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September is coming to an end, and even though I'm new to this gardening malarkey, even I have figured out that September to December seems to be prime planting season for spring bulbs and seeds. So, last month I started planning out my wish-list for next year's first flowers and, rather excitingly, they've arrived and I've been busy planting for next year! Big shout-out to Farmer Gracy for these fabulous varieties! Although they do get imported from Holland, I like the way they're sent in recyclable packaging and - apparently - all their deliveries are now carbon neutral. I've had a field-day choosing which flowers to plant, and here's what I've chosen for next year. Galilee Pastel Mix anemones This variety is the one I'm most excited about growing. As the name suggests, these flowers will grow in a range of beautiful pastel colours. The blurb states that some are bi-colour, while others will be tinted or solid block colours - each one will be a surprise! This makes me happy, and I just know they're going to look ridiculously beautiful in a bouquet. These are an Israeli variety and need a sheltered spot and covering in winter, so I've placed them in the bottom of my greenhouse in the pot I'm growing them in so I don't have to disturb their roots by potting them on. I'm not sure if that's definitely the right thing to do, but I'm quickly discovering that gardening is a case of trial and error! I cannot wait for these to grow - my only regret is that I bought 10 bulbs rather than 30! Abbey Road alliums Alliums were amongst the first on my list thanks to their usefulness as filler flowers in bouquets (plus I love their lacy delicateness). The contrast of white and deep red in this mixed collection is just beautiful, and I know it'll come in useful at some point when I'm planning my arrangements next year! The bulbs almost look like little onions, and I placed them in a large 50cm pot to give these generous sized varieties plenty of room to grow. After I took this photo, I doubted myself and watched a YouTube video to double-check which side down I needed to plant them! Turns out, the pointed side needs to be facing up. Phew, thank goodness I checked! Mixed collection ranunculus I was so spooked when I was buying this that I decided to play it safe and buy a pretty standard variety of ranunculus at 15 bulbs for £2.70. I've heard quite a few horror stories about growing ranunculus and I feel like maybe I was already admitting defeat that they may not grow! For £2.70, I'll be pleasantly surprised if these pretty ruffled flowers in pink, red, yellow and peach colours begin to bloom next year, and if not I'll have only lost a small amount of money. These were planted in a 30cm pot, which I realised when planting was rather too small, and have been placed at the bottom of my greenhouse next to the anemones. Tiger Mix Dutch iris When I was reading about the best bulbs to plant now ready for spring, irises were mentioned time and again, and I couldn't find any as pretty as this Tiger Mix variety. Farmer Gracy describes them as a combination of amber, copper and violet, which is just as stunning as it sounds! These grow to a whopping 50cm despite their small stature as a bulb, so I made sure to plant them in a sturdy 55cm-long rectangular planter and spaced them carefully. When they begin growing I will likely stake them and make sure the planter is weighted down so there's no toppling over. Finally, I planted some winter pansies over the top to add a splash of autumn colour while I wait for the bulbs to grow. Copper Image tulip These beauties certainly don't look like the tulips you would traditionally think of! Apparently known as 'double tulips', they have full, round heads rather than the fluted shape you would usually associate with this type of flower, and their pink-orange colour is what made me add them to my shopping basket. These would make perfect focal flowers in a bouquet, however as I only bought 5 bulbs (for £3.75) I'm not sure these are necessarily going to be picked! Another rookie error - if you're growing tulips as cut flowers, make sure you buy enough quantities! I waited right until the very end of September to plant these, as the weather has cooled considerably. Potentially this still may have been a tad too early, but I won't know until next year! What have you been planting this month? I'd love to know which varieties you chose!

