2019-06-01 Homes and Gardens

Q

Howdidyoumaketheleap

from scientist to florist?

I haven’treally– I’mdefinitelystilla

psychologist.ButwhenI boughtmy

cottagesixyearsago,I wantedtodo

somethingmeaningfulwiththeland

aroundit,soI startedtoplantflowers.

Thisinspiredmetotakefloristry

courses, and I’ve never looked back.

Q

Tellusaboutyourloveofthe

Slow Flower movement?

LiketheSlowFoodmovement,our

ethosis aboutlocal,sustainable,

seasonalfloriculture.Theultimatein

slowflowersis togrowthemyourself;

toplantseedsinyourgarden,water

andnurturethemandwatchthem

grow.Youcanthenpicktheplantsfor

the house or just enjoy them outside.

Q

Howwouldyoudescribe your

cutting garden?

It’sis ina shelteredvalleyinthe

BlackdownHills.Itgetsplentyofsun

butnotmuchfrostinwinter,making

it idealforgrowingcutflowers.On

onesideI haveanorchardandwild

flowers,andtheotherareais planted

withroses,dahliasandothercutting

flowers.ButthisyearI’vedugupmost

ofthecut-flowerbedsandreplanted

them with a cut-flower meadow.

Q

Whatareyouexperimenting

with in the new meadow?

Thenewareahasflowersandgrasses

thatlookgreatandgrowwell

together.Theideais thatyoucan

grabanystemsfromthemeadow

and it will make a beautiful bouquet.

Q

Doyouharvestallyour seed

from your garden?

I collectasmuchasI canhere,

butI alsoimportseedfromAmerica.

I wasluckyenoughtowintheFloret

scholarshiptwoyearsagoandhada

triptotheFloretFlowerFarmnear

Seattle,runbyErinBenzakein.Erin

producesincrediblevarieties,suchas

thesilverySeneciocineraria‘New

Look’ with its tactile, velvety leaves.

Q

Wheredoyougetyour

inspiration from?

I don’tthinkI’ma naturalcreative,

butasa scientistI analysethingsto

seehowtheyworkandthat’showI’ve

learnedfromothers.Weddingflorist

Becca Stuart of The Garden Gate

FlowerCompanyinCornwall

inspiredthechoicesformycutting

garden.MissPickeringinStamford

is amazingandFlowersFromThe

Farm has been very supportive.

Q

Whatgetsyouexcited in the

garden in June?

Allthebighitterscomeoutnow.

Theroses,includingthefragrant

orange-red‘SummerSong’andpale

lemon‘TeasingGeorgia’,areinbloom

andsomeofmytopcutflowersare

attheirbest,too,suchasthewhite

love-in-a-mist(Nigelladamascena

‘MissJekyllAlba’),aquilegiasand

mountain spinach(Atriplex hortensis).

■GraceAlexanderFlowers,

gracealexanderflowers.co.uk.

Sweetrocket(hesperis)is

easytogrowfromseed,

anda sprinklingofstems

inanyarrangementwill

add delicate highlights.

“Myfavouriteseedsareeasytogrowand

producebucketloadsofblooMs,sopeoplecan

easily create the Most beautiful bouquets” feature

Zia

allaway

photographs

(icelandic

poppies,

FoXGloVe

spires, seed pacKeT, roses and sweeT rocKeT) roGer Bool

LifestyLe