Marianne, our House Florist & specialist in seasonal British blooms, gives us a mid-month round up from her plot in North Derbyshire.

August Faves

You'd think it was autumn already to look at the plot, not only are the leaves going brown (thanks to the weather) but all the oranges, reds, pinks and greens that are appearing are making me long for cosy jumpers and warm stews! I know I might make people groan, but it’s been a tough summer (year!) for us flower farmers, the coldest, longest winter followed by exhausting heat and extended periods of drought, I'm ready for some cooler weather, some rain for the ground and some down time for my sun beaten back! (I didn't need a holiday to get a tan, just a trip down the plot!). I for one will be thrilled for the autumn months, they have always been my favourite, the colours and the textures of fruit and berries and the promise of cosy warmth inside that doesn't bring me out in a sweat.

Dahlias

Anyone who knows me will know my obsession with these beauties, their variety and colour range never fails to astound me and I can fall in love with them every single year without fail. The plot is bursting with these and I am loving delivering these in my bridal bouquets, a stunning alternative to the rose in my opinion.

Hydrangeas

If you live in Sheffield, you'll only need your eyes as evidence of the fact that THIS IS HYDRANGEA CITY! Even my little bushes in Meersbrook are thriving. It’s a strange phenomenon, because if you cross the border to the Peaks and our plot you won’t see anything like what we have in Sheffield. I keep walking past peoples front gardens with bushes laden with blooms and it's all I can do to stop myself donning a balaclava when the sun goes down and returning with my snips...*disclaimer...I would NEVER*

Roses

They have come back! Roses (if you have the right kind of soil and treat them well) usually come in two phases, they have their first moment in June where you get so excited to see them after such a long winter (!) and then after they're gone, they have a little nap and come back with a second flush of glory around August. We're having this flush at the moment and it is giving me so much happiness! This is a new fave called 'Strawberry Hill', what a stunner!

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