End of summer good intentions.

Oh boy, the end of summer burn out has hit and I've got so much to share with you. So much so I don’t really know where to begin…

From launching our first floral design studio in Ilkley, to travelling around the country and installing some incredible weddings. I have hundreds of photos sitting in my gallery waiting patiently to be shared, slowly stacking so I'm here to say that I'll be back over autumn/winter once everything’s calmed down.

These images serve as a reminder of the endless potential to come out of this much loved cut flower garden here at Honour Farm. I’ve poured so much into this place and it gives back abundantly for the hours of labour with hands in the soil.

These stems I cut for a beautiful wedding happening this weekend, waking up at 5.30am to harvest armfuls of the finest stems growing before heavy downpours.

Hattie x

Francesca & Tim - Shears Yard, Leeds.

This post is a little more sentimental than others, since this was my big sisters special wedding in Leeds last September! Francesca is the glamorous sister and so it felt important from the get-go to ensure her style was reflected in the designs we created for both her and Tim. She was very clear throughout on having pure white roses and we met in the middle by designing a complementary palette which softened the effect of anything looking too stark and monochromic.

We did this by introducing off whites, very pale blush, coffee and brown tones, as well as some deep maroon. As well as plenty of variety and texture breaking everything up to feel more relaxed.

It was a new experience to be so involved in the ‘getting ready’ part of the day, which made setting up at the venue more hectic than usual with my timings being much tighter. I dashed off before the install was complete but as ever my incredible events assistant Rachel had everything poised in position for when we returned that afternoon after the ceremony.

Francesca and Tim hired a mega team of wedding suppliers, some which it’d worked with before and others which were new to me. Together we brought their visions to fruition for a truly memorable day, particularly Lottie Haigh who was Francesca’s incredible hairstylist and made us all feel relaxed throughout the morning.

The previous year I had the great honour of helping my brother-in-law Tim source Francesca’s antique Emerald engagement ring.

We made sure there was plenty of natural candle-light to add romance and glamour to the central city location, Shears Yard. Reflecting the tones of the flowers through-out the glass vase vessels and candlestick holders and tying deep brown velvet bows for each place setting.

A selection of designs were brought on site, including a variety of large central footed ceramic bowl arrangements, combined with more delicate bud vase arrangements. We also created meadows for the entrance and to frame the table ends. There was also some larger designs in large stoneware pots to highlight the table plan signage and other areas.

Tables laid for the wedding breakfast with full dining and glassware provided by Shears Yard for the 8 course tasting menu for 60 guests. The staff at Shears Yard were brilliant throughout, making sure everyones needs were met whilst serving some delicious plates.

Francesca’s first look was so special - a moment I don’t usually experience in real time.

The photographer on the day was Sophie Hewitt, who it’d previously worked with and had recommended to Francesca and Tim. Sophie was attentive all day, never missing an opportunity in-front of the lens, capturing the day as beautifully as it was to remember.

Francesca and Tim chose Leeds Town Hall for their ceremony and stayed at Dakota hotel throughout their wedding weekend.

There is so so much more I could share about their day but I just wanted to share some highlights and what a meaningful day this was for all the family and our much loved friends.

A big thank you to all of the suppliers!

Photographer: Sophie Hewitt
Hair: Lottie Haigh
Wedding Content Creator: The Social Wedding UK
Makeup: Toni Cardiss
Reception: Shears Yard
Dress: Elysee Bridal Design

Melissa & Oliver - Middleton Lodge, The Fig House.

In early Spring (April) last year we had the great pleasure of installing flowers at The Fig House, Middleton Lodge for Melissa & Oliver. The couple was keen to have tonal designs reflective of the gardens at The Fig House designed by Tom Stuart Smith, which was a delightful brief to receive.

We created an immersive low arching meadow scene for the ceremony which was later transitioned to the main event space where the wedding breakfast was held.

The wedding breakfast tablescape came together through a combination of bud vases and small Ikebana floral bowl designs.

The gardens outside The Fig House at Middleton Lodge, designed by Tom Stuart Smith.

