{"id":22822,"date":"2023-06-07T10:00:56","date_gmt":"2023-06-07T08:00:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gardensillustrated.com\/?p=2294"},"modified":"2023-06-07T10:37:22","modified_gmt":"2023-06-07T08:37:22","slug":"a-day-in-the-life-of-a-flower-grower","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/gardensillustrated\/rss_feed\/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-flower-grower\/","title":{"rendered":"A day in the life of a flower grower"},"content":{"rendered":"

As part of British Flowers Week, founder of flower farm and florists Electric Daisy Flower Farm, Fiona Haser Bizony, talks about her daily routine of picking, arranging and growing flowers at her farm near Bath <\/p>

By Klaudia Mihalova\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Wednesday, 07 June 2023 at 12:00 am<\/p>

\n\n

A revolution in British cut flowers is happening across the nation. Despite British-grown flowers accounting for a mere 10 per cent of flowers sold in the UK, there is a change underway. A grassroots movement of artisan flower growers is spearheading a revival in British cut flowers, creating gorgeous floral designs and supplying independent florists up and down the country. British Flowers Week (08-12 June) is set to shine the media spotlight on the locally grown.<\/p>\n

These dedicated people care passionately about nature, the environment and the fragrant beauty of seasonal cut flowers<\/a> and want to share their passion. Working collaboratively, these mostly small and micro-businesses share information and advice within the\u00a0Flowers from the Farm<\/a>\u00a0network of more than 500 grower members.<\/p>\n

One such grower and florist is Fiona Haser Bizony, artist and curator, who like many has come to flower growing later in life. Fiona founded the\u00a0Electric Daisy Flower Farm\u00a0in rural Wiltshire in 2011 and has since been named RHS London Florist in Residence and amongst The Telegraph\u2019s 20 most creative florists and AD Architectural Digest Germany magazine\u2019s top 20 florists in the world. Here Fiona talks about her daily routine of picking, arranging and growing flowers.<\/p>\n

A day in the life of a flower farmer<\/h3>\n
\""Fiona\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n

5am<\/strong>\u00a0 Every day is different on a flower farm. That\u2019s why I love my life. There\u2019s always some interesting task to complete, something new to learn. If I had to choose a favourite day it would be a 5am start in mid-summer. It sounds terrible I know, but I love the peace and quiet of that magical time when everyone else is still tucked up in bed. I drive to my flower fields with my empty buckets and cut what is needed for the next few days. I love the meditative, rhythmic task of snipping and bunching. Knowing that I\u2019ve grown and nurtured the flowers myself makes the harvest all the more satisfying. I stop picking as soon as I feel the heat of the morning sun on the back of my neck.<\/p>\n

9.30am<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0Back at HQ the flowers are stored in a cool dark basement where they \u2018condition\u2019, which is a technical term for having a long, cold drink. I strip off the lower leaves so that only stalks are in water. This helps the flowers to stay healthy and last longer in the vase. If the flowers are destined to go to other independent florists or DIY brides I will sort them by flower variety into buckets.\u00a0 If they are for me to use I leave them overnight before they go onto the next stage of their lives.<\/p>\n

11am<\/strong>\u00a0 At my desk catching up with admin, replying to brides or sending invoices. I should also be ordering seeds in summer for biennials, which we need to get started for planting in the autumn so they\u2019ll be flowering next spring. One of the most important things about growing flowers is orchestrating the seasons and getting ahead of what we will need next year. I spend hours with my head buried in seed catalogues, ordering bulbs and unusual plants that I think will keep us be ahead of the fashion trends.<\/p>\n

1pm<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0At the moment I employ three people, part-time. We always cook a healthy vegetarian lunch and eat together. It\u2019s an important team bonding time when we discuss what\u2019s coming up, plan our schedule of work and just have fun together.<\/p>\n

2pm<\/strong>\u00a0I often have a sneaky siesta if I got up early. Don\u2019t tell anyone\u2026<\/p>\n

2.30pm<\/strong>\u00a0As this \u2018day in the life\u2019 is in mid-summer I will probably have a wedding to prepare for. My favourite brides are the ones who give me free reign to work my magic. Turning my flowers into arrangements is the part I love the most. When I\u2019m making bridal bouquets and corsages, I\u2019m in heaven. I work with Rhiannon Marshall who is also one of our gardeners. Because we have grown the flowers together, we have a sort of synergy with our product. We often listen to repeats of Radio 3\u2019s Jazz Record Requests which Rob Powell (another of our gardeners) tells me is very posh.<\/p>\n

6pm<\/strong>\u00a0If we\u2019re lucky, we\u2019ll have made all the bouquets and cleared the studio of all the compost we\u2019ve generated. For a morning wedding I will have another 5am start to get everything as fresh and as amazing as possible for my bride. I\u2019m always a little nervous handing over the bridal bouquet. There\u2019s a lot of responsibility to deliver not just what she thought she wanted but to exceed expectations and bring joy through flowers. I am no spring chicken, so I need to look after myself and make sure I have a nice bath and a glass of chardonnay before I\u2019m out for the count, ready for another day of flowers.<\/p>\n

Useful Information<\/h3>\n

Electric Daisy Flower Farm<\/a><\/strong> 11a Wine Street Terrace, Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire \u00a0BA15 1NP<\/p>\n

British Flowers Week<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0was started by New Covent Garden Flower Market back in 2013 as a way of highlighting British cut flowers and foliage. Each year a selection of florists is chosen to celebrate the wealth and variety of British blooms on offer through their impressive displays.\u00a0Find out about his year\u2019s florists<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Flowers from the Farm<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0is a network farmers, smallholders and gardeners, who are using their knowledge of horticulture and floristry to grow and present a different range of flowers from those available in the supermarkets and the wholesale markets. They offer lots of advice for would-be flower growers, too.<\/p>\n

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