Finally, sunshine and two whole days
working in the garden! My body needs to catch up with my enthusiasm;
as I sit here writing this I am certainly feeling all that weeding
and cutting back.
Everyone was out today, including my
whippet Violet enjoying the straw I have been putting down to make
the paths between the perennials.
Also, my chickens, who have been free
ranging on the cutting beds throughout the winter. I think it might
be time to make an enclosure as they spent the afternoon undoing all
the good work I have done, scratching the straw paths all over the
beds.
On Wednesday I met The Duchess of
Cornwall when she came to open the latest exhibition at the Garden Museum: Floriculture: Flowers, Love and Money, which is all about the
cut flower industry (until the 28th April). I was part of the Magazine
Space Exhibition entitled 'Six Growers' by Howard Sooley.
Howard came to photograph me on a very
cold day in January with not a flower in sight. I think I do have a
bit of a cold-faced expression, as I had to remove many of my favourite winter layers….
He had lots of tips for me on how to
photograph flowers, it is something I do want to improve on this
year. Anyway, he seemed really inspired by Green and Gorgeous, even in
it's winter state of mud and twigs, so hopefully he will be back at the height of summer to take lots of beautiful pictures.
It was a real honour to be included in
the exhibition and encouraging to see British flower growers getting
some recognition. Here are some scented Narcissi from the Isle of
Scilly growers who were one of the six:
If you are in Oxford on Thursday 7th March, Christopher Woodward the museum's director will be giving a lecture at the Said business school on The history of floristry and the cut flower trade.
We will be introducing our new 'Best of the Bunch' range for mail order next month, which will be kicking off with Anemones. I was able to get hold of a rather special pastel variety this year, here is one just about to open and show it's loveliness.
Rachel Siegfried