The ceremony meadow scene transitioned to frame the evening reception layout and earlier in the afternoon in-front of the top table for maximum exposure throughout the day.

Bridesmaid bouquets were formed using single variety stems for a clean aesthetic.

A fresh and tonal tablescape in The Fig House.

Melissa’s bouquet was hand-formed in our studio using the highest quality seasonal stems, full of texture and depth. Oliver and the groomsmen wore simple buttonholes formed using a blend of foliages and finished with ribbon.

We are so looking forward to returning to Middleton Lodge this year to install more flowers for some very special couples.

Photography by Ray Sawyer.

A belated happy new year from Honour Farm!

Happy new year everyone!

I’m so unbelievably behind on publishing our weddings on here that i’m spending the morning wrapping by head around where to begin.

So let’s start gently with a couple of images from one of our favourite photographers Sophie Hewitt and beautiful bride Liv holding her bespoke hand-tied bouquet with husband Felix and his simple pocket buttonhole design.

Bride Liv wears Cecilie Bahnsen.

Abigail & Oliver - Photographed by Chris Spencer-Payne.

At the end of last summer I had the great pleasure of installing flowers for Abi & Oli at their chosen venue of Saltmarshe Hall, which overlooks the River Ouse, East Yorkshire.

I shared some BTS here in an earlier post, but today i’m excited to share the stunning results of Chris’ clean and charismatic photography.

A view out onto the formal lawn, where artfully planted borders can be seen, with Echinacea grown in abundance.

Abigail, carrying her bespoke hand-tied bridal bouquet, sensationally dressed in Vivienne Westwood.

A calm and classic, understated table layout, meticulously designed by the bride.

Ceramic floral bowl designs placed on each of the round tables.

A gestural grounded meadow placed at the entryway staircase, one of our signature designs.

Bridesmaids, each individually styled in shades of soft muted greens, carried simplistic hand-tied bouquets to complete their look.

Unforgettable moments captured ahead of their walled garden ceremony.

Striking scenes of immaculate landscaping and nature can be found throughout the property at Saltmarshe Hall.

The flower girls each had their own unique posy, designed for small hands, which they gracefully held down the aisle.

A striking first look at the bride and groom in their beautifully paired ceremonial attire.

I created two ceremony urns to frame the formal hedging where the vows took place on this glorious day. These would later be used as additional decor at the wedding breakfast indoors.

Moments of sheer joy and celebration!

Perfectly captured formal portraits where the bouquet attempts to steal the show with it’s natural splendor.

The sisterhood of close friends.

Oli and his groomsmen wore hand-formed buttonholes in a complimentary palette.

In their newlywed bliss.

Our ceremony urns seen again here, effortlessly framing the couple as the speeches unfolded.

The first dance.

It’s always so rewarding to work with photographers who manage to capture moments with such authenticity. Often I come across galleries where photographs have been manipulated in post production so much to fit a trend led aesthetic that during that process the flowers somehow lose their colourful iridescence and integrity.

This being said, it always comes as a great relief to work with such skilled photographers and Chris has now become a firmly recommendable one here at HFF, which i’m sure Abi & Oli can attest to.

On a final note, a huge thank you to Abi for reaching out and inviting me to design for your truly special wedding.

Wishing you both a lifetime of love and laughter.

Hattie x

Photographer - Chris Spencer-Payne
Flowers - Honour Farm Flowers
Location - Saltmarshe Hall, Howden, East Yorkshire.

Ruth & Kristan - Photographed By James Green Studio.

The wedding of Ruth and Kristan was one of those jewels in the calendar, working with such a warm and easy going couple. Coupled with an incredible location, brilliant photographer and of course our ethereal blooms, it has been a total pleasure to look back on how the day unfolded…

Ruth elegantly holds her frilly bespoke hand-tied bridal bouquet.

We created and installed a bespoke broken meadow scene to frame the unique alter at St Peter’s Church in Askham, Penrith.

Simplistic maids bouquets.

Beautifully decorated interiors at Askham Hall.

Delicate buttonholes for the Groomsmen.

A selection of ceramic bowl designs for the tables.

Repurposed meadows for the signage for maximum exposure.

