Rosie Louise Cut Flowers - June

Sweet Peas

The sweet peas are finally here and oh my goodness! I have missed their scent so much.

This first succession of peas were sown into deep cell trays in September, overwintered in the polytunnel and planted out into the tunnel beds in January. It’s normally advised to pinch sweet peas by cutting off the top part of the stem to encourage strong side shoots to form but I don’t pinch autumn sown peas. The cool winter temperatures encourage the plant to branch naturally and if you remove the top growth, you reduce the amount of energy the plant is able to produce during the darkest part of the year. An autumn sown crop always produces the strongest stems and flowers for me and last year I was harvesting these from late May until mid September.

With a very warm start to the spring, and late frosts in early May, it’s been an odd and often stressful few months weather-wise. But walking through the pea tunnel, especially in the morning light, and noticing the slowly unfurling flowers and delicate tendrils quietly becoming stronger, my mind is instantly calmed. The first variety to open was Alison Louise, a beautiful lilac steel blue, with a stem length of 50cm.

Our sweet peas made quite a name for themselves last year and they’ll make their way into almost every florist order throughout this summer. The combination of delicious scent, beautiful colour, long stems and twirling tendrils makes them a pretty perfect addition to any bouquet or installation. When harvesting peas I am always reminded that this is why I do what I do - real Scottish flowers with real scent.

I am a very proud member of the Flowers from the Farm network, the leading association for independent British flower farmers and this year we are celebrating British Flowers Week from 15th-21st June. One of the main aims of FFtF is to promote the value of British grown flowers and to connect farmers with customers who are looking for high-value and sustainably produced local flowers. Our flowers reflect the seasons, with varieties grown alongside nature rather than being available all year round. I think the fact that a certain flower may only be available during a certain month makes them even more special and their link to the seasons means that they often hold a deep sense of nostalgia.

Locally grown stems don’t travel thousands of miles in cold storage and are not sprayed with harmful preservatives, they retain their quality, character and scent travelling only a short distance from field to vase. Most British farmers work using sustainable and organic practices to support pollinators, enrich the soil and increase biodiversity. The origin of the flowers you buy should be just as important as it is with the food you consume - when you buy local, you know who grew your flowers, where they were grown and quite often, how they were grown.

You can use the Flowers from the Farm website to find out more about British Flowers Week, events near you or to find your local grower and buy some beautiful flowers.

You’ll find our flowers stocked at Snapdragon Florist in Edinburgh throughout the summer, alongside local stems from other brilliant Scottish farmers, or available to buy at the Rosemains Steading quarterly markets.