Ivydene Flower Farm
“Getting a flower from a seed, tuber or bulb to flowering takes a huge amount of time, toil and care.”
Are there flowers that immediately make you think of a particular landscape, season or place?
Snowdrops are one of my favourites. It's that splash of hope that spring is around the corner.
Do you think people experience flowers differently when they know they were grown locally?
People like knowing that flowers are grown sustainably and locally. They can evoke memories of a granny's garden or your own garden, as well as the familiar plants you recognise.
Can flowers tell the story of a place in the same way that food or wine can?
A particular flower can remind you of a season, a landscape, a childhood garden or a special occasion. Even the scent of flowers can bring back a memory or a feeling almost instantly.
In that sense, flowers can tell a story without saying a word. They can evoke where you were, what season it was and how you felt at the time.
"There's something really special about waiting for a flower to return with the seasons, almost like seeing an old friend you haven't seen for a year."
Has growing flowers changed the way you think about the seasons?
Growing flowers has completely changed the way I experience the seasons. I'm far more in tune with their rhythm than I ever was as a gardener.
The weeks almost feel like a school timetable. You're constantly preparing for the season ahead, even when you're still in the height of summer. There's always something to sow, grow, pick or plan for, so you're never quite living in just one season.
What's lost when the same flowers are available all year round?
There's something really special about waiting for a flower to return with the seasons, almost like seeing an old friend you haven't seen for a year. When she finally appears again, it feels all the more precious.
Flowers are perhaps the most temporary part of a table. Do you think that makes people appreciate them differently?
People just love flowers. They love smelling them, touching them, the different textures and delicate qualities. At weddings especially, they can be such a special part of the day.
And I think it's that fleetingness that makes flowers so special.
What part of growing flowers simply can't be rushed?
The part of flower growing that definitely can't be rushed is sowing the seeds. It takes as long as it takes, and pricking them out is very time-consuming and methodical, but also joyful.
Watching a tiny plant emerge from a seed is like magic, every year.
What do people rarely understand about growing seasonal flowers until they see it for themselves?
People don't realise the scale of what it takes to grow the volume of flowers needed.
When people say, "Oh, I want wildflowers," they can imagine you just scattering a few seeds and letting them grow. But getting a flower from a seed, tuber or bulb to flowering takes a huge amount of time, toil and care.
It's hard, exhausting work, and that's why flowers cost what they do.
Has spending so much time growing flowers changed the way you experience beautiful tables or celebrations?
Since growing flowers, I look at flower arrangements with completely different eyes, whether it's a little bud vase or a big display.
Knowing how much time, love and care goes into every bloom, I love every wonky stem and quirky shape.
Is there something about British flowers or flower farming that you worry could be lost in the future?
Up until about two years ago, I was really hopeful about the future of British flower growing. More people were getting behind British flowers, and we were seeing more and more small-scale growers across the country.
But the last two years have been brutal. If summers continue like this, I worry about the future of farming in general, not just flowers, but food too.
One last, more personal question. Is there a flower that instantly brings back a memory for you? What is it, and where does it take you?
The flowers that bring back memories most strongly for me are probably paperwhite narcissi and white hellebores. They're the flowers I chose for my mum's funeral.
She died during COVID, and she was my biggest cheerleader. She was so excited about the start of the flower farm. I'm so sorry that she didn't get to see it thrive.
I miss her greatly.
@ivydeneflowerfarm
Bruern Flour
“You Can Complain. Or You Can Grow Tomatoes.”
