May & June on the Flower Farm

May & June on the Flower Farm: Laying Foundations and Welcoming Visitors

May and June have been full-on but rewarding months here on the farm. Much of our energy has gone into one big focus: finishing the layout and planting of the first official growing area — our Pick Your Own (PYO) patch. It’s been a huge task, from preparing the ground to getting everything in place, but we’re pleased to say it’s now complete.

We’ve already welcomed our first guests to the space for a few special Sweet Pea PYO sessions, and it’s been great to see people out enjoying the flowers. The sweet peas have put on a good show — full of colour and scent — and it's been a lovely way to introduce visitors to this new area of the farm.

One unexpected highlight over the past couple of months has been the meadow strip. What started as a small trial area has turned out to be a real triumph — full of movement, colour, and a more natural feel that’s resonated with everyone who visits. It’s also introduced us to some surprisingly brilliant additions to our cut flower selection, with a few varieties proving far better suited for the vase than we’d imagined. It’s a reminder that even small spaces can have a big impact.

Over in the Flower Barn, we’ve had a really busy run of workshops, with a mix of regulars and new faces joining us. One of the highlights was this year’s Flourish – The Content Day for Florists, which brought together a brilliant group of florists for a full day of learning, connection and content creation. (We’ll be sharing more from that day soon in a separate post.)

Like many growers this season, we’ve had our fair share of challenges. Pests were a particular issue at the start of the year, and it took some time to get on top of them. But the plants are settling now, and the worst seems to be behind us. We’ve also had an unusually dry spell recently — and while we’re managing watering as best we can, some proper rainfall would be very welcome at this stage.

All in all, it's been a season of setting foundations — both literally in the field, and in the wider sense of what we’re building here. We're looking forward to what July brings, with more flowers coming into bloom and events to look forward to.

Thanks to everyone who’s visited, joined a workshop, or supported us over the past couple of months.

Until next time,

The Leicestershire Flower Farm