Flowers by the Gate

💐 FAVOURITE FLOWERS FRIDAY💐

The focus this week is on RANUNCULUS from the buttercup family and fondly known as the 'rose of the spring' .
There are numerous varieties available depending if you are growing to enjoy in the border or growing for cut flowers. I have historically grown the 'elegance' cultivar, with each plant producing 10 or more stems of glorious double flowers with layer upon layer of petals. Last season however I trailed 'butterfly' ranunculus, multi headed smaller single flowers with a beautiful iridescent shine to them, already a new favourite. Finally the 'picotee' variety bridges the gap between the two, a single more open flower in the most beautiful colours.

IN THE GARDEN
I grow them from corms in the autumn or late winter, starting them off in a cold green house then grown on under a low poly tunnel that can be removed easily when the weather improves . They will flower from April through to June and beyond if the weather allows , but as soon as it turns warm they will slow down, die off and regenerate a new corm for the following year .

IN THE BOUQUET
They are excellent to use in floristry with a long vase life and make stunning focal flowers for spring weddings.


Do you love Ranunculus

💐 FAVOURITE FLOWERS FRIDAY💐
Here is another flower I discovered this year thanks to my lovely local suppliers at and .

I was searching for large leafy structural foliage to use in churns for a late September wedding and "Leycesteria Formosa" was suggested. It goes by other names too , Himalayan Honeysuckle , Pheasant Berry, Purple Rain , Granny's curls and Flowering Nutmeg I prefer 'Pheasant Berry' because it sounds seasonally appropriate and I can spell it without numerous checks !

IN THE GARDEN - It is considered quite a "thug" growing tall if not contained and throws up new growth each year, it's the type of shrub that once you have it, you may struggle to get rid of it! Native to the Himalayas and southwest China it's also considered to be invasive in Australia and New Zealand, so I think this one will not make it into my garden, especially as I now know where I can get it from locally

FOR FLORISTRY - It has hollow stems and is thirsty but keep it in a water source and it holds up well and made a great structure for the churns. It has berries so caution and awareness, as always is needed. Will I use it again? DEFINITELY, would you?

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💐FAVOURITE FLOWERS 2024💐
At this time of year when the days are getting shorter and cooler ( generally) flower production and growth begins to slow down, so I was particularly pleased to find this single 'scabiosa caucasica - perfection blue' standing tall and strong in the perennial border.
Over the course of the year, after introduced me to them I have fallen head over heels in love with their delicate appearance but strong nature providing that beautiful pop of blue in wedding bouquets. I had already sowed seeds from in both pink and blue but I was totally unaware of how wonderful and perfect they were for floristry work - now I can't wait to use it again in my 2025 weddings ! Definitely one of my favourites from this season!
Would you like this in your bouquet ?

💐UPDATE FROM THE GATE 💐
As we head into a 'potentially' settled week there is lots going on here 'behind' the gate.
💐 We are flowering our final.wedding of the season at the weekend, I'm not going to lie the frost last week was not needed but we are good to go and I can't wait to share the story and photos!
💐 We are potting on seedlings sown a few weeks ago - Sweet Williams, wallflowers, linaria, to name a few .
💐 Planting out our home grown pansy's ( for cutting ) aquilegias, geums and perennial scabious, again all grown from seed.
💐 Burying alliums, tulips, daffs, iris and anything else that is bulb like !
💐Sowing our cerinthe, snaps, orlaya, larkspur ( yes I'm going to try again ) Chinese forget me nots, tree mallow, achillea and broad beans in the veg patch
💐And if course the big autumn clear up which has included collecting our own sweeties seeds , some of which I'll be sowing again because they were just the best this year !!
So there is lots to look forward to as we wind down this season and begin the next. 💐

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💐UPDATE FROM THE GATE💐
Summer seems to have arrived and doesn't it make a difference?! Certainly for us here, the flowers are finally getting going and it just makes you feel good to have the warm sun on your face! I hope you are enjoying it too!
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Growing is a constant job but we have been busy with floristry too, our pre-booked weddings and weekly orders are taking priority over everything else, that means not much is making it out onto the flower stall at the minute I'm afraid, so ordering your flowers is really the only way to make sure you'll get super fresh local grown flowers.

