As fall begins to set in in earnest , there is still lot to choose from for British flower farmers . In fact , for many , this is one of their best-loved sentence of year . Jess Roberts and Katie Stone of Featherstone ’s English Flower Company take us on a tour of their plot of ground , and the varied array of crops they are now harvesting .
There has been a definite change in the melodic phrase on the farm as fall creeps upon us . The production on the field of honor has slowed down , but there is still plenty for us to choose from for our harvest time .
Flowers from the farm
The tank temperatures and late rainfall have encourage the dahlias into full vacillation , commit us a immense range of colours , conformation and forms – thoroughgoing for autumnal weddings . Alongside these , we are harvest a range of annuals from the open theatre , including snapdragons , cosmos , scabious , marsh rosemary , gomphrena , zinnia , rudbeckia , verbena , campion , sunflowers , strawflowers and Chinese block - me - nots .
In the protection of the polytunnel , the final chronological succession of phlox , mallow and lavatera are still fit strong , with the chrysanthemums just about to run into their pace as we head into November . Our alstroemeria gives us a good harvesting each hebdomad , but as with all perennial , it is a fine equaliser of not taking too much from the plants to ensure they will be healthy next yr . The scented pelargonium ‘ Attar of Roses ’ and St. Basil ‘ Mrs Burns ’ Lemon ’ have proved exceedingly pop for their glorious fragrance and should keep cropping for another distich of weeks . peak from the farm
From our perennial patch we have had a 2nd bang on the achillea , and the roses are treating us to a few bud each week . The goldenrod ( Solidago rugosa ‘ Fireworks ’ ) has flowered a gorgeous golden yellow , add a howling harvest feeling to our market bouquets . We even have a few brave delphiniums giving us a net flourish before they retreat underground with the rest of the herbaceous perennials for the winter calendar month .
Autumn would usually be the season we keep one of our best-loved crops – the grasses . Sadly , our Gunter Grass collection has digest with the want of rain over the summertime months , but we are hoping to rectify this for 2023 by sowing a whole raw range of yearly and perennial grasses . Other flower farmers around the area will be glean their perennial grasses such as calamagrostis , genus Pennisetum and miscanthus .
Autumn is also the time that British foliation really comes into the limelight . A few favourites are abelia , cotinus , eucalyptus , Chinese Lanterns , physocarpus , ivy , spindleberry , rose hip , and weigela . All are a wonderful addition to bouquets and event arrangements at this metre of year . Combined with grasses and the later on unfolding chrysanthemum as we head up further into autumn , the colours and textures of British leaf more than make up for a reduced flower choice to create truly arresting seasonal exhibit .
For more entropy : Flowers from the Farmwww.flowersfromthefarm.co.uk
