Seasonal harmony
My greatest success What I’ve learnt
A bee’s-eye view
of the garden
(top). Delphiniums
(right) keep their
colour when dried,
making them ideal
for biodegradable
confetti
Seasonality is really important for me. The
excitement of seeing the first bulbs appear
in early spring, then the abundance of
midsummer f lowers, contrasted with
a relative f lower abstinence during the
winter months, feels so natural and right.
A beautiful deferred gratification and
celebration of the ebb and f low of the
f lower seasons, what could be nicer?Bringing back to life an old walled garden
that had struggled to find a use. Now the
garden is f lourishing and being used in
a way very close to its original purpose.
Many of the methods used would also be
familiar to the estate gardeners from
a century ago – providing a space for a
variety of wildlife as well as producing
a beautiful result. They never had to feed
an Instagram account though!The biggest lesson I’ve learnt is that you
must accept Mother Nature. All seasons
and years are unique. Producing seasonal
British f lowers requires a degree of
f lexibility that will be familiar to all
serious gardeners, but it’s intensified
by the need to deliver to order. Clear
communication with your customers
about British f loral seasonality is
really important.