💐OUR FLOWERS💐
I feel I need to clarify that due to the poor growing season although the gorgeous flowers I post photos of on here are 100% mine it doesn't necessarily mean I have huge quantities. The weather has taken a massive toll on our blooms. This means I only have enough flowers for my own use and as my customers already know, sometimes I supplement the flowers I use in my floristry with those from other FFTF growers near by. So unless your order for DIY buckets has been confirmed there is currently no availability for these until further notice. There is also no availability for wholesale flowers this season.

I will update you when this changes .

💐UPDATE FROM THE GATE 💐
A short post to remind you that if you want flowers for this
Friday or Saturday then please order today. I will not be able to do any short notice orders as I will be working on wedding flowers this weekend.
💐Week begining 15th July - we are taking a break so there will be no availability. Any enquiries or emails will be responded to the following week (WB 22nd July )
Many thanks
Janet 💐

💐AGROSTEMA💐
I feel that this humble little flower deserves a post all of its own for the simple reason I nearly didn't grow it, but a late night wander around the garden made me realise what a beautifully perfect flower it is.
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Agrostema - Corncockle can be down in the autumn for earlier flowering and is what I usually do, but I've never loved it although many florists rave about it. To me it is tall, gets battered by the wind and constantly needs cutting ( along with cornflowers and scabious) so my autumn decision was not to grow. This decision drew gasps from a local eco florist so when I found the seeds in my stash this spring I just had to sow them and I'm so thankful I did!
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If you place an order for flowers this weekend you can expect a few of these dancing about in your bouquet. 🥰
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What flowers have missed growing this year ?

💐BRITISH FLOWER WEEK💐
This week is , a time to celebrate and promote British flowers.
Why?
💐Buying British flowers, you can help reduce the massive carbon foot print that importing flowers leaves behind and support flower farmers across the UK.
💐Think about airmiles, pesticides and chemicals, most of which are banned in the UK - the cost of imported flowers
💐Think - health and safety of growers and pickers from some other countries.
💐Think - support your local grower/small business
💐Think - seasonal, enjoy the flowers when they naturally grow,
💐Think - scent, glorious, wonderful, perfumed flowers that you only get from farm fresh flowers
💐Think - wild life , pollinators all the creatures that benefit from flowers and ultimately how we benefit from them.
💐Think - a national database of British flowers farmers large and small just like me . Look them up and you can find British flowers near you!
💐Think - Look for the Grown in Britain label and Union Jack on supermarket flowers.
💐Think - Ask your wedding/event florist for British only flowers ....it's possible and they are amazing !

There is so much to discover about British flowers, so over the week, I'll be reposting interesting articles from the accounts of British growers/florists - high lighting our amazing industry.

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💐BRIGHT AND BEAUTIFUL💐

🧡Last weekend I was so happy to provide flowers for a lovely couple at , just around the corner.

🩷The brief was clear and simple - Orange and pink with bright colours. The order was for bouquets, buttonholes and DIY buckets.

❤️When I dropped off the flowers the hall was being transformed by the family and the amazing into a vibrant colourful space.

💜Weddings are all bespoke, no two are ever the same and I absolutely love the variety of wedding visions I come across, from church, to farm, elopement to village hall,they are all wonderful ! 💐

💐FROM BUCKET TO BOUQUET 💐

🌱 We sow and grow our flowers using planet friendly methods
✂️ We harvest the flowers
🚗 We collect extras from local eco-friendly growers
🪣 The flowers are conditioned for 24 hours in clean cold water
💐 We prepare and arrange your flowers using using compostable or reusable materials
🎁 We use compostable packaging for your flowers.
🚪You collect
🚗 Or we deliver 💐

💐UPDATE FROM THE GATE💐
I had a super busy week last week completing spring door wreath orders and some farewell flowers too! Now it seems that the weather is finally being kind to us, it's time to get outside and focus on the growing and there is such a lot to do, I'll keep you posted on stories.

It's quite bizarre , while some things that were already in the ground ( tulips, daffs etc) have been flowering early the hardy annuals that I sowed back in September are behind. There are gaps in the Ranunculus bed and the plants are not as prolific as I'd have hoped, so for the next few weeks if you would like flowers please order ahead, you can contact me on Instagram or Email or give me a call. All the details are in the bio or my website .

