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We are so grateful to have been invited to share our experiences from the past year and projections for the future for the Love My Dress 2023 Floral Trend Report.
A hugely insightful read for clients, couples, florists and budding growers. We share our climate change woes, the cost of living impact and of course why it’s so important to support your local flower farmers.
‘I've always admired Hattie's creative ability and with a vague brief of 'wild and wonderful' I was confident in her ability to deliver just that.
I also love the sustainable ethic of her work, having a winter wedding might seem quite limiting when you take that into account but the product was anything but that.
I don't think I've been to a wedding where SO many people have admired and commented on how beautiful the flowers were!
Everything was so relaxed and hassle free I could not recommend Hattie more and I look forward to all of the exciting things to come from Honour Farm Flowers.’
Hannah & James
The main bedroom, January 2023 - mid renovation.
2023 has begun and i’ve been taking some time to reflect on how far we’ve come with the cottage since our renovation journey began. After a slow start with architect technicians and finding the right building team we finally started the huge task of completely renovating the existing house at Honour Farm. Our goal for phase 1 of the build has been to lovingly restore the building back to liveable standards which involves replacing all the windows, tanking the basement, rebuilding interior walls, damp proofing, stud walls in every room and completely re-insulating, a complete rewire and plumbing, fitting a new kitchen and bathroom etc (the list goes on and on). Phase 2 which will come at a later date, will be to knock down the building which was added later than the original cottage which was built in the mid 1800’s. This building currently consists of a small kitchen accessed from the ground floor and an unusual third bedroom from the first floor. We’ll then work to architect plans to build a new extension which is sympathetic to the property and our style.
The main bedroom, post the ceiling being vaulted and mid the stud wall and insulation work.
Not one for the faint hearted, as from the basement right up to the rafters needed extensive work. Thankfully we bought and sold just in time before the mortgage rate increase, however we’ve certainly been stung by the rising increase of materials and labour costs which is being seen across the board in various industries atm. Luckily by October 2022 we finalised plans and since November our building team have been in almost every day working long hours to bring the project to fruition. They’ve been truly incredible to work with so far, being someone who really appreciates detail and craftsmanship it’s been very refreshing to work with a team who have the same set of standards and pride their work so highly.
An example of the work being carried out in the main bedroom. The ceiling has been vaulted to expose beams, all walls have been studded, insulated, rewired, waiting to be plastered.
The main bedroom prior to renovations, a damp uninspiring space.
We’re at about the half way mark now, keeping positive and optimistic that by the start of March we’ll have moved in and be able to start working through the interiors of the house. The bathroom will thankfully have been fitted and complete, so if all else fails i’ll have breakfast, lunch and dinner sat in there… We sold our previous house last April so it’ll have been almost of a year of living with family nearby by the time it comes to us leaving. Which we are eternally grateful for, but at this point also chomping at the bit to nest in our own home.
The living room, mid stud and insulation. (The entire basement and ground-floor also had a slurry treatment prior to studding).
I’ve been documenting the progress pretty extensively, so when we do come round to getting our feet over the threshold i’ll take some time to share it all in much greater detail, with plenty of before and afters.
Hattie x
Some much needed space away from the stresses of renovation down on the east coast of Suffolk with Magnus and Jonathan.
Feeling reset for the year ahead as it unfolds beautifully. x
Yesterday evening I was so pleased to see the photographs from Erica & Will’s wedding at the Whitworth, Manchester in September appear in my inbox.
The install spanned across two days as we made all the arrangements on site from the gallery. From the broken ceremony arch, tablescape bowls, plinth designs and floor meadows - to the bridal and bridesmaid bouquets, gift bouquets, buttonholes and corsages, each asset was made using sustainable techniques and no floral foam.
Photography by Elle Brotherhood.