When you think about funeral designs you might envisage a casket spray or sheath, but one great option for a slightly different type of funeral tribute is to opt for a beautiful wreath like this mini variety. The funeral of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth certainly brought worldwide attention to this humble style of funeral design, and with good reason - her casket wreath was simply stunning, and created using sustainable techniques and flowers grown in the gardens of the royal estates. Here I'm going to show you a little more detail on one type of funeral wreath. The base of this design is a small willow frame, which has been loosely constructed for space to place moss. Once mossed up, the wreath is then sprayed well with water. Funerals so often mean white flowers, but there's no reason why you can't use colour, especially if the person had a very vibrant personality. I had this design in mind while I was picking my stems at Kitchen Garden Flowers, and I knew I wanted to use soft feminine colours like these so they were picked specifically for the project. I began with the large pink dahlias, then the pink and purple scabiosa, then filled in the rest of the spaces with smaller filler flowers like ammi, cornflowers and achillea. Special mention goes to these cute little pink and white zinnias, which I cut from my garden. I needed a little more pink to bring everything together, and these fit the bill perfectly. Just another reason why I'm so keen to grow my own flowers! And don't forget about those little flower buds - they add such a lovely texture and interest to this design, and they were great for filling those final few spaces. So, do you think this would make a good funeral tribute? Do you prefer colour or monochrome palettes for your funeral designs? If you would like to get in touch about creating a special tribute for your loved one, please get in touch.

Living wreaths are a fabulous sustainable choice for farewell flowers. Not only are they environmentally friendly, but they continue to bloom for months. For this particular design, I chose chose lavender (with its beautiful trailing foliage), campanula (with its delicate white flowers) and that purple-tinged plant is ajuga (otherwise known as Bugleweed), which will eventually produce stunning blue flowers. It's messy, very messy work as you can see by this in-progress pic! So I often create them outside, wrapping a wreath frame with the moss and individually attaching the plants onto the wreath one at a time, wrapping tightly. I would recommend spraying the moss with water to keep it moist and allow your plants to grow. I find making these wreaths so therapeutic - there's something about getting my hands dirty and making something so natural and beautiful, sat in the sunshine with a cup of tea. I absolutely love it! And I'm so pleased with the result of this one - with its pretty white blossoms and fragrant lavender scent, I can't wait to see it change as the plants do! Why have to keep removing dead flowers from a loved ones grave, when you could have this pretty wreath of living plants that grow and change with the seasons? If you'd love to know more or ask for a quote, please get in touch!

I have been thrilled to see so many flower farms opening their doors to florists and customers alike, letting people pick their own home-grown flowers. Kitchen Garden Flowers in Matlock, Derbyshire, is just one of those farms, and in fact has been opening up by appointment every Wednesday and Saturday morning for Pick Your Own sessions throughout the summer! I joined Vanessa from Kitchen Garden Flowers on a sunny day last weekend and loved every minute of it! Vanessa is passionate about British flowers and sustainable floristry, and has been around, banging the drum for #grownnotflown flowers, for a number of years. She was so accommodating and helpful in answering my many questions. As someone working solo around my children, it can sometimes feel a little like I'm in my own bubble, so it was lovely to speak to someone so like-minded and knowledgeable about the industry. Kitchen Garden Flowers is on a working farm in a rural spot with the most amazing views, so it was an absolute pleasure to spend time picking flowers and planning my designs in such a wonderful setting. After a tour of the garden and a few helpful tips, Vanessa left me to take my pick of the large variety of flowers and foliage. She had a great selection of dahlias, but there were also plenty of filler flowers to choose from, so I had no problem filling my bucket! The total cost for this little haul? Just £25, which I think represents amazing value. Perfect for playing with bouquets and designs, as it's just the right amount of stems and a fabulous selection of flower varieties. I will never get tired of spending time in these beautiful gardens, and I doubt very much it will be my last visit! If you want to book on or find out more about Kitchen Garden Flowers, visit https://kitchengardenflowersandproduce.org.uk/flowers/ or take a look at their Instagram page, https://www.instagram.com/kitchengardenflowersandproduce/

This hand-tied bouquet represents the best of late summer flowers and foliage, and I just love its wildness and rustic charm. Created using my haul from Kitchen Garden Flowers, as well as a few stems cut from my mum's garden, I found myself drawn to the rich colours and created my bouquet around them. I kept the design loose and wild, with a variety of different foliage framing my focal flowers. I don't know how the flowers had even survived, as I'd had to put off making anything for a few days because the twins were under the weather. You can see here that dahlia is past its best. It's a constant consideration while I work on how my business is going to run around the kids - how do I work and sell flowers quickly enough to ensure freshness and longevity in the vase? It's a really tricky question, and one I'm always working on the answer for! One thing that surprised me at Kitchen Garden Flowers was how much I would like the ammi they had growing. As much as we all love the dahlias, but I wasn't expecting to adore the filler flowers like ammi and achillea so much! I knew right away that I wanted to add some to my cutting patch. Combined with the pink sedum here, it's great for adding texture and height. The white accents in this bouquet really helped to set off the pinks - as much as I enjoy a tonal bouquet, I'm not sure if would have worked in this particular case. So, what do you think? It's always great to hear your feedback!