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🌷EASTER FLOWERS🌷

We are OPEN! After a very long wet winter, we have Flowers by the Gate !
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The ones pictured are home grown tulips, they are a little in front of themselves, (can you believe?) because not only has it been wet it's been warm, which has brought them on and encouraged flowering, the stems are a little short so these will be making their way into jam jars.
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Arriving later today, however are some premium double tulips grown in Lincolnshire and I'll be using these in bouquets. So please get in touch to pre - order and don't forget, we are just a few minutes drive from 🍰 in so once you've enjoyed some of their delicious Easter treats maybe you could pop down and see us, we would love to see you! 🌷

💗 HAPPY NEW YEAR 💗

As 2023 draws to a close I'd like to say thank you to all my customers who chose 'Flowers by the Gate', friends and passers by who stop by for a chat and everyone on here who takes the time to look at my photos, read my posts and comment, especially all the other growers and florists from the fabulous community. You are all a constant source of support and inspiration and that is why we will be back in 2024 with more sustainably grown blooms and, I can't wait!!

For now though I leave you a photo which I love almost as much as the bees ! - Lemon Bergamot or Bee Balm.

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🎄MISTLETOE 🎄
Quite a long time ago my husband pressed some mistletoe berries under the bark of his parents apple tree, it took several years of trying but eventually they grew and we now have a Mistletoe ball!

Mistletoe and its uses is steeped history, from Loki supposedly killing Odin's son Baldr with a Mistletoe arrow, the druids reportedly using it in sacrificial ceremonies and it also became a sign of male fertility. A little further down the Christians hung it in their houses to ward off witches and the good old Victorians established a rule that you could not refuse a kiss under the mistletoe! Also, it would be rude not to mention Cliff Richard, who encouraged us to enjoy it with a glass of wine 🍷

Here at Flowers by the Gate HQ we have developed another tradition, we give it away to friends family and neighbours ( no rules attached ) and it's our hope that you don't go making arrows or try to ward off unwanted visitors with it, just enjoy it, but do be careful of those berries, they really are poisonous !

🎄CHRISTMAS FLOWERS🎄
Look at these tiny delicate flowers nestled in between the evergreen big boys of winter! You can see how the Narcissus Papyraceus came to be known fondly as 'Paperwhites'
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I have grown a small amount of these and they will be just ready to make up a limited amount of winter bouquets for the stall on Saturday 16th December.
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More details to follow in stories 🎄

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💐UPDATE FROM THE GATE 💐

It might be the end of October but we are still busy, busy, busy!
Here's a little snippet of what goes on when we are not cutting and arranging flowers in the form of a good old list!

JOBS FOR THE WEEK
*Take in all the scented pelargoniums
*Begin to lift the dahlias ( a must in our clay soil)
*Continue to clear beds and prepare for winter
*Continue to work on the website
*Dip into the courses I've signed up to
*Continue to plan for next season

It might be worthwhile to note I have been blessed with a non- covid virus and feeling decidedly 🤧 and we have another storm approaching so how much of this will get done will.be revealed later in the week!

What's on your to-do list ?

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💐UPDATE FROM THE GATE💐
Our final fresh flower order of the season went out today. 😥

You can never really predict when the season will end, some growers with different flowers, locations, growing conditions or circumstances may still be going strong but for me the heavy rain and strong winds mean that the dahlias are past their best and only the best will do for my lovely customers.

I'd like to say thank you to everyone who has supported my small business this season whether that be through buying my flowers , commenting on here or dropping by the gate to say 'hi' it all makes a difference and is hugely appreciated. 🤗

There will more posts soon featuring the highs, lows, things I've learnt and what we have to look forward to for next season, so keep following, liking and commenting and if you have any questions ask .

Pic Dazzling Magic , I love it but I won't be keeping her for next year, just a little too big and too yellow for most people ( she's no cafe au lait )

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💐UPDATE FROM THE GATE💐

WOW! Aren't we being spoilt with this beautiful sunshine with hazy mornings, just what I needed ! 😎
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As we work our way through September I will only be CUTTING FLOWERS TO ORDER. The reason for this is as we approach the end of our season I'd rather cut the dahlias ( my main focal flower) as soon as I know somebody wants a bouquet or arrangers bucket so they are super fresh and bespoke for you, or I will cut them for drying.
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Would you like to know your options ?

Bouquets @ £10/15/20 for collection

Gift Bouquets presented in a vase and boxed with a tag @£35 Delivered locally

Arrangers buckets @£25 ( collection )

As always for any of these or if there is anything else please message me on here or via email.