All the razzle dazzle with extra sparkle at Castle Howard this Christmas! x
I’ve bought bare root roses from all over this Autumn as we’ve began the first year of planting in the walled garden and I must say that out of all of the established breeders i’ve bought from in the UK, the healthiest root stock i’ve had is from RV Rogers - so you can imagine my delight as we drove past over the weekend!
It’s always very inspiring to see how horticultural businesses present themselves in a customer facing environment. Some don’t always get it right and are stuck in the past but refreshingly the merchandising staff at RV Rogers got the balance right with a simple, classic utilitarian feel, clearly marked products and a curated feel.
I look forward to returning in the future and will continue to purchase online for their healthy plants. Check them out x
All I have to say is that if you’re passing through Malton anytime soon then you must stop at The Purple Carrot for the most delicious vegetarian/vegan food and great coffee! x
A whistlestop tour of Helmsley Walled Garden - it’s marked on my calendar to make sure we come back in Summer to enjoy everything there is to behold there. Until then we took more than enough pleasure in their cafe which serves delightful food throughout winter too. x
Fresh floral scenes from September. x
Well, well well… the time has come for what has to be my least favourite task in the flower farmers calendar. Yep, this past week has been spent trench digging for our spring bulbs.
The past couple of years i’ve been working from my former site in Haworth and I quite literally slipped a disc on the hilly terrain trench digging. In 2018-2019 I had a similar experience on my first growing site in Hebden Bridge. This year feels a little (only a touch) less arduous than previous years as we’re investing time in to our own land which seems somewhat more fulfilling. But mostly due to the welcome assistance of my husband Jonathan, who came to my rescue last year too when I had to rest up in bed for 48hours as my back recovered (whilst entertaining a clingy 1 year old Magnus - i’m sure you can imagine how that played out).
Whilst tulips aren’t a particularly profitable crop, especially with the increasing costs from the bulb breeders (rightly so I no doubt), they do bring great seasonal joy and mark the start of the growing season here in the UK. For this, I wouldn’t be without them. I would, somewhere down the line, like to read more about the process of producing bulbs from seed. However, I imagine to be a lengthly process deeming it unscalable at our capacity, it might make for an interesting investigation one year in the future.
We’ve been creating the trenches in stages of approx 1.5m x 3m, which is manageable to do in half a day or so. This space will house perhaps 400 bulbs in total. I’ve not gone too wild this autumn with around 1200 tulips, 300 narcissus, approx 500-600 alliums and whatever else of muscari and hyacinth. It’s about my capacity whilst cultivating from the walled garden and dependant on demand for 2024 I may decide to scale that up by planting in the flower field (which is approx 2/3rd’s of an acre). I tend to find that when I’m desperate to get my first flush of spring sown annuals in the ground the tulips are usually still flowering, but i’ve planned with this in mind and we’ll have 7 beds which are 1 metre x 6 metres readily prepared so I don’t have to rush the tulip season to an abrupt end next year. Here’s a little visual guide of what we can look forward to in spring and early summer…
Last week I made a start by getting some of our hardy annuals in the ground, with the others waiting patiently in the cold frames. First to be planted out have been the Erysimum (wallflowers), Dianthus Barbatus (sweet William), Hesperis (sweet rocket) and Campanula (Canterbury Bells). I do still have around 60 Campanula plants left over, so i’ll spend an afternoon walking around the land finding homes for them in the hopes they’ll reseed, spread and be self sufficient for years to come.
In other, more exciting news, the start of the rose garden is coming together beautifully. It’s become a real obsession of mine collecting various garden varieties, all in those soft ethereal shades that we love. 42 bare root roses will be planted in total here this winter and as we gradually move to cultivating from the flower field at the end of next year, the walled garden will continue to develop it’s collection of roses for years to come.
I have so much to say about this process and all the beautiful varieties we have in-store for our brides and florists in 2023, so keep an eye out for future updates. But for now, here’s a little peak of what you can look forward to soon…
I’ve written before about my endeavours with tulip planting which you can read here.
