Whats looking good in the Flower Field……

For some reason I really dislike the phrase ’the xxxx that just keeps on giving” also the term ‘Cut and come again’. Ubiquitous maybe,  but very apt if used when describing Cosmos.

Often self seeded in abundance on the flower field here. I collect up the little seedling in spring and group them together where I want them to flower. Cosmos really are easy to grow. They germinate reliably and in addition to the self seeded bounty, I also sow in batches of 20 seeds at a time. Firstly an April batch direct in the bed where I want them to flower and also a batch in a seed tray. I may then repeat this process 3 weeks later and again three weeks after that. This is called successional sowing. The idea is that sowing in batches ensures picking flowers from as early as the beginning of July until the first frosts, often in November. 

Cosmos thrive on regular picking and deadheading. I totally strip them once a week  the plants then bounce back and produce more plants to be picked the following week.

Bees and butterflies love the open habit of the flowers where the pollens easy to reach. 

Interestingly Cosmos thrive in relatively poor soil and they certainly don’t need any feeding at all. If you have never grown a cut flower and want an easy starter plant, then Cosmos is the one for you. A packet of seeds goes a long way and be bold with your continuous cutting and you will be rewarded with blooms all summer and into the autumn.

Coming up in September

Pop Up PYO

This section is usually packed with workshop dates for the following month. But as the Flower farm is burgeoning with blooms I tend to reserve September for creating beautiful dahlia bouquets and welcoming those of you who wish to PYO. Our first Pop Up PYO of the season took place last Saturday and was a huge success. There was a real buzz in the flower field. You can still book for a day that suits you or keep an eye out on my socials of the next spontaneous PYO later in September.

13th September 2026 - Annual Open Day

Just a few weeks to go until our 4th annual open day. Open to all, no need to book — just drop in and enjoy.

A moment with a tree……

Carpinus Fastigiata - Upright Hornbeam

I wanted to write about the Hornbeam and in particular the upright variety. Fastigiata literally translated from latin, meaning narrow, upright branches that cluster closely together, almost parallel to the main trunk and point straight up. In other words they grow tall and narrow rather than spreading wide.

These trees are neat and tidy int he habit (shape) and great for creating an avenue or row of well behaved solders. Hornbeam is really tough. It puts up with heavy clay soil, wind, pollution and, as a bonus, is semi-evergreen. This means that, whilst its leaves will turn a copper brown in winter, it will hold onto them until the spring growth pushes the previous years leaves away.

The leaves are almost cerated and although they are not shiny they are bright and form texture. One of my first choices for a structural shape in any garden large or small.

Don’t mention the ‘C’ word.

It always used to annoy/depress me if people mentioned Christmas at any point before 1st December. In my household the decorations would often not go up until almost Christmas Eve and there was certainly no such thing as a light show for all the passers by to admire. Now I am not suggesting that I am going start a neighbourhood competition like Danny di Vito in ‘Dec the Halls’ but I am very aware that there is a need to have your Wreath on you door as near to 1st December as possible.

This will be my 4th year of doing workshops and I have discovered that as soon as the kids go back to school in early September the Christmas enthusiasts are keen to book and get the dates in the diary for their festive creations. So, who am I to sit on my laurels, below are the dates that are now available on the Website. Please feel free to book through these channels however if you have a ready made group of friends or family give me a call and we can arrange a private booking for you and your group. The dates on the website are as follows.

Friday 27th November 7pm til’ 9pm

Saturday 28th November 10am til’ 12noon

Saturday 28th November 2pm til’4pm

Sunday 29th November 10am til’12noon

Thursday 3rd December 7pm til’ 9pm

Friday 4th December 7pm til’ 9pm 

Saturday 5th December 10am til’ 12 noon

Saturday 5th December 2pm til’ 4pm

May I introduce a new section to the newsletter…

As the Landscaper sees it………..

Most of you will know the partner in crime I am fortunate enough to be married to has a handy string to his bow. He is a Landscaper and a very proficient one too. Now, we do work well together but there is definitely a difference in our thinking, logic and priorities, in fact in just about all that we do we have our idiosyncrasies.  All that said we are a great partnership.

Mostly, The Landscaper leaves me to it. But with the bigger projects a bit of time is involved. I plan, I think, I ponder and eventually I will approach him with an idea that I cannot achieve on my own. Whilst I am very capable and can tackle most jobs with gusto, there are some things that he is just better at. The huge table in the flower field came about because I simply said “I need a table. A big one!’. A big table appeared with a perfectly placed hard standing beneath it, worthy of any designed back garden.

The Landscaper is a font of knowledge and as a result of having been in the landscaping business for over 40 years there isn’t much he hasn’t experienced, problem solved or come across. He is a Landscaper in its truest form. He lays paving, his brickwork is beautiful, his eye for a curve is second to none and above all he is a great plantsman.

There are many landscapers out there that can build very beautiful gardens but fall short of having the plant knowledge to put the most important part of a garden together. Planting knowledge, skill and expertise is where the parts of a garden fit together to become a whole. Landscapers that know their onions are few and far between now days. In this section of the newsletter I shall endeavour to pen snippets of The Landscapers knowledge and insight. I shall try to portray things as the Landscaper sees it……..