FRESHER THAN FREDDIE’S
the year at fieldhouse flowers
The season starts with scented Narcissi, Tulips and Anemones in spring then, as the weather gets warmer, the Peonies and Roses begin. The beginning of June sees the true start of the summer flowers: it’s full of Larkspur, Snapdragons and Alliums. The Dahlias follow into August and September and continue until the first October frosts.
Whenever you order Farewell Flowers or come here during the year to PYO or collect a Friday bunch, there’ll be something interesting and the selection will change naturally with every week.
My season runs from around Easter to the end of September and begins slowly as the weather warms. Early spring is difficult to predict and regular PYO sessions don’t begin until mid-May. Pop-up sessions in April and early May will be advertised on Instagram and Facebook when available.
I’m Gill Hodgson and I began growing flowers here on the farm back in 2009, selling them at the gate and at Driffield Farmers’ Market and it was there, face to face with the customer, that I saw the potential for a revival of British flowers.
In 2011, to help more people become flower farmers, I set up Flowers From The Farm Ltd, a not-for-profit company aimed at increasing the market for home-grown flowers and giving new growers the information they needed to start their own businesses. FFTF now has almost a thousand members growing flowers for market from Skye to Cornwall and is the closest thing the British flower industry has to an official trade body.
In 2018 FFTF took Gold at RHS Chelsea Flower Show with a display containing flowers and foliage sent by 86 members from all over the country and arranged without floral foam.
I’d thought that was the pinnacle of my floral career until May 2023 when FFTF members grew all the flowers for the King’s Coronation in Westminster Abbey and a small group of us were presented to Their Majesties. You can watch a video of our adventure HERE.
Come to Fieldhouse Farm and visit the site where the British flower industry began its revival.