April news from the farm

And so our season begins.  Some years ago I rationalised our year so that we would have flowers for sale from early April to the end of September.  And I’m so pleased I did. 

Now that April’s here I’m very happy to have a field full of flowers and excited to be able to sell them again.  The break over the winter months is a time to slow down, recover, plan, sow, plant: rearrange the flower farm, think about what we do, make sure we are still following our core objectives – make sure we still like our core objectives.  And so, by the time April comes round we are champing at the bit – excited to offer a new, never quite the same as last year, field of flowers for our customers to enjoy. 

Here I am then, ordering in ribbon and pins and fifty shiny new buckets for our affordable wedding flowers clients.  When we decided we’d leave the full Fragonard wedding market and focus on a customer base of people who love to arrange their own wedding flowers with blooms freshly cut from our fields I knew I would be working with people who love to be creative themselves, and that I would find as much satisfaction in giving them the skills to create their own magical day, as they would in releasing their creativity and spending time with friends and family dressing their venue with flowers.  I feel as though I’ve found my niche. 

We have a full season of workshops to help people achieve their own flowers: from growing, to cutting and conditioning, from creating the bride’s bouquet to building a huge urn arrangement, from virtual demos online, to a full three days eco floral retreat (you can book each day individually if you’d like,)  here at the farm. 

Of course there are people who love to arrange their flowers all around the country and so this year we’ve invited twelve other flower farmers who share our care for the environment and also love to encourage people to create their own wedding and event flowers.  They can be found on our Affordable Wedding Flowers page on our website. 

So do get in touch to order flowers for collection from us over the summer.  There are a few weeks where we’re sold out in advance – but only a few.  If you’re local to Bruton, Castle Cary, Wincanton we are only in Charlton Musgrove, and you can order a mixed bucket or two even just for fun and to play with and I’ll cut them in the early dawn for you and have them ready for you to collect from my new studio up the field into which I move I hope next week!

And if you’re coming to visit the farm for a garden tour (just 6 spaces left for June) or workshop this year, or perhaps for the bee safari on 8^th May, which is being guided by Jean Vernon, and which we’re running as part of our fund raiser for the plant sale (on which more in a minute,) you’ll be welcomed through your very own new entrance, to our brand spanking new studio.  We have a shady sitooterie, parking for ten cars, and the flower farm spread out around the new space.  After a long year of development I’m very excited to be moving there in the next week or two.

And last but not least do also put 11^th May in your calendar for not only our plant sale, but many happening around not just the country, but the world. 

Our village plant sale took a break over covid but we are holding it again this year.  Obviously not everybody I talk to on my social media and newsletter lives near enough to come to our bring and buy village plant sale.  So it seemed to me a good idea if lots of people held small plant sales at the same time.  A village plant sale is not about raising the most money in a competitive way: it’s about a community coming together for fun, for plants, for cups of tea and cake, for sharing their love of growing, AND to raise a little money. 

I was very inspired by The Riv Trust which raises money to support small horticultural charities which do so much valuable work in their areas often without much finance or PR.  So I thought that if some of the people I talk to over my social media, wherever they are in the world, held small plant sales to raise money for their local horticultural charity then the ripple effect might be quite something.

So if you’re free on 11^th May and live near Charlton Musgrove in south east Somerset then do come to our bring and buy plant sale – bring your spare plants and seedlings and buy ours.  We are raising money for village churches, village hall, The Treatment Bag which supports people undergoing chemotherapy, and our local horticultural charity The Growing Space in Wincanton.

If you’re not near enough then do consider holding your own sale.  It doesn’t matter how small your sale, it doesn’t matter how much you raise.  What matters is that people get together and enjoy the process and your small local horticultural charity feels recognised and supported.  We have had such wonderful stories from people inspired to hold a small sale of their own: community gardens being created, collaborations between growers and charities, school gardens, hospital gardens being supported… all around the world.

If you are inspired to plan a plant sale see our web page for more tips and advice.  Please also email club@commonfarmflowers.com with information if you’d like us to share your sale on our social media and website.  And we are planning a live Q&A on our YouTube for everybody to join in with tips for holding a plant sale in your area: this is scheduled for 5pm British Summer Time on 11^th April.

And happy April all – may your tulips dance and your seedlings flourish, may the sun shine and your plant sale plans come together, and if I can help with flowers for any special events you have coming up through the summer do let me know.

Georgie x