With the summer holidays behind us and the dahlias , I hope, very much still ahead of us this month is all about seed sowing, giving flowery talks and getting the  beds ready for autumn planting  !

So far I’ve sown orlaya, agrostemma ‘rose pink’ ,inula which is a perennial sunflower ( new to me) , Icelandic poppies (for the first time), larkspur ‘Smokey Eyes’ and more double feverfew. I’ll continue sowing up until the light levels drop in October and then most of the plants will spend the winter in the zippy poly houses but those that are big enough will get planted out in the plot to spend the winter there.

Autumn sowing is a bit of a misnomer as the plants really need to ready by this time if they are to get their roots down ahead of the winter, the benefits are earlier flowering and longer stems next season . If you’re interested in an autumn seed sowing workshop let me know,  but meanwhile you can follow along on social media.

Other jobs this month will be to label dahlias so that when the time comes I can identify those I want to move and replace , it will also help with a plant audit as I’ve divided a number of tubers this and taken cuttings this season and as usual the labelling wasn’t wholly accurate.

In other news my October diary is filling up as I look to celebrate 60 years around the sun , I can’t believe where the time has gone and that makes me more determined to keep doing more of the things that bring me joy as well as developing my business. Getting the balance right is one of life’s juggles but so important for your own health and wellbeing , maybe this year I’ll get it right !

Looking  slightly further ahead, I want to be a little more organised than usual , it feels too early to mention the ‘C word ‘ and I’m not talking cosmos ! Wreath making workshops are probably the most popular of all the workshops I offer and they get booked up super quickly.

This year I’m offering one workshop so far which is live for booking at www.busybblooms.co.uk

The DATE :Saturday 13 th December

The LOCATION :The Brassey Centre , Aylesford

The TIME : 2pm-4.30pm.

If you’d rather do Wreathmas at home I’m offering some dates below , perfect for gathering a few friends together for a cozy, relaxed wreath making evening or afternoon in the comfort of your own home . I’ll come along with everything you need to make a gorgeous fresh wreath , you’ll just need to provide the space and festive snacks.

The cost is £50 pp with a minimum booking of 6 people, max 10. If you are involved with a flower, gardening or social club that has a regular meeting place I can come along to you too, just click on the enquiry page to get in touch.

Here’s a few dates I’ve already secured in my diary

November

Friday 28th  

Saturday 29th - booked

December

Thursday 11th

Friday 12th 

Sunday 14th 

You’ll need to allow 3 hrs for the event including set up and I’ll require a 50% deposit to secure the booking. Email me @busybblooms@gmail.com for more T&Cs and up to date availability ( alternative dates may be available).

That’s all for now , I’ll keep on seed sowing and making the most of the September weather before I have to pull on my long trousers and fleecy tops.

As ever much flowery love

Donna

It’s estimated that over 14,670 cubic meters of floral foam and single-use plastic are sent to UK landfills every year from crematoriums alone – that’s the equivalent of six Olympic-sized swimming pools ! But it doesn’t have to be that way , you do have a choice in how your flowers are created.

When it comes to arranging farewell flowers some customers maybe have an idea of the colour they’d like and perhaps a shape or style but beyond that they don’t realise that they have options to make their flowers more eco friendly and they could have a second life. Flowers aren’t a cheap commodity so it makes sense to reuse them and reduce on landfill waste at the same time. You might wonder how that can be achieved , this is something I’ll discuss when we first speak, giving you ideas and suggestions so that beautiful flowers don’t have to be left behind .

Earlier this year I had the privilege to create a gorgeous blue and white coffin topper that was designed in individual modules . They seamlessly slotted together on the coffin top but allowed the family easy transportation onto the wake for decorating the tables. After the celebration the family were able take them home to enjoy for a little longer. Designed using moss not floral foam , the containers  can be reused and the remaining flowers and mechanic’s were completely home compostable.

Farewell flowers can be anything you want them to be. Mine will always be seasonal, scented ,eco friendly and free of single use plastic. I’m here for you should you want the same thing for your loved one.

#sharingtheflorallove #justbeautifulflowers #ecoflorist #greenfunerals

I’m always about seasonal, locally grown flowers here at Busybblooms but what is British Flowers Week about ? In a nutshell it’s a week for meeting , showing, educating and sharing everything wonderful about seasonal, locally grown flowers and the lovely folk that grow, sell and arrange them. This years it’s running from Monday 16th June - Saturday 21st June

I belong to @flowersfromthefarm and I’m one of a growing movement of eco flower growers who use every space they can to grow a range of flowers, herbs and foliage for cutting . You’ll find flower growers come in various sizes too , from back gardens like me , to acres of flower filled farms. There are some that simply specialise in growing single varieties of flowers , think peonies , dahlias, lavender , foliage and petals !

