A large and enthusiastic crowd turned out on June 11th 2024 to listen to Maria Heywood from The Flower Patch in Measham. She had always been a keen gardener and in 2014 she set up her floristry business using homegrown flowers. She became a member of Flowers from the Farm, an association of well over a thousand growers united in their mission to reduce the reliance on imported flowers for floristry in this country. Flowers from abroad are treated with chemicals for longevity and considerable air miles can be involved. There are some large growers of cut flowers in this country. Lilies and tulips thrive in Lincolnshire and daffodils in Cornwall but there is never enough to satisfy demand.
Maria grows some of her flowers in the protective atmosphere of a polytunnel. Those grown outside have to be supported well and be kept clear of slugs, aphids and any pests that would spoil the look of the flowers. Organic methods only are used. Her limited space cannot supply all the flowers she needs so she depends on other local growers in the federation. There is also plenty of scope for private micro growers to offer any cut flowers they grow on their allotments or gardens.
She grows a basic selection of plants—foliage in the form of eucalyptus, pittosporum, snowberry and mint along with grasses and alchillea mollis. Blooms include cosmos, peonies, roses, geum and poppies. Stems are picked in the cool of early morning and are conditioned by being left in water in the dark for at least twelve hours. This also disperses any lurking insects.
After this background information, it was time for Maria to work her magic by demonstrating her skill in creating exquisite bouquets from the three containers of assorted cut flowers she had brought to the meeting. On an open palm, she deftly placed each stem at an angle. All lower leaves were removed to stop contamination in the vase. There was no restriction on colour palette, but vivid colours had no dominance. Her selection included ammi, orlaya, astrantia, silene, sanguinaria, silene, cornflower, antirrhinum, rose, geum, and more. She estimated that 30 stems made up a full bouquet. Finally bound with raffia it was ready for a vase, ideally not glass, placed away from a window.
Changing the water each day would prolong the life of cut flowers. Maria created delicate, natural-looking bouquets which are a striking contrast to the rather strident and formal offerings in many florists and supermarkets. She was a worthy ambassador for the current drive to encourage the use of homegrown cut flowers and it is hoped that Flowers from the Farm and other such organisations will prosper in the future.
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