Wednesday 20 April 2016

Narcissi Katie Heath

It's my first year growing narcissi 'Katie Heath' in my ever expanding interest in narcissi with apricot tones. She was planted on 14th October last year and has now been flowering beautifully for two weeks. She is shorter than most narcissi I grow for cutting, reaching apporoximately 20cm in height with creamy white perianths gently reflexing around a frilly apricot cup. She produces some double heads with the added delight and surprise of one cup being apricot and the other pale yellow which is a real treat and perhaps hints back to her hybrid nature? Her scent is sweet and quite strong with a 'jasminey' tone to my nose. When the flower is cut the cup gradually fades to almost white giving that wonderful bit of visual dynamics in the vase over a period of a week. 

Here are a few photos to share of her first welcome year in the foragefor cutting garden.


Growing in the spring sunshine.




















Her gradual fade after a week in the vase.








































Sunday 14 February 2016

Edible Flower Valentine's Day Ideas

Happy Valentine's Day!

The most romantic day of the year but in the truly seasonal English flower garden you will not see any red roses but so much more is available at this time of year to woo the 'object' of your affection. The heart collage below gives you a sample of what is growing today in our walled garden.








Seasonal Edible Flowers

Some of the blooms growing in our cutting garden at the moment are also edible. So to stimulate the seasonal floral tastebuds, here are a few edible goodies we have made in the past.

Primrose and raspberry jammy dodgers.


Chocolate viola, primrose and violet souffle cake.


Primrose shot glasses


Chocolate violet leaves.


Violet cosmopolitan.





Have a fantastic floral St Valentine's Day!