A fascinating farm tour

The Sustainable Floristry Group visited the Tetbury Flower Company. It is located in an old walled garden in the South Cotswolds. Owner Rachel Golding Barrett welcomed our floristry group for a tour on a very rainy day. The rain definitely didn't dampen our spirits.

The Tetbury Flower Company is just into its second season. Rachel focuses on propagating, cultivating and growing varieties that thrive in the clay soil on the farm. Whilst the public is welcome to pick flowers on specific days, she mainly supplies to florists, other flower farmers and through a wider network, national wholesalers all of whom want to use stunning British grown flowers. She focuses on tall strong stems and often unusual flowers. She had just picked Jolly Nice's order of dahlias.

After passing racks of saved seed drying, we visited the polytunnel where trays of next year's crop were already starting to sprout. Rachel was trialling some Florets zinnias which seem to be all the rage at the moment.

There are trial beds of dahlias and other flowers planted in colour blocks. Rachel is testing whether they will make the grade for growing in bulk next year.

This year's weather has meant a slow start to the dahlias. These are grown grouped by colour. Except what is supplied by the wholesalers, does not always come true resulting a rather garish colour in one instance, but in another a particularly charming flower.

The roses were coming to the end of of their season but there was still much to see. A florist's colour palette and requirements might not be what we'd choose for our gardens, Colour, no thorns and long stems might be that bit more important and of course the season is particularly important. No pale pinks in autumn!

Rachel is going to focus more on perennial flowers next year. A beautiful array of perennial beds greeted us to one side.

Rachel was so generous with her time and openness about the business. We asked many questions and learnt a huge amount during the morning. We were plied with cake and coffee. A truly memorable day out.

Do check out the visits, pick your own opportunities and flower workshops that Rachel runs at Tetbury Flower company

Follow Tetbury Flower Company on Instagram.