Does anyone else get excited when they see a PYO sign? Whether it is for strawberries, raspberries, blackberries or apples and pears, I love to know that my fruit is super fresh, and there is enjoyment from choosing your own, less packaging, so a win for the environment, as well as being able to support a local farmer directly. So, you can imagine my excitement when I discovered that I had a pick your own flower farm less than an hour away from home.
I have always loved being able to choose my own blooms, I drive florists mad as I take ages deciding which flowers I want, so it was so much more fun going up and down the lines of flowers and snipping the actual stems I adored.
I went to Cherry Gardens Organic Farm in Groombridge, Kent, where you can pick a small handful for £3, get a small bucket for £10 or larger buckets of blooms up to £20, all decided at the till, but to give you an idea, I got all these for £13 – more than 30 stems.
There are no set rules, you can wander through the flowers and pick what you want, it was very relaxed and informal, which adds to the charm and enjoyment, and I was extra lucky as we were the only ones in the field, so we really did have the pick of all the best flowers.
There were lots of varieties on offer from dahlias and cosmos to stocks, sweet williams, helichrysum strawflowers, scabiosa, and zinnias. So much to choose from, and various colours, but particularly perfect if you love pinks, yellows or purple hues in your floral displays.
Tips for picking your own flowers
It is easy to get carried away, and you don’t want to come away with too many flowers, if that’s at all possible, and then they go to waste – so here are a few of my tips to help get the most out of your pick your own flower visit.
- Walkthrough the whole flower field first, get an idea of what is on offer, which flowers look right for the picking.
- Decide on a colour scheme – yes, there is a temptation to pick one of everything but think carefully about where you plan on displaying your flowers.
- Find your wow flower, the bloom that will make an eye-catching statement in your display.
- Cut long – snip your flowers at the base of the stem. Not only will this allow you more flexibility when arranging.
- Don’t forget to take your own snips or scissors and a bucket.
I have to admit, I was like a kid in a sweetie shop, there was so many beautiful blooms, but thankfully my husband was on hand to remind me to stick to what I had planned, I wanted Dahlias and Cosmos, as apparently I haven’t stopped going on about them, and those are two flowers I want in my cut flower garden next year.
When it came to colour palette, I went for mainly pinks and whites, with a touch of yellow and orange, as I was planning on doing a number of smaller displays for around the house, in the kitchen, snug and our bedroom.
I also wanted to make sure that my bucket full of flowers included blooms like helichrysum strawflowers and other varieties that would dry well, and these straw-like daisies are perfect as the petals are stiff and papery. While fresh flowers are amazing, there is also something special about placing dried flowers around the house, especially when you’ve dried them yourself.
As well as coming away with a bargain full of gorgeous flowers, it was also a great chance to see a flower farm in action, how the flowers were arranged and how many different varieties they had in a small space. It really gave me inspiration for my own cutting garden, as well as the confidence that one I can do it, that I have enough room, as well as how special it will be, come next summer when I’m cutting flowers for the house from my own garden.
Kent-based flower farms to check out:
Cherry Gardens Organic Farm, Cherry Gardens Hill, Groombridge, Kent
TN3 9NY.
Blooming Green, Loddington Farm, Linton, Nr, Maidstone, Kent ME17 4AG.
Blue Hen Flowers, Upper Scullsgate Cottage, Benenden, Kent TN17 4LE.
Are you a fan of PYO farms?
