, Tulip La Belle Epoque, Tulip Elegant Lady, Tulip Up Rosar, Tulip Black Hero, Tulip Apricot Parrot, Tulip Peaches and Cream, Tulip Montreaux and Tulip Carnival de Nice.

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Seasonal flower dreaming – my workshop

I guess it is in me, or maybe in part it is learnt from growing up on the east coast of Australia, but one of the things I love most is being outside. Growing up in Australia jokes abound about the English weather, and it often surprises people that an Australian chooses to live in England – why would you leave the sun and endless skies of Australia! But I have discovered a love for the English weather driven by the clear shift in seasons. Though maybe I have in part also learnt this from my first two years of working full time in my flower garden on the family farm. As now I have learnt that part of my joy in working with flowers is working with the seasons, the colours, the textures and just being and making a new space – the flower garden – outside. And especially at times like this, in mid – late winter, I think largely about the unexpected unpredictability of growing flowers for your vision and your business, while I am obsessively list making for seeds, seed planting and planning the beds for the front flower field.

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Almost a new year

It is almost a new year, and I have finally plucked up the courage to start my own blog. My first post is the only one for 2014. But I had to remind myself in writing of two new loves I discovered this year – orange, in almost any shade or tone and home grown english garden roses.

One of my favourite photos from this year by Jess Withey.

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