Paperclip Flower Farmer's Blog: Autumn on the Horizon Flower Farmer's Blog: Autumn on the Horizon

Flower Farmer's Blog: Autumn on the Horizon

Fran Phillips

Fran Phillips

Business Owner - La-Di Dardy Flowers

In The Cutting Garden Now

After an amazing couple of weeks in September, we have now passed the autumn equinox. We will notice a real seasonal shift as daylight growing hours reduce and the garden declines in the run up to winter.

In the meantime though, I hope your Dahlias are still pumping out their blooms along with a few other flowers. I will still be producing bouquets and flower jars for my lovely customers but will probably stop at the end of October, depending on the weather. Then the wreath season will take over with lots of foraged material and dried flowers. I am already taking orders for wreaths and workshops are being organised for October, November and December.

The La-Di Dardy Dahlia Bed 2020
The La-Di Dardy Dahlia Bed 2020

Alongside this, dried flowers are very popular. They are a lovely way to bring the garden indoors over the winter months and almost any flower can be dried.

Conversations with friends have revealed their frustrations with plants growing out of control in their gardens. So, in true flower-farmer-florist spirit I have encouraged them to cut flowers for the kitchen table and therefore control the height of their flowering plants. Controlling height helps to promote the growth of side shoots which means the plants will fill their spaces with more flowering shoots at better heights. Cutting stems from the garden for a weekly bunch of flowers is a healthy thing to do as it encourages your plants to keep flowering with lovely fresh blooms. There is still plenty to cut.

Preparing for Next Season in the Cutting Garden - Over Wintering Hardy Varieties

Life in the Rhino is very busy. Tomatoes, chillies and squashes are