Filming is over — at least the main stuff with Monty Don — and Bek and I can breathe a sigh of relief. The TV experience has been an eye-opener and brought us a few perks, such as our visit to Wiggly Wigglers, but I think we’ll both be happy getting back to what’s important to us — growing and selling amazing, different and inspiring flowers.
Autumn is nearly here, and there’s a lovely sense of winding down as the plants send out their last flowers and we start to prepare the beds for next year. This week we planted Sweet Williams, so we should have blooms by May/June. Dianthus, the genus to which Sweet Williams belong, have such a glorious scent, a cross between talc and cloves. Some people find them a little old fashioned but the majority of people we talk to like their informal, cottage garden quality and also the nostalgia they induce. We’re also putting up a permanent support for our everlasting Sweet Peas. Can you think of anything better than a Sweet Pea that lasts?!
Our new wind break — or T-Rex fence as our friend Gary described it — is doing a sterling job protecting the plants, and we’re paying for the labour with flowers! Nick Gaskin, just down the road in Marden, has done a brilliant job… and the ladies in his family won’t be short of flowers over the coming months.
The farmers markets have been going pretty well, although it seems that everyone is away on holiday — or just visiting. We got a fantastic reception at Wye Farmers’ Market earlier in the month, and have been to Tunbridge Wells twice. This weekend, it’s the first ever Brixton Farmers’ Market, which should be interesting. Will keep you posted on how it goes.