I've been so busy that I haven't had the chance to get more flowers just for me, however I did have a few stems leftover from Kitchen Garden Flowers and my little raid of my mum's garden. So, when my twins, who have been poorly with a bug, finally let me put them down for a nap I put together this little jam-jar posy for my kitchen table (as well as trying to cram in a million other jobs!). That poor delphinium was on its last legs, but it was such a pretty colour that I just had to tuck it away at the back there. I love the height delphiniums give to arrangements, which is why I'm excited for its cousin, larkspur, to grow in my garden next year. More on that in my October cutting garden progress later! As well as the delphinium, this little arrangement also features achillea, dahlia, cosmos, basil and - my personal fave - verbena. It's just such a versatile flower, and I love the colour and texture it offers! Side note - Don't get me wrong, jam jar posies are universally popular, especially when they're decorated with some pretty twine or ribbon, but it does feel like EVERYONE is making them. I'm on the hunt for something just as cute and cost-effective, but a little bit different. These Stem Gem vases are super-cute and sustainably produced, but still not as cheap per unit as jam jars. If I can just find a way to add my own stamp to little posies like these, I'll be on to a winner! That's all for now, until next time!

I couldn't let this beautiful season pass without creating an autumnal wreath, and for this one I raided my mum's garden again, as well as a patch of woods near my house, for some hydrangea heads and beautifully coloured branches. It was absolutely pouring down with rain and I felt like a bit of a fool in front of the neighbours with my scissors, trying to snip at branches and wishing I'd brought the secateurs along instead! I'd been busy all day and had just an hour child-free to try to gather the rest of the ingredients for this wreath and to try to create something from them, so I was rushing. But how important it is to take the opportunity when you can! I knew when I was picking the hydrangea heads that I wanted to use a 12" wire frame with them, and picked three for balance. This particular hydrangea plant had come from a cutting of a plant in a late relative's garden, and the thought crossed my mind that it would have been lovely to use in a funeral wreath or display. Using flowers from family gardens of those deceased is a lovely idea for funeral work and definitely something I'd love to explore more of in my work. Unfortunately, because I didn't have the time to go gathering (not even for the pinecones - they're from Amazon. Total fail!), I knew I didn't have enough to cover a 12" wire frame. So, I used a willow hoop and instead created a spray to half-cover the hoop. The end result is fabulous and understated - a fabulous edition to any door this autumn!

