flower repeat flower

...our sweet peas just keep on flowering.......

we bought this little miniature wardrobe a few weeks ago and just can't decide whether to re-paint it...

what would you do?

Hello sunshine

Oh you beauty... In your sunshine patch, growing at a lightening speed. You are worth the work!

Hello sunshine...Hello Red Eclipse 

Mix & Match

we spend our days creating........the summer has been good to us,,,,,,,,our tentative start in flower farming has been a steep learning curve but we are so pleased we have grown flowers we can sell...they are mixed in with our normal lovely stock of flowers....but there is a small joy in seeing them there....

the next beauties to flower.......sunflower red ruby...can't wait to see her!!

Splendid Succulents

             

An order for fifty planted succulents in terracotta pots makes for a pretty photo shoot!

             

I got a little carried away...

             

I love the writing on some of the pots. There was 'marrow' 'kale' '& melon'...sounds like an interesting potting shed to me. 

             

Some moss and a few shells work a treat on these. I wish I could have taken them all home!

             

Harvest Festival

When we took on this massive walled garden of ours, we knew that it was originally the kitchen garden for the 'Big House' on the estate. However we didnt realise in the bleak midwinter when we saw it, just how much it is still producing. Bearing in mind the land has had no-one working on it for 8 years. Mother nature still amazes us. We have started to harvest the small amount of veg we have, however it seem this earth is good to the humble fruit n veg.... 

                              

One whole wall once had trained fruit trees...however they have broken out of their restrictive wires and have been allowed to create mayhem... they are amazingly full of fruit, each tree seems to be a different variety of pear. The 'Big House' must have loved Pears!!

                           

                              

This building would have been the hot fruit house....it has the most amazing grape vine going through it...the acid green is neon at the moment. The fig trees grow 3 foot through the plastic roof, tantalizing us with is huge fruit, which we will be unable to reach to pick. 

                              

There are blackberries, a whole coffee cup here...craving apple and blackberry crumble anyone?

                             

Our little onion patch turned out to produce 91 white onions and 116 red onions....how long do you think they will last us? Stunned by the amount is an understatement.

The youngest member of the team, eats more than he picks...he had peas from the pod today...they were a huge hit. These stringless beans are tastier cooked however, but the teething toddler disagrees.

                             

Mazie, can you see their tufty heads peeking through? Martin doesn't like it...hahaha more for us then :)

                             

Our lazy tomatoes, and the colour pop of marigolds in the petit polytunnels

                            

Talking of colour...look at these red beauties! They are perfect for mash.

                           

                             

I think Christmas presents will be pretty predictable this year

Red onion marmalade? Yummy.

Top Tip

Image via Pinterest

Part of the joy of being a florist, is constantly smelling of eucalyptus...It is a regular visitor to our shop adorning many a bouquet! However it often only really bought and asked for at christmas...the silver/grey  foliage works so well for that frosty look, and it will scent your house beautifully.

However recently I saw this Pin on Pinterest...and I do not know why I had never thought of it before? 

Really simple...hang from your shower rail, out of the water stream and the steam will do its work! 

The benefits of Eucalyptus are great!

~Antiseptic

~Anti-stress

~Anti-inflammatory

~Deodoriser

~Mood enhancer

~Decongestant

~Mental Clarity

The last one is obviously the most important to this sleep deprived Mama of a toddler!!

The added bonus is that it will look pretty too! 

Happy Days :)

Bounty

If we had started our gardening venture last year we would have been washed away.....this year we are sizzling in the hottest temperatures ever......

Well, we like a challenge!

The zinnias have started flowering....at least they like it hot....

 the first cucumbers harvested and the tomatoes are going on apace..

 courgettes...beetroot and of course sweet peas... if you are near the shop we have fresh cut sweet peas in daily at the moment...they sell out fast though....

the view from here......we must have counted 50 bees on this finished crop of cornflowers and clary sage...we are leaving the plants in until the bees have had their fill and seriously thinking of putting a few hives in next year....Martin & The Magpie Honey anyone??