Location - Askham Hall
Photographer - James Green Studio

Our diary for 2025 wedding bookings is open until the end of March, so if you’re still hoping to enquire for the year ahead email soon to guarantee your date!

hello@honourfarmflowers.co.uk

Forage & Form 2024 - Forage Walk & Creative Wreath Making Workshop.

On the 30th November I had the greatest pleasure hosting our final workshop of the year, ‘Forage & Form’. This workshop focused on sustainability around the Christmas season - starting with guiding our attendees on a mindful forage walk within our local valley, collecting materials to incorporate into their hand-made wreaths using our free-forming technique.

In the days leading up to the workshop I harvested foliages from around Honour Farm, collecting a mix of eucalyptus, conifer, holly, creeping ivy and juniper which I presented our guests in generous gift bags. Copper rings were prepped from the potting yard with cultivated moss to use as our wreath bases.

We also supplied additional greens and a huge basket of dried material it’d grown and saved throughout the year, which included plenty of grasses, teasels, statice, haver oats and more.

Despite the wild weather extremes from the storm the weekend prior, on the day we were graced with sunshine and a clear sky! A relief and perfect for our forage walk. We strolled down into the heart of the valley, by water and bare trees, taking in the sights and sounds which surrounded us. Mindfully collecting natural architectural forms for our creations and gently meandering our way back up hill.

Our workshops have another focus at the heart of them, community. Which is why I always go to the effort of providing a homemade meal upon a beautifully laid table, giving us an opportunity to connect. We ate a warming squash soup with freshly baked breads and a selection of cheeses. Refreshments were available throughout the afternoon, including a glass or two of Prosecco for those inclined.

Nourishing ourselves before an afternoon of creativity.

Once our bellies were full we moved to the other side of the hall where individual tables were ready for crafting our festive formations.

In detail I talked through the HFF method of wreath making, assisting where needed and offering insider tips to creating bespoke naturalistic designs.

During the session I went around the group asking each attendee to share a proud moment or accomplishment from the year and together we celebrated our achievements!

Each student interpreting the method in their own way, making each wreath entirely unique. The outcome of the session was fantastic with some beautiful designs heading out the door!

A huge thank you to Rachel for being my right hand woman on the day and to Kathryn for capturing these beautiful moments.

Finally, i’ll take this opportunity to wish you all a very Merry Christmas! It’s been an incredible year for us and that wouldn’t have been possible without all the amazing people we’ve worked with and opportunities that have come our way.

2025 is set to be another year of flowering magic at home and on site across the North.
Thank you for your continued support on our journey here at HF.

Hattie x

Bespoke Workshops at Honour Farm.

One of my biggest passions in life, which won’t come as any surprise, is growing British cut flowers. It is after all the marginal land paired with a clear vision of creating our very own small scale flower farm which led us to purchasing Honour Farm.

Allowing us the possibility (with plenty of determination) to cultivate flowers for local florists, farm shops and for our own Floral Design events business, Honour Farm Flowers.

My other passion is for community and nurturing connection through creative and educational floral experiences. The joy of hosting a table full of inspiring individuals is unparalleled and this year i’ve been so grateful for all our attendees warm feedback and unwavering support.

At end of summer I hosted our first ever growers day, which was our annual full day intensive workshop 'SEED TEND FLORA’. One of our attendees Alex Bergin got in-touch yesterday evening with her collection of candidly taken photographs which has been such a pleasure to re-live from her perspective and displayed throughout this post. I wrote a long form journal entry of my account of the day over on our website which you can read HERE with further photography taken by Kathryn Taylor.

We’ve delivered some truly special workshops and just in-time for Christmas i’ve now launched a Bespoke Floral Design day, giving you the opportunity to join us in June 2025 from the comfort of our cottage garden and home in Brontë Country, West Yorkshire.

What to expect on the day:

Using our garden grown roses, you will begin the day learning how to create your own bespoke free form hand-tied bouquet, finished with ribbon.

A fresh seasonal lunch, cooked with locally grown and sourced produce will be provided, giving us the opportunity to sit together, chat, build new friendships and peer support as you embark on your sustainable floral design journey.