Now that a new year is upon us, I have it under good authority that now is the perfect time to begin planning my seed purchases. This will be my first spring as a cut-flower grower, and I can't wait to see what begins to bloom from my bulbs and autumn-sown seeds, but a wise person once said that you need to be at least two seasons ahead when you're growing flowers so I definitely need to be thinking about summer now! Once those spring bulbs have faded, I need to be ready with some seedlings to fill the empty pots with. So, here are five flowers that I'm currently planning to add to my garden! Please note - I'm linking back to the Chiltern Seeds website, as that's where all my seeds have been purchased from. Cosmos 'Apricotta' This may well have been one of the first flowers that I saw and wanted to grow myself. Once again, that pinky-peach colour is just up my street. Add to that the fact that Cosmos is the perfect flower for florists, giving out an abundance of blooms for an extended period, and it's no wonder it's at the top of my list! Amaranthus Otherwise known as Love-Lies-Bleeding, these flowers caught my eye the first time I ever visited a flower farm, thanks to their long tendrils of deep wine-coloured flowers. Stunning in a bouquet and relatively easy to grow, I'm looking forward to having these fabulous flowers to hand to practice my floristry techniques this summer! Helichrysum (strawflower) I know from the wholesalers that these particular flowers are great for drying as they maintain their colour perfectly. However, they're also a lovely little flower that contrasts well against larger-headed blooms in an arrangement, so I know I'll be wanting to use them in plenty of designs if I'm lucky enough for them to grace my garden! I've opted for the mixed variety, which comes in a rainbow of colours, so there'll always be a strawflower to suit my design. Ammi Majus Basically cow parsley, or also known as Bishop's Flower, these gorgeous stems are long and lacy and look absolutely stunning as a filler flower in a bouquet. I love the light and airy look they give to a design, so they were an absolute must-have in my growing list! I'm considering direct-sowing these seeds straight into large pots in April, and they'll keep flowering right through until the end of September... hopefully! Rudbeckia 'Sahara' Rudbeckia makes such a lovely focal flower in any bouquet anyway, but this variety caught my eye thanks so its unusual palette. While most of the Rudbeckia I've used before is golden-yellow in colour, this selection comes in shades of caramel, copper and pink. I'm hoping to sow them indoors in March and plant them by May so that they flower for as long as possible. Cosmos, Amaranthus and Rudbeckia all feature in this bouquet, can you spot them? Just imagine being the one to have grown all these beautiful flowers! That's my main motivation when I'm thinking about the flower choices. And of course, this isn't an exhaustive list and there will definitely be more added to it over the coming months! My plan is to keep sowing every month, to replenish my supplies so there's always something blossoming. It should probably be pointed out that I'm also a member of the Rose Press Garden subscription box service, so I will also receive some surprise seeds and bare roots every month too, to add to this growing list! It's sure looking to be an exciting year - I can't wait for spring!

I wasn't prepared for quite the kind of impact that winter would have on my seedlings. I know, I know, it should hardly be surprising! But being my first year, I think I was a little slow on the uptake with how quickly the cold weather would set in. So slow and unprepared, in fact, that I forgot to close my little plastic greenhouse one night and woke up to a very severe frost in the garden, which froze my seedlings stiff! I was absolutely gutted, and I still have no idea if I've killed them off or if they will bounce back. The good news is that a few days prior to the frost I had managed to get hold of some pea gravel to cover the tops of my pots, which I'm hoping will have helped to protect some of the bulbs. The bad news is that it was a particularly hectic Saturday when I tried to add the gravel to my pots, and I only managed to cover half of them before I was called away by the kids... and I never made it back. As much as it's a shame, it'll be an interesting experiment to see whether the gravel has had any effect on protecting my bulbs. If they're all dead come spring, then I guess I'll have my answer! The most severely affected casualty of the frost seem to me my scabiosa seedlings, which had been growing beautifully into nice healthy plants before the weather changed. They've immediately drooped and don't show any signs of improvement over a week later. The newly transplanted cornflowers (take 2) aren't looking too happy, but they haven't curled in the same way the last batch did before they died, so I'm hoping that's a good sign. Heartbreakingly, my rununculus bulbs, which I'd placed in the bottom of the greenhouse for protection, aren't looking good either. Not all of them had begun to sprout, so I'm keeping hopeful that they'll make it through, even if the few early bloomers don't. If it can survive the frost, the biggest success story will surely be the larkspur that I sowed earlier this year. Some of you might remember that I decided to try direct-sowing it straight into a large container, rather than sowing indoors. I had no idea if it would work, but it did begin to germinate and Google tells me that it's frost-hardy. I'll be so pleased if it blooms in the spring! How have you coped with the winter season, are your flower seedlings flourishing or have you made any errors like me? I'd love to know!

