HOW TO GET A BUMPER CROP OF ROSES

If you want to ensure your roses will be in full bloom this summer, then it’s time for a good prune. Our founder Rosebie explains: “February / March is time to declare war on the roses – and there’s a reason why people say ask your enemies to prune your roses! Hybrid teas and floribundas thrive after a really good prune – ideally three to five buds from the base. I suddenly realise just how many roses I have in the garden (let alone in the Rose Paddock!) when I get out the secateurs. It’s a laborious but deeply satisfying job. Once the pruning is done, I put a handful of fertiliser round each rose, followed by a mulch of well-rotted manure or compost, being careful not to touch the stems directly."

February birthday bouquet

CELEBRATING A FEBRUARY BIRTHDAY BOUQUET

Each month the florist on our Hampshire farm creates a unique seasonal bouquet inspired by the month’s birthstone and flowers. February’s birthstone is Amethyst, which represents passion, creativity and spirituality. Our florists have selected their favourite amethyst-toned seasonal flowers including anemones, clematis and tulips to create this celebratory arrangement.

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LONG NIGHTS AND A SPECIAL PROJECT REVEALED

“The longer winter nights are ideal to indulge in the excitement of looking through seed catalogues full of tempting pictures,” says Rosebie. “Then I always over-order and worry about how I’ll get everything not just sown but pricked out and looked after. It always seems to be in the middle of the Chelsea Flower Show week that all my seedlings need most attention! Mentioning Chelsea, we are already hard at work with our preparation and sorting out what needs bringing on to be at its best in the middle of May.”

SUSTAINABLE FLOWERS

If you want to buy beautiful flowers in winter then we think the best option is our sustainable sister farm in Kenya. Its location on the equator means it can grow all year round without the need for greenhouse heating or lighting. It also employs more than 600 people who would otherwise struggle to find work in a rural area. And what’s more, wherever possible blooms are flown to the UK using excess space on passenger planes, which means the transport carbon footprint can be far less than for Dutch imports.