Using more seasonal blooms, in the afternoon you will learn how to make a signature Honour Farm Flowers arrangement, one of our sustainable meadows.

All arrangements you’ll take home for further enjoyment.

So, if you’d like to participate (or gift a place) at what will be another dreamy day at the homestead, immersed in flowers and embracing all your floral daydreams, then follow the link below to reserve your ticket.

TICKET RESERVATION - (Limited availability).

I very much hope to see you then.

Hattie x

Instagram - @honourfarmfolk

A Garden Grown Autumnal Wreath.

It’s has been quite the novelty to now find the time to play with stems again, to give myself time to relax into the creative progress. What i’m mostly enjoying is having the time to forage in our neighbouring woodland and countryside lanes, stopping to take notice of all the beauty that is around us at this time of year.

Autumn is truly my favourite time of the year, with the sun low in the sky radiating across golden leaves and browning bracken. The air becoming crisp as the garden starts to wind down, I love it all.

The slowness, the stillness, the calm.

This romantic autumnal wreath, was pieced together with foraged foliages from one of my many walks taken this week, alongside harvested stems from our cut flower garden. A celebration of all that surrounds us, all that beauty and potential.

The perfect celebration of the last of this years rose blooms too, which continue to produce in search of further admiration.

On the 30th November i’ll be hosting a workshop ‘Forage & Form’ a Festive Creative Wreath Making Workshop where you too can join me on a morning forage walk, amongst a small gathering of likeminded, warm hearted people. Followed by lunch at a candle-lit table for more connection and kinship to form, ending with a creative wreath making workshop in the afternoon.

We are now down to our final tickets,
but if you’d like to join us you can purchase HERE.

I look forward to meeting you soon.

Hattie x

Liv & Felix - Analog Photography by Sophie Hewitt.

Earlier in the year I shared some behind the scenes install moments from the wedding of Liv & Felix at their family home in Tadcaster, North Yorkshire.

Following up from the beautiful time we spent on site creating marquee nests, bud vase floral tablescapes, bespoke ceremony scenes and more - here is some candid film shot by Sophie Hewitt, who was the photographer on the day.

Liv wore bridal Cecilie Bahnsen.

Each napkin was hand stitched with each guests name.

There is a whole gallery shot by Sophie Hewitt of beautiful digital captures too,
which i’ll share highlights from soon.

Hattie x

Morgan & Jake - Photographed by Georgia Horn.

We supplied a variety of 100% homegrown floral arrangements for Morgan & Jake’s incredibly special wedding day at Bolton Castle, North Yorkshire last month, photographed by Georgia Horn.

Meg & Billy - Photographed by Lucy Little Photography.

Following up from our BTS floral notes here are some lovely images of Meg & Billy from their June wedding which we provided bespoke floral design for. Captured beautifully by Lucy Little Photography.

Behind the Scenes - Abi & Oli, Saltmarshe Hall, East Riding of Yorkshire.

Six weeks have already flown by since the beautiful wedding of Abi and Oli in the East Riding of Yorkshire at Saltmarshe Hall. As sunshine flooded through the tall window panes of Saltmarshe Hall, it was a pleasure installing flowers at this classic country hall venue and for such a lovely couple.

On my way to the ceremony lawn situated within the walled garden Acanthus Mollis stood tall framing the gated entryway. The gardens during this late August wedding were certainly in their prime peak season fullness, an incredible backdrop in itself for such special nuptials to take place.

Abi and Oli had opted for the ‘Contemporary Country’ package, with a few add on’s to fulfil the entirety of their brief. Within the package the couple chose two ceremony urns, which following the service would be moved indoors to the morning room for further enjoyment.

So, in the morning sun on the day of their wedding, whilst the air was still crisp, the urns were carefully carried by hand to the walled garden where they were finished in situ.

Once complete we made our way back inside and into the morning room to display the ceramic bowls we’d designed in the workshop the evening prior ready for a seamless install once on site.

Each bowl completed with Dahlia’s and frilly Sweetpea’s grown in our cutting garden that left their intoxicating fragrance lingering in the air.

