GARDENS
ANNA TAYLOR, OWNER OF ANNA’S FLOWER FARM IN AUDLEY END, SHARES WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE GARDEN THIS MONTH
fter months of seed sowing, pricking out, potting on and tucking tender plants under fleece on the regular cold spring nights, we are reaping the rewards this June. Every plant possible is now planted out and staked. Fingers crossed that each one thrives, flowering with generous display. I adore June. The night of the summer solstice has always been a magical evening, but I do feel bittersweet during the peak flower period. It’s the Christmas of floriculture. And just like Christmas – I like the anticipation and preparation best! In the past, I didn’t get the memo. I strove towards a finish line, or point in time when the garden felt ‘done’. I would sigh and list the tasks. The compost heap needs turning; that bed needs clearing; those need planting. It was as though gardening was another chore! I missed the entire point. We want lots of flowers to cut and sell, but as long as I keep sowing and growing each week, and following the plan, there will be flowers. Thanks to the cyclical nature of gardening, nothing is ever finished. In fact, I’m not sure I ever want the garden to be finished. The goal might be to cut and arrange flowers, but it is really won in the little moments each day. When visitors come to the garden for tours or experiences – enjoying the space, cutting, arranging or gardening – they comment on the feel of the place and its curious atmosphere. They enjoy simple tasks that I might take for granted every day. On the other hand, they never realise how much their own presence in the garden contributes to its unique energy. This is captured in the proverbial jug of flowers on the kitchen table. In
June, the vessel will be full of colourful stem lengths, from delphiniums to irises, larkspur, foxtail lilies, cornflowers and poppies. But, taken into the home, these flowers are more than the sum of their growth and cut. They represent compounded effort, from spending time outside, caring for the soil and nurturing seeds and seedlings. Mistakes rarely matter or are remembered. The year spins around so fast, we quickly get another opportunity to rectify errors. That knowledge and rich experience really is priceless. It’s also why great gardeners – past and present – have an attractive wisdom and stillness about them. They know all this. Rather than berate ourselves for not achieving that utterly unobtainable RHS Chelsea Flower Show look, the
achievement is simply in the pleasure of gardening. And that is what June is really about for me. We are midway through the year; the summer high before days begin to shorten almost indeterminably. We longed for it in the darker winter months, as we sowed seeds with hopeful goodwill. For now, there is little to do except deep watering once a week, spraying our homemade comfrey tea foliar feed monthly, hoeing on bright days, hiding in the greenhouse on wet ones, and of course, cutting the flowers. This month, I’m making a promise to remember all this and enjoy it very much. Anna’s Flower Farm grows cut flowers, holds ‘Flower Session’ classes and teaches ‘Grow Your Own’ short and long courses in the gardens and studio. Buy Anna’s Flowers at standard-flowers.com
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