Flower Farmers’ Big Weekend

Anyone organising open events this year has had to think creatively so that these can still go ahead in some form or other during lockdown. From open events for artists and gardens to festivals and other gatherings, the last few months has seen the cancellation of almost every event as spring moved into summer. So, in the place of actual visits, many of these events have gone online. On the plus side, what this may actually mean, is that we get to see many more studios, gardens or events than we would have done before.

The North Yorkshire Open Studios ran a series of brilliant videos to showcase their artists’ work and creations, the National Garden Scheme showed some beautiful and inspiring virtual garden tours and now Flowers From the Farm has organised its own virtual event.

Flower Farmers’ Big Weekend, which takes place this weekend, is a chance to go behind the scenes of the Flowers from the Farm movement in a series of videos to meet artisan farmer florists who are spearheading the renaissance in British cut flowers.

On Friday, I went along to the wonderful Wykeham Farmer’s Market and met one of these farmer florists, Jill Smith of Binnington Blooms. Jill’s stall is a delight, with buckets and bouquets of seasonal British flowers, gathered together in Jill’s charming, ‘just picked from the garden’ informal style.

I took these photographs of Jill as she was arranging her bunches and bouquets of blooms and chatting to her customers. Last year Jill welcomed visitors to her flower fields but this year she is showing off her dahlias and, in her own words, other ‘tidy’ growing areas on her instagram account.

The market itself is well worth a visit. You can park at the site itself, opposite the Downe Arms Pub. And if you’ve got time there’s a tea-room, The Fat Pheasant, just a few yards away down the main road to pop into for tea and cake. It’s on every Friday morning from 8am to 1pm all year round.