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🎉 HAPPY NEW YEAR🎉
Don't worry I'm not in some lucid dream and neither are you, but as a parent ( now grandparent ) , ex educator, arable farmer and most recently flower grower, September signals the start of everything new!

New shiny black shoes, new bags, new clothes, new learning, new energy, newly turned earth, new seed, new plans, new DIARY !!!

Of course it doesn't actually happen on September 1st, the children, parents and staff are still clinging onto the last days of their holidays, we still have crops in the field, we've only just cut the grass for hay ( usually a July job ) and the flowers have so much more to give right up to the first frosts but its the beginning of the transition into next year's growth .

You may not feel the same but for someone who can feel sweaty and tight chested at the mere thought of shorter days and longer nights, this way of thinking is good for me along with a re-read of one of my favourite books by

So now I'm off to put some flowers out on the stall, pot on some aquilegia, buy a diary and plan my next growing year ( not that many things go to plan ) and I might even pop into and treat myself to something new !!

What will you do to celebrate the September new year ? 🎉
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💐GOLDEN HOUR💐
There is nothing better than a 'turn about the garden' (to quote my daughter) to lift your mood, and last night was just perfect following an afternoon of drizzle. Scroll through and find the descriptions underneath.
Happy Wednesday !
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Photo 1 Dahlia - Nicholas, I've had this dahlia for about 4 years and I love it.
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Photo 2 Nicotiana - Alata, the smell is so sweet and adds an airiness to arrangements and the vase life is excellent !
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Photo 3 Dahlia - Babylon Bronze, another old favourite, I only have one plant this year because it's a bit too big to be popular but I might enter it into the local show 🤔 what do you think ?
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Photo 4 Dahlia - Bahama Mama, I may have claimed to show you this before but I got mixed up ! This is definitely the MAMA! big plant, big blooms, pink and full of character ! ( another contender for the show ?)
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Photo 5 Rudbeckia - variety, no idea and please don't get excited these are short! Really short ! 😂
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Photos 6 Cosmos - Apricotta in her many shades of apricot and peach with an almost florescent pink centre, I don't think there are two the same ! It's the the new favourite !
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Photo 7 Zinnia - Queen lime red. I love all the stages of the zinnia they have beautiful tones it's always a problem deciding which to grow but this one brings other colours together nicely .
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💐ITS THE WEEKEND 💐
The stall is stocked and there is a lot of flower for your £10 this week!!
We have big dinner plate Dahlias, Zinnias, Snap Dragons, Cosmos and Apple mint.
We also have FREE Patty Pan squashes, delicious roasted and no need to peel!
Get in touch if you'd like any of the bouquets reserving and I'll pop your name on them.
Have a great bank holiday weekend everyone 💐

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💐UPDATE FROM THE GATE 💐
The flowers have been cut and are resting in the flower shed before I make them into bouquets later today
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The Flower Stall will be stocked and open Friday and Saturday from 8.00am . It's self-serve, so you can scan the QR code to pay or like one lovely customer did last week , dropped the cash into my post box, (thank you 🙏 ) Alternatively pre-order and collect when you are ready. 💐

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💐PERFECT PARTNERS💐
As I was checking the dahlias today...
I remembered that none of this is a fluke.
I remembered I did plan what flowers I wanted and what I thought might appeal to others .
I remembered that not only did I consider the colour I thought about the shape and size of the flower, height of the plant and length of the stem.
I remembered how long it took when there were so many dahlias out there to choose from along with the ones I'd kept and couldn't throw away.
I remembered there is a humongous amount of work that goes into this process of 'flower farming' harvesting them and arranging them is the icing on the proverbial cake!
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It's good to remind ourselves of the effort and hard work we put into things , it's very easy to forget and very easy to think you did very little apart from digging a hole and planting a plant !
Pictured are ...
lilac time
Karma Prospero
Franz Kafka
Perfect partners for a lilac palette 💜

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💐UPDATE FROM THE GATE💐

We have some pre-paid collections going out today, the perfect way to buy flowers! All you need to do is ...
1 Contact me and place your order
2 I will send you a payment code
3 Collect at a time that suits you ( and it doesn't have to be the weekend , you can collect Mon- Sat )
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We also have some £10 bouquets ready to go if you do feel like you would like to brighten up yours or someone else's day !
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