It’s a story that began in 2012 when I couldn’t find any flowers locally that I liked to make a bouquet for my mums birthday, and from there I had the idea of ‘growing my own’ on our farm in Cratfield, just outside Halesworth. I started on a small allotment size plot with a green house in 2012, and then in 2013 extended to half an acre and poly tunnel. My intention was to provide bunches and posies at the farm gate selling alongside free range eggs.
This happily concided with a massive movement in the British flower growing industry and the need for more naturally and sustainable flowers, so I soon found myself running a small new business supplying buckets of blooms for DIY brides and a small amount of floristry and the odd PYO days on Saturdays once the wedding flowers had all been picked .. I have never been floristry trained, but just relied on my creative instincts and going with my own style.
I did all the sowing, growing and creating, but my passion was to have a PYO flower farm, I thought it was such a lovely thing to do and just wasn’t available in the Uk that I knew off.
Running the business fitted around my then 3 young daughters, Rosalie, Eliza & Beatrix, who got involved not only in the odd ‘pricking out’ thousands of seedlings, but were my main models for promotional purposes as they grew older.. and still do!
In 2017 we moved to my home town of Southwold, and after finding a 5 acre piece of land just outside in Reydon, I was able to continue my flower farming, but this time being in a busy tourist town, my dreams of a PYO flower farm was a possibility.
Firstly, we put a barn up and occupied a shop in Church Street, Southwold as a way of directly selling flowers to the public. Roger, my husband, who no longer had 28,000 hens to look after, joined me to set the business up, originally a temporary thing, but never left!
When Covid hit, we decided to shut the shop temporally in Southwold and trade from our new barn as it was bigger and safer and then set up a website for customers to ‘click & collect’ from the under the porch and also started a flower postal service for all around the uk for people who just wanted a fresh posy to arrive every week to cheer themselves up or ordered for friends and family.. we called this service ‘Friday Flowers’. As soon as we were able to, Roger also started delivering in the local area, this proved to be very popular, so we remained at the farm and didn’t return to the high street.
With no weddings to provide for, this was my opportunity to open the farm gates for PYO flowers, this was such a welcomed pastime for the locals, who for the first time could meet up with friends and family and keep their safe distance … it did wonders for mental health, as well as allowing children to run wild.
So, from then on we never closed the gates and never went back to the high street, our farm became a destination and we made sure there was enough flowers for everyone, it felt right to remain at the farm and continue in providing all floristry services and workshops, and we have have gone from strength to strength, last year we held our first Christmas and Easter mini markets, fashion show and collaborations with other local businesses with ongoing events.
The PYO has grown quite considerably with the car park full from May to October, with day visitors, holiday makers and locals, all enjoying the wonderful experience, I like to think we are more than just a flower shop, but more of a community here at the flower farm, a place to give adults and children space to relax, unwind and slow down from their modern hectic lives… and more importantly, be inspired by our field and barn, and take that creativity home with them.
After 11 years of flower farming and designing, I’m still as passionate about flowers as I ever was, I still get excited by buying seeds, creating an floral installation and coming up with new ideas.
I really hope my passion reflects in all aspects of makes The Southwold Flower Co what it has become and what it will become in the future.
I’m looking forward to sharing ideas and projects with you all year, I hope to cover not only how to grow your own flowers in your back garden, but teach you how to condition and care for your flowers for longevity of vase life as well as arrange them and getting creative.
There are so many vessels that you can display flowers in apart from a standard hand tied vase, I look forward to exploring these with you.
The growing season is about what is available to you throughout the year, either in your garden, hedgerows or legal foraging. I plan to guide you in sustainability floristry as well as some gorgeous wreath creating, plant arrangements, table scaping, whether you are growing your own or sourcing from your local market, super market or florists, we will also be touching on dried as well as fresh as that has become hugely popular in the last few years and also so easy to grow and dry in your own home.
Everything I create or share will be accessible for all and the plan is to encourage creativity with enjoyment and no pressure, despite what you may think, there are no rules in floristry, its an art form that is personal to you, and should never be judged.
