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Dazzling Dahlias

By on November 30, 2011 in Cut flowers, dahlias, propagation

 

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I could not finish this season without a blog about dahlias. They have always held a special place in my heart being the first cut flower I ever grew, back in my early 20s. I was captivated by their saturated colour and impossibly perfect forms and have grown them ever since. I also love their productivity, anything that responds to being picked by producing more flowers has got to be a winner. They are a controversial flower; you either love them or hate them. I think a lot of people say they don't like them because they associate them with earwigs and garish rows of flowers on the allotment. I always say "there is a dahlia for everyone" and will do my best to convert any dissenters by showing them every shape, size and colour in our dahlia beds which house about 80 varieties. Dahlia breeding has come a long way since being Grandad's favourite, with smaller, more delicate shapes and colours working well in mixed borders. I favour the Karma range, a relatively new strain bred by the Dutch for the purpose of cutting. They have lovely long stems, are mostly waterlily in shape and have a longer vase life.

 

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We have just been lifting a few hundred tubers this week which need to be divided and relocated next spring to free up the spanish tunnel for more roses. The tubers are drying off (upside down) for a couple of weeks before they get stored in the barn in crates of compost over winter. In the other dahlia bed I have left the tubers in with about 70cm of compost and straw on top. It worked well last year despite geting down to minus 20.

I have had some really good whites and creams this year for all of our weddings. I have always found white very difficult in dahlias as it is prone to weathering very easily, but 'Eternal Snow' and 'Nathalies Wedding' (both waterlily shapes) remained pristine and featured in many bouquets this year.

 

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I will keep an eye on the tubers for rot through the winter months. In February/March my favourites will come out of store and on to a heat mat to get them to shoot. These will provide cuttings for plants to sale in late spring.

 

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Clogs in the blog

By on November 11, 2011 in Cut flowers, Plant breeding, roses

My first blog for many months… I did have very good intentions but they got swept away by the demand for our flowers which seemed to take up every waking hour. Not that I'm complaining….

Anyway, the season has drawn to a close so I am now able to waffle on all winter about….well, flowers. If I'm not working with them I have time to talk about them and all the lessons learnt this season, and maybe squeeze in some ideas for 2012. 

I found lots of inspiration in Holland last week when we visited the Hortifair, an annual get together of amongst other things, cut flower breeders and growers from all round the world. I made some useful contacts with a few Dutch nurseries, who specialise in growing plants for cutting. It was sad to see the UK only represented by one grower (David Austin's roses); the fair was dominated by the Ecuadorian and Kenyan growers with Ethiopia being the new kid on the block. I presume these countries are favoured because the climate allows flowers to be grown year round and natural resources and labour are cheap. A conversation with an Israeli plant breeder was eye-opening, he was genuinely shocked when I asked him about the flowering period for Solidago (Golden Rod) – "don't you want to grow it year round under lights?". When I told him that my selling point was seasonal he looked bemused, obviously something he had never heard a grower say before!

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There was not a great deal of variety at the fair, with roses being the main flower of the show. These were the kind of rose that has sacrificed all trace of scent for stem length, head size, vase life and productivity. Inevitably it is profit that comes first, which has taken flower breeding away from fundamental characteristics that we value like scent and seasonality. I suppose I knew all of this but the show just helped to reinforce my belief in what we are doing.

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I have returned with a very long wish list and to 1000 new perennial plants which arrived whilst I was away. We are expanding into a new 3 acre field which is already planted up with a few thousand scented narcissi, tulips and dutch iris bulbs. Once all the planting is done (which is slow going in this dank, gloomy weather) I will get on with lifting the dahlias from the spanish tunnel (like a polytunnel but with a just a top cover in the summer months). I have learnt that they do much better outside with good air circulation and plenty of moisture to keep the dreaded red spider mite at bay. They will be replaced by another bed of roses, this time lots of soft pinks, apricots and blush/nude tones for weddings.

 

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Rachel Siegfried

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This Seasons Round Up

By on November 5, 2011 in Cut flowers, Floristry Courses, Weddings

We’ve been so busy that we are only just catching our breath after an incredible season. The garden has provided flowers for over 60 weddings, a string of workshops, two busy open days, mail order bouquets, plus Farmers markets and our Saturday shop. All of that has certainly kept us on our toes. There has been a riot of colour passing through the flower studio. I’m still amazed by the flowers the garden produces, it’s any florists dream. Three years on from when we set up Green and Gorgeous and I’m still 'the kid in the candy store' when it comes to choosing a palette to work with. The garden is the ultimate paint box. 

Here are a few images from this year's weddings. Hopefully the website will have it's annual makeover soon,  so we'll showcase them all a bit better then in our online gallery.

Round up

We have worked in some fabulous new venues and met some talented people. Tom Weller (www.tomwellerphotography.com ) has taken some amazing shots. He is a very friendly and talented photographer that has the ability to capture the ‘realness’ of the moment. His relaxed style has blended well with our 'garden look'. We loved this shot.

Bridesmaid emma croft

 Our Top Five venues have been:

Friars Court, Clanfield  – www.silverpearweddings.co.uk

Caswell House, Brize Norton – www.caswellhouse.co.uk

The Olde Bell, Hurley – www.theoldebell.co.uk

Notley Abbey, Nr Thame – www.notleyabbey.co.uk

I’m excited about the year ahead. Rachel and Ash are currently at a huge flower trade fair in Amsterdam, so it will be interesting to hear what people think the trends will be for next year. As we grow our flowers, we have to think even further ahead to ensure we’re growing the right flowers to suit all of our brides for 2012. There will be lots of hard work taking place over the next few months, much of which we won’t see the benefits of until spring.  I’m now busy planning my Christmas workshops,  so maybe I’ll see some of you then!

Jo Wise

 

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