If you’re a florist or local business and would like to receive wholesale flowers from late April then please email hello@honourfarmflowers.co.uk for more info.
Still swooning over this stunning autumnal bouquet we created for Natalie recently. x
There’s been some really sweet photos on my memory card this week I wanted to share. Firstly and lastly Magnus wandering precariously around the stud walls of what will be his bedroom and the family bathroom. I’m so pleased to be documenting these moments of him exploring what will likely be his only childhood home to look back on some day.
Today was a terribly rainy day, so true to form we found ourselves at Cliffe Castle, a free local museum we often frequent when the weather turns. He’s now engaging in so much more of the world around him and finding fascination in nature, long may that continue.
Yesterday I spent the day in the walled garden, digging path routes and at last, planting the first of the hardy annuals which were sown in July and begging for their roots to meet the earth. I also planted the first of the roses, ‘Julia’s Rose’ a variety i’ve grown in the past and still find myself smitten with. Infact the rose obsession proceeds and there are 36 more bare root roses which will be planted in the coming weeks. A feast of David Austin, Harkness and more.
In the afternoon Lesley from The Store in Haworth also joined me with her beloved dog Bruno. She was visiting to help cut the fir and other foliages for the festive Church steps install in the village which i’ll be assisting her with on Thursday (fingers crossed the rain holds off). We cut in abundance and filled the van full of fresh scented greens.
The past week has filled me with excitement and motivation for the months ahead, as renovations and progress is gradually being made through out the property. I can now almost envisage spring and it’s going to be truly wonderful.
Hattie x
It was so rewarding to see that yesterday morning Sophie & James wedding from June was published on Love My Dress, our second wedding this year to be published with this prestigious industry website.
You can read the whole article here.
Thanks again to Sophie & James for their generous words, it was an absolute pleasure to create some folklore magic for your special day. x
This wedding felt really special to me, sometimes they just do. You aline with a couple and things come together effortlessly and authentically. Alice & Joe, you’re great.
Photographer Naomi Goggin really captures the energy of the day in her images here. Some of the most beautiful wedding photography i’ve seen this year. x
This morning I had the pleasure of cutting the last of the seasons flowers (I say this every week at the moment, but they just keep on pumping out more blooms!). Rachel at Little Beacon contacted me to make a bespoke tablescape design for a seasonal brand photoshoot, the perfect opportunity for our cement trough meadow scenes.
Our cement troughs are often used for trestle dining set ups at events and weddings, as well as perfect aisle meadows for ceremony flowers. They’re compact, versatile, but mostly impactful. And it goes without saying by now, 100% sustainable and floral foam free.
If you’d like to enquire about flowers for your wedding and event, our 2023 diary is still open. Email hello@honourfarmflowers.co.uk for a free quotation and find more about our offerings & costs.
I think this is perhaps one of my favourite designs of the year, I just love autumnal colours! Possibly as much as I love spring flowers. x
Just a few glimpses at last weekends playful wedding install at Holesfoot Cumbria for N & C. I’ll share more soon. x
There’s nothing more satisfying than boxing a buttonhole. x
Wow - what a month it’s been so far and it’s only the 12th! September is so far proving to be the month of weddings for many of you couples and i’ve been absolutely thriving off the adrenaline and thrill of it all. To kick off the month E & W married at The Whitworth Art Gallery in Manchester and I was asked to bespoke design a variety of elements ranging from tablescapes to floor meadows, to broken arches and aisle designs.
Bride Erica had a really clear vision in terms of tones and I used this and combined my signature naturalistic style and modern composition to pull something truly bespoke off for this design-led couple.
These are just a few BTS images we managed to take between the long hours installing, i’ll share more in the future of all the finer details. x
I rediscovered a load of unworthy dried cornflower stems i’d thrown in a corner earlier in the season and now here we are, with some sort of whimsy, nest floral scene - straight out of a folklore fairytale. That sounds about right. x