Get set for The Flower Farmers’ Big Weekend 8-10th September
Flowers from the Farm members are set to open the gates to their plots on 8th-10th September for the fifth anniversary of the Flower Farmers’ Big Weekend.
From left to right: Wye Valley Flowers, Abbey Farm Flowers, Little Paddock Flower Farm
Our open farm festival showcases the benefits and realities of small-scale flower farming and gives you the chance to join plot tours, floristry workshops and Pick Your Own flower sessions on dozens of independent flower farms across the country.
Whether you’ve seen Flowers from the Farm this year on BBC Countryfile, at RHS Shows or admired the flower arrangements at the Coronation, nothing beats a visit to a local grower. Every flower farm is independent and differs in how and where they grow. The Flower Farmers’ Big Weekend gives you the chance to explore plots of all shapes and sizes and to pick up tips from the growers who are changing the face of cut flower growing in the UK. This annual event has helped fuel the remarkable growth of Flowers from the Farm over the past five years, inspiring hundreds of people to pick up a trowel, follow their flower farming dream and start growing for market. Who knows – could you be next?
From left to right: Blue Hill Flora, Plantpassion, Yalham Hayes
Flower farmers value the changing of the seasons and the characterful beauty of every stem. Staging the Flower Farmers’ Big Weekend at the later time of September this year shines a spotlight on the best late summer blooms. What might you see? Cutting beds of phlox, larkspur, nigella, lilies, asters, echinacea, snapdragons, cornflowers, agapanthus, echinops, knipofia, chrysanthemums, stocks, sedums and, of course, dahlias. Dahlia Mania will be in full swing on most flower farms in September with rows of the dramatic, show-stopping blooms from small pompom dahlias to plate-sized decorative varieties in a spectacular range of colours from white and blush to the deepest, darkest purples and reds.
From left to right: The Fellside Flower Farm, The Ledbury Flower Farmer, Pitfield Barn Flowers
What’s happening?
In Sussex, Emma Martin will be welcoming visitors to Pitfield Barn for ‘walkabouts’ around her 3 acre flower fields and Emma Greenshaw of The Fellside Flower Farm in Cumbria will be inviting flower-lovers to wander through the flower farm and take in the view over tea and cake.
Aizel Finch of Yalham Hayes in Somerset – as seen on BBC Gardeners’ World this August – will be opening her 3 acre flower farm for Saturday PYO Flowers, whilst in South Wales, Rhiannon Clarke of Bluehill Flora will take you on an hour-long tour around her plot before inviting you to snip your choice of blooms to take home.
Rozanne Delamore of The Ledbury Flower Farmer in Herefordshire will be hosting a grand total of 4 events over the weekend: a flower farm tour, a wedding flowers workshop, PYO flowers and a hop wreath workshop. In Kent, Donna Sellick of Busybblooms will be sharing tips for growing on a small cutting garden, whilst in Scotland Debbie Scott of East Lothian Flower Farm will be running an open day on her 3 acre plot outside Edinburgh.
Find out what’s on by visiting the Flower Farmers’ Big Weekend event page
NOTE: Please be sure to check details ahead of time, as some sites may require advance booking and some growers may charge an entrance fee.