There really have been some ups and downs so far with my cutting garden! Mostly ups thankfully, but the main low point had to be when my greenhouse fell over, losing a whole crop of seeds I'd planted from July's Rose Press Garden subscription box. Total fail! I tried again in August, with the greenhouse firmly tethered to the fence (although as I write this, there's a thunderstorm outside and I'm really hoping it's firm enough!) and I was thrilled the Black Ball cornflowers and lavender scabiosa seeds that I sowed have germinated. I will very soon be transferring the cornflower seedlings into their own individual pots, and then these will over-winter in the greenhouse before I plant them into larger containers once the frost has passed. I've also planted some larkspur seeds in a large container recently, which spent a week in the freezer beforehand (this is because larkspur needs a period of cold before they can germinate!). I can't find categorical proof these are suited to being direct-sown in pots in the autumn, but I decided to give it a try anyway. In theory, as the weather is still quite warm, these should germinate and then lie dormant over winter (as they're pretty hardy and frost proof), but it remains to be seen if I'll be rewarded with blooms in the spring! So here's where I'm up to so far - I have a very long way to go, but I'll be glad I took this photo to compare in a few months!

September and October have been busy months in the garden, and I feel like definite progress has been made, despite some set-backs! My first crop of cornflower seedlings failed miserably, but someone on Instagram urged me to sow some more as it wasn't too late! I did, and along with some nigella and some very strong and healthy looking scabiosa seedlings, it's now happily growing away in my little plastic greenhouse. Hooray! The bad news is that a tiny snail managed to hitch a ride inside my greenhouse and had a good munch on said cornflower seedlings! Apparently, being eaten doesn't inhibit the growing process, and even the munched seedlings are still growing and producing their second set of leaves. My plan with these is to let them grow for longer than last time, so they're bigger and have more developed root systems before I re-pot them into plastic pots. I've decided against using the compostable ones again and have been given some plastic pots to recycle from my mum's husband. My thinking is that perhaps the compostable pots allowed the soil to dry out too much last time, and plastic will retain more moisture. The scabiosa seedlings are looking strong, and I'm actually starting to wonder if they need to be potted on again into even larger pots. I've been watching for any roots starting to grow through the drainage holes underneath, as apparently that's a clear sign that a larger pot is needed. Finally, the orlaya seeds (which needed to be covered with a polythene bag, which was a first for me!) didn't seem to be doing too well in the greenhouse, so I brought them inside and put them on the windowsill instead. Obviously, the temperature had dropped too much for them to be in the greenhouse, as they finally germinated indoors. They're rather tall and carried the casing from the seed with them when they grew! I have no idea how I'll know when these need potting on, I guess I'll just have to keep an eye on them and see how they continue to grow. So, lots to look forward to for next year! If that wasn't enough, my spring bulbs have started to sprout too - I've been assured that as it gets colder they'll stop growing and lay dormant until the weather warms up again. Hope you're finding an equal level of success - I'd love to see what you've been sowing!

Yesterday I have the privilege of helping out with this stunning doorway installation up at Levens Hall in Kendal. It was at the invitation of Rachel from Tallulah Rose Flower School, which is based in the historic grounds of the hall, and was in honour of the hall's annual Christmas fair. Rachel asked all the past and present students of the flower school's online course if they would like to help, and so along with 3 other aspiring florists I was able to travel up for the day and get some much needed hands-on experience with a large scale installation for the first time. It was such a fantastic day being able to meet and chat to other like-minded people, and I learnt so much from it! I didn't get photos of the setting-up process unfortunately, but the mechanics were basically layered bunches of twigs tied onto a frame using velcro wraps. This worked brilliantly for securing the foliage in place, and of course is a more environmentally friendly alternative to plastic cable ties, as it's easier to re-use. We began with branches of fir to give it that Christmas feel, then added in eucalyptus, thistle, pittosporum, and my absolute favourite mimosa foliage, which had beautiful purple tips and speckled detail which just brought a whole new dimension to the design. The final touch were the dried hydrangea heads, in a colour I'd never seen before in this flower! The original colour was a deep indigo, and they dried into a stunning purple-blue hue. We layered them from the bottom of the arch, up the sides but keeping the top section free, which balanced it out wonderfully. The final step was to add lanterns and pine coming down the staircase from the door. The perfect festive finish to really add impact! I was so proud to have been part of creating this doorway design, and it's given me a whole new appreciation of what you can create just with foliage alone. The texture and colour we were able to achieve before even adding the flowers just blew me away and gave me lots of inspiration in the process! And of course, getting to meet some fellow Tallulah Rose students who were at varying stages of their floristry training was also a great boost. I really hope I can repeat the experience next year - watch this space!