How long will they last? It’s a good question. I try to make posies that will last at least 5 days, to a week. I find customers are often pleasantly surprised how long they do last and keep them ticking along, maybe picking out one or two bits along the way. The posies have lots of ingredients so some components will inevitably last better than others. Supermarkets demand a shelf-life of at least 11 days from their flowers because it may take up to a week to get them to the shop floor. I like to include a wide range of blooms that you will never find in a supermarket. If they don't last quite so long then so be it....
Homegrown flowers
I challenge anyone to find a bunch of flowers like this down the supermarket! We've got greens and purples (Wimbledon perhaps?) and a fine mix of British blooms - the 'lion's share' of which is homegrown. For everyone watching the Euro final on Sunday, fingers crossed for an exciting game and may the best team win!
What's in the posy?
Sunflower, sweet pea, alchemilla mollis, nicotiana, cortinus, clary sage, pink, gypsophila, eryngium, ozothamnus.
What's fragrant?
Sweet pea, gypsophila, pink.
It's sunflower season
Not quite out in the garden yet, but already in the shops are the fabulous British sunflowers. This childhood favourite is bound to brighten your day. Talking of sunflowers, did you know you can immerse yourself in Van Gogh's sunflower paintings, amongst others, at the Van Gogh Alive exhibition. I think it sounds pretty fun. We've still got sweet peas in this week's posy as the smell is so wonderful. Mum's just planted the next batch so there'll be more to come!
What's in the posy?
Peony, sweet pea, cornflower, sunflower, penstemon, alchemilla mollis, phlox, teasel, choisya, quaking grass, wheat.
What's scented?
Sweet pea, phlox.
Homegrown flowers As well as buying in from other Flowers from the Farm growers and larger UK growers, we also grow our own flowers. More accurately, Mum grows them. Thank you Mum! I do dabble with a spot of gardening, but Mum's the one with reliably green fingers. She considered market gardening as a career but went for physio instead, reasoning she could grow in her spare time and therefore do both. She's always been self-sufficient in growing vegetables for the family, and looking after other people's gardens, and has gradually been making room in the garden for the flowers. These days there's more flowers than veg, and we use both our gardens plus a small local off-site plot. For me, equally important...
Sussex roses
The garden is bursting with flowers at the moment following the warm weather, and we're enjoying being around the beautiful roses in the garden. It's tricky to source British grown roses as there's not many growers left, but the roses in these posies (I'm a poet...) are grown by Sussex Roses. This is a family business and they sell flowers wholesale and to individuals. If you're wedding is finally happening this summer and you're going to DIY the flowers, you could order some lovely roses from Paul and Cathy!
What's in the posy?
Sweet pea, scabious, sweet william, tanacetum, cornflower, love in a mist, pittosporum, allium, weigela, astrantia, rose, alchemilla mollis.
What's fragrant?
Sweet pea.