Abi’s bespoke bridal bouquet was a floral highlight for me this summer. I’ve seen one or two previews of how effortlessly beautiful Abi looked and wore the bouquet from the couples photographer Chris Spencer-Payne which I can’t wait to share with you soon!

As well as the buttonholes and the bridesmaid bouquets which completed the package, we also created an additional entrance meadow to greet guests as they arrived at the venue. Grounded and finished with moss, a signature Honour Farm Flowers arrangement to complete the floral alchemy of the day.

If you are planning a wedding for 2025 our diary is currently open, you can enquire via our Booking Enquiry page or by email: hello@honourfarmflowers.co.uk

Hattie x

Seed Tend Flora - 2024 Workshop.

Seed Tend Flora - Summer 2024, where to even begin. I gave myself a few weeks to reflect on this very special day as it left me positively overwhelmed with gratitude and joy. So much of it in-fact I wasn’t sure what to do with it as it has been the end of a very busy event season (joy, coupled with complete exhaustion). Then Kathryn supplied the images from the day and it has been such a pleasure to relive it all again through her lens.

On the 31st August, a beautiful group of women travelled from Aberdeenshire, Cumbria and all corners of Yorkshire and Lancashire for our first ever cut flower growing workshop! Attendees joined us in our village of Laycock, West Yorkshire on the outskirts of Brontë Country for a day of floral exploration and celebration.

Gardening and working the land can be a hard task, but also the most rewarding and frankly there’s no easy shortcut to getting the best results. However, armed with some well rounded insight, tips and guidance our Seed Tend Flora workshop had been designed to set this brilliant group on a path to becoming seasonally abundant hobby cut flower growers, as-well as giving them a helping hand when it came to setting their sights on a career in market garden growing or supporting their own floristry business with the production of cut flowers.

Over the year I took time aside to curate and plan the structure of the day, promising insight on the following:

• Seed sowing and the growing calendar

• Curating flowers for beauty and function

• Essential Annuals and Perennials for the cut garden

• Setting up your cut garden - logistics / materials / equipment

• Undertstanding regenerative gardening methods

• The importance of biodiversity and soil health

Upon arrival our guests were offered light refreshments, an opportunity to settle in and meet other attendee’s and browse a large selection of reference books I have sworn by over the years.

It was quickly notable that we were set to have a brilliant day together, each individual guest bringing their own warmth and character to the group, enriching the experience, making everyone feel at ease to learn.

To begin the session we formed a group circle with Camille Thomas of Clough Edge Veg (a local market gardener and dear friend) and myself kicking off the day with some short introductions. Then we invited each attendee to share their reasons for being with us, an opportunity to gain insight on how we could truly tailor the experience throughout the day and begin forming new friendships and connections.

We moved out into the sunshine for a large portion of the mornings session, which was made up of a series of activities and information based learning. Each attendee received a thorough growing guide which we went through with detail and discussion. From growing and storing dahlias, succession sowing and the different planting approaches when growing for cut cultivation.

Whilst this was all happening our incredible chef for the day Rachel Walker (another wonderful friend of the Honour Farm fam), was busy in the kitchen preparing a feast for us all with produce it’d harvested with Cam only the day prior for a genuine farm to fork experience. Assisted by Danielle, they both performed a vegetarian sensation consisting of over a dozen sharing platters to us all to indulge in.

The table had been thoughtfully set, with candles lit and abundant floral baskets sprawling over the table linen with blooms cut a short walk away in our walled garden, with fallen crab apples collected by our kind neighbour Tom in his orchard.

So once we’d finished our morning of learning we were ready to sit down, connect and nourish ourselves with the fruits of our labour together.

On a personal note, I hadn’t met any of our attendees before so having that time to speak one to one and make new friends was a highlight. We were joined by a couple of community outreach officers from the RHS, graphic designers, textile artists, small business owners, florists.

A compelling gathering of admirable women.

In true Honour Farm style, I roped in the entire family in the build up to the day, including my husband Jonathan baking us one of his infamous burnt basque cheese cakes.

