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HILLTOP GARDENING CLUB HAPPENINGS APRIL 2024

Spring was in the air at our April meeting, when we welcomed Flower Farmer Rachel Golding-Barrett from The Tetbury Flower Company as our guest speaker. Her flower farm is situated in a walled garden in Sopworth, near Sherston, on the Badminton Estate.

Demand for UK cut flowers has exploded recently, and there are at least 30 flower farms around the country. British cut flower growers provided all the flowers in Westminster Abbey for the King’s Coronation in 2023. In 2024 brides are driving the trend. Rachel has a particular passion for growing dahlias – popular now with young Instagram influencers.

Rachel is currently in the process of pricking out 6,500 seedlings and is about to start the first of her monthly farm tours. In June she holds ‘snips & buckets’ sessions (booked online), when visitors can cut any flowers they want. Workshops take place throughout the year on the farm, including hand-tie bouquet and wreath workshops.   

Rachel gave us practical advice to inspire us to create our own cut flower patch. A bed 3m X 1m should provide ample cut flowers throughout the year. Planning is key, and the plants one might consider include:

Focals-dahlias, roses

Fillers- nigella, Ammi majus

Foliage- grasses, mint (provides a feeling of movement in an arrangement).



At the end of the meeting members were able to purchase beautiful bunches of narcissi, tulips and sweet pea seedlings brought from the farm.