We want to get as many people as possible to celebrate British flowers , find out where they can get them from  and connect with florists and growers that offer sustainable ways of working.

My fellow petal heads and I will be sharing posts and offering workshops this week to inspire, educate and delight. Our grids will be filled with interesting and sometimes shocking facts as well as lots of gorgeous seasonal flowers ,you’ll possibly some growing tips for the cut flower gardeners amongst you too.

Follow along with me @busybblooms and why not give theses social media accounts a follow too

@flowersfromthefarm

@british.flowers.week

@marketflowers

Join our celebration, say hello in the posts, ask us questions and   hopefully you’ll be able to find yourself a new flower ( godetia is mine pictured above) , grower or florist near to where you live.

Let’s get this flower party started 💐🥂💚.

#britishflowersweek  #BritishFlowersWeek2025  #FFTF #locallygrownflowers #myflowerfilledlife #sustainableflowers #connectingthroughflowers

Weddings are an expensive business especially when it comes to flowers , they can cost the earth in more ways than one . Using locally grown seasonal  flowers means that you’ll be choosing the best of what’s available with no air miles, no chemicals , no single use plastic or floral foam. Creating your own wedding flowers will help save the pennies too, so if you are an eco friendly bride who wants to be budget savvy here are my top tips :

Find your local flower grower and check what packages they can offer . I’m here for you in west Kent but if you’re living further a field search  @flowersfromthefarm to find your nearest person.

Have colours in mind but let me guide you on what flowers are best value for your chosen time of year.

Book your dates early in the season , artisan growers get snapped up quickly as do event florists.

Most importantly think creatively and don’t feel pressured by social media ‘ must haves’ . Your flower farmer florist will give you ideas of how repurpose your flowers from the ceremony to the after party, giving you the best bang for your buck.

Opting for DIY buckets of flowers to make table flowers and church flowers is a great was to save money and share the floral love.

Bud vases and jam jars are a simple way to add colour to your tables, why not encourage team bride to get involved ?

If you want to go full diy and make your own bouquets, I’d recommend having a practice or even booking a workshop to give you more confidence .

If the bridal party bouquets are a bridge too far why not have them made for you instead it takes away the stress and will help you sleep at night.

Hit the contact button for more details.

#ecofriendlyweddings #localflowers #ecochic #seasonalflowers #diyflowers #flowersfromthefarm

April is peak tulip time but these seasonal flowers can be a little like buses. You wait for ever for the one you want  then they all come along at once.

Tulips are the most gorgeous focal flower coming in a range of colours, shapes and sizes but they join us fleetingly,  arriving anywhere from the end of March through to early May . They look stunning in a vase en mass and in my opinion even better as part of a spring arrangement.

Full of personality , tulips will continue growing after you cut them because their stems are highly responsive to the plant hormone auxin which causes them to elongate and grow toward light. Phototropic flowers move toward the light continually  changing their position in a vase even after being cut .This growth and movement contribute to the characteristic appearance  in arrangements, with stems bending and flowers turning towards light sources. 

Here’s a few tips to get the best from these amazing seasonal blooms:

Recut the stems at a 45-degree angle, this ensures the stems are exposed to the maximum amount of water to rehydrate. Make sure there are no leaves under the water line, your vase should be super clean to avoid the introduction of any bacteria.

Tulips are a thirsty flower so make sure there is plenty of cool water in the vase , change every other day and recut stems as you do so.

Give them a bit of space in the vase so they don’t get squashed: overcrowding can damage the stem and shorten the vase life too.

As tulips are one of the only flowers to keep growing after being cut, choose your vase carefully – one that covers at least half the stem length is ideal to stop them drooping if they do grow overnight (this can happen!).

If they do droop, this is usually down to an air block in the stem, i.e. the water is not reaching the flower .You can try and rescue a drooped tulip by using the pin trick: this involves pushing a pin all the way through the throat of the tulip (approximately an inch from the bottom of the flower head) to release the air and recutting the stems again.

I love to see the movement of this beauties but if you like a straighter stem, you can rotate the vase to vary where the light comes from. In extreme cases, you can also try taking the tulips out of the vase and wrapping the stems quite tightly in newspaper in a cone shape so you encourage that straight shape you want. Then leave overnight in the dark and a little water and you should find the tulips have righted themselves when you unwrap the paper in the morning.

As with all cut flowers, do not place your tulips in direct sun, a south facing windowsill is deadly . Also keeping them next to a bowl of fruit , can cause cut flowers to age more rapidly and wilt prematurely

Finally, if one flower or foliage starts to die, remove it from the vase immediately as it’s thought that dying flowers release a bacteria as they wilt which can damage the others.

If you only buy flowers a few times a year make sure you treat yourself to some tulips over the coming weeks, they won’t be around for too long and they really are too good to miss.