Once stomaches were full we made our way to a place of great importance, the Honour Farm cut flower garden. This is where i’ve been growing for the past year or so since moving to this property. As you may know if you follow on Instagram, our property sits on an acre plot which consists of a modest walled garden directly behind our house, a historic graveyard (unique) and an open field. I’ll chat more at length on this another time and there are previous posts on the Floral Notes journal which have documented our development to date.

But our first goal was to cultivate the walled garden into a productive cut flower garden as a trial area ahead of establishing a larger scale operation in the main growing field (which is currently maintained by our two sheep Penny & Soane). Our Seed Tend Flora workshop was a first look at the dedicated work i’ve been carrying out here which demonstrates what potential there is for us all if we make a commitment to the land which surrounds us. This wonderful group of women were the first visitors we’ve had and that doesn’t exclude family, we’ve really locked ourselves away to the process of gut renovating and land work - so it was emotional and beautiful watching their reactions and feeling that shared appreciation for our very special and sentimental corner of the world.

From the garden Camille of Clough Edge Veg gave a brilliantly insightful in-depth talk on soil health, regenerative agricultural practice, pest management and more whilst attendees took view across the landscape from the potting yard where our recently built floral design workshop is based.

Offering tips from her own learnt experience at their minimum till veg farm in our village, Cam answered questions asked which opened up new discussions for more shared learning and connection. Then I jumped in on the talk to offer up as much personal experience possible.

The quack pack were also at large for the afternoon and made sure they stole the limelight whenever possible.

To top off the afternoon session everyone was invited down into the garden to explore, interact with the plants and ask more nuanced questions around specific flowers, their growing habits etc where I was delighted to respond, sharing more of my passion for flowers.

Before leaving to head back to the village hall for tea and cake, everyone headed into the field for an explore our unusual plot and of course to meet the sheep (who were very pleased to receive an afternoon treat).

Back at the ranch for the final portion of the day we indulged in cheese, fruit, cake and more cake before returning to our learning circle for final Q & A session. Each guest then left with a gift bag, a small token of our appreciation to get them started from home. I think I must have embraced every individual who joined us before they left, which was unexpected and restorative after a whirlwind few weeks on the road installing wedding flowers for our summer couples.

To keep the days momentum going guests were invited to join a closed Seed Tend Flora growers group on Whatsapp, where they have been able to ask further questions and share with each other next steps of their growing journey. I can’t wait to see all the flowers the future holds for each of them and the great sense of reward and pride that’ll bring as a result of their nuturing hands.

A huge thank you to those who joined us, for supporting everything we do at Honour Farm Flowers by purchasing a ticket.

Also to Rach, Danielle and Cam, for being such incredible, talented friends.
And to Kathryn Taylor, for capturing the day with such candor and beauty.

Hattie x

Testimonials of the day:

’A truly joyful day being immersed in the beautiful world of Honour Farm. It was a privilege to spend the day surrounded by likeminded women whilst being inspired by the work and words of Hattie and Camille. I have already started to embed the knowledge that I learnt on the day and haven’t stopped thinking about the delicious, locally harvested lunch or floral arrangements since! Thanks so much for such a beautiful day!’ - Alex Bergin, attendee.

‘I had the best day with Hattie and Cam at the Seed Tend Flora workshop. So much thought had gone into every aspect of the day, from the content covered, to the beautiful table we sat around and the delicious food we ate. I came away feeling nourished and inspired. Thank you so much!’ - Sophie Henson, attendee.

‘Our day at Seed Tend Flora hosted by Hattie at Honour Farm was nothing short of magical! I gifted the day to my daughter for her birthday and it was just perfect. From the moment we arrived everyone was so friendly and the room beautifully decorated, a feast for the senses. Talking of a feast the lunch was 5 star! During the morning and afternoon sessions we were given valuable insight into the development of a flower garden for a business or pleasure and many tips. I for one left the day full of enthusiasm to go home to my own garden and get planting. A huge thank you for a wonderful experience.’ - Caroline Langfield, attendee.

‘Hattie’s workshop in this beautiful part of Yorkshire was a joy. As an artist and novice flower grower I left feeling artistically inspired, as well as confident to start my own flower growing journey. A beautiful day surrounded by wonderful women who share a love for growing. Hattie’s passion and knowledge of growing cut flowers were beautifully woven with her unique aesthetic to give us a memorable day. I look forward to booking onto further workshops.’ - Hannah Shkandriji, attendee.

Tickets for Seed Tend Flora - 2025 will become available early November to purchase via our website.

To register your interest please email:
hello@honourfarmflowers.co.uk

August - Penny & Soane.

Enjoying an afternoon snack of Achillea ‘The Pearl’.

Not a bad life hey guys. x

Late August in the Cutting Garden.

Late August has arrived and whilst we’re still in the thick of wedding season, it was nice to take a few moments the other evening to observe changes in the cutting garden.

Dahlia season, i’m pleased to say, is here!

Even in the evening the garden feels lit with the bright glow radiating from the dahlias and surrounding blooms. As you’ll have gathered my garden is curated mainly for weddings, so you’ll find plenty of soft creamy shades of yellow and plenty of white.

The back border that was only planted this Spring has burst into bloom, windswept as you would predict from summer Pennine gail’s. But despite bent stems, it is glorious and the prospect of it continuing to develop for years to come excites me now I can visualise the outcome a little clearer. It’s a mix of prairie planting and hardier perennials and shrubs which will withstand our climate.

We have had some issues with the compacted clay soil in the back border, with it being the first year of cultivation the soil still needs some amending. The long, dry periods we have had led to some deep cracking, leaving roots exposed to the elements. I’ll address this in autumn with heavy mulching and planting more ground cover to protect the soil.

My floral workshop is also 95% complete, with just some guttering to sort and water collection tanks to install - another autumn / winter job. But for now i’m thoroughly enjoying using the space and welcoming freelancers on site to assist with our larger event floral installs. A real milestone for sure.

The top lawn area is as wild, weedy and wonderful as ever. A place for the ducks to rummage and make a mess. For nature to co-exist in harmony with gardener.

I just love the vibrancy throughout the garden currently!

Our sweetpeas continue to romp away, now overflowing in heaps with no net left to climb.

Further shrubs will be added to the back border to add more height and depth. Something to play with this October.

The final flush of rose buds are starting to burst, we’re probably a fortnight away from a bed full of colour and beautiful to enjoy before the season ends.

It’s still incredible to reflect on how this space has evolved in just a couple of short years. Gardens take work and dedication, real effort and commitment. They’re not something you can step away from easily and that has been testing at times. I still have a really long way to go, like any gut renovation property, this is still very much the beginning. But moments like these when things feel more tangible, it certainly makes the long days and back pain worthwhile.

Grateful to be here and for this to be our journey.

Hattie x

Francesca's Bouquet - A City Wedding in Leeds.

A celebration of when bouquet & bride collide & harmonise uncomplicatedly.

Photography - Alex Ivory

Behind The Scenes - Amber & Sue, Utopia - Broughton Hall Estate, Skipton.

We had a great time installing a broken wedding arch, table bud vase bottles and two high summer bridal bouquets at Utopia, Broughton Hall - Skipton last weekend for LND Events. Love a local install, especially in such beautiful surroundings such as Broughton Hall.

Behind The Scenes - Ruth & Kristan, Askham Hall, Penrith.

Last week we had the great pleasure of installing our flowers at Askham Hall in Penrith for Ruth and Kristan. Ruth had admired some of our previous work and that inspiration gave a great indication of the direction the couple wanted to go in for their big day. Lots of white, fresh greens and a just a whisper of lilac to accent.

Arrangements included a ceremony meadow at St Peter’s Church in Askham, which was then transitioned for further exposure at the wedding breakfast at Askham Hall. We also supplied medium ceramic bowl florals, bridesmaid and bridal bouquets and buttonholes.

A huge congratulations to you both. x

Moments of life beyond the flowers - late July.

Even when the days are long and our bodies ache, we drag our weary limbs up on the moors for an hour to indulge in switching our minds off from work and the busyness of life. It always, without fail, does the trick, heading for home connected again with the present moment and each other.

Hattie x