Blooming lovely!

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If you have ever journeyed along the B4368 through the village of Monkhopton and been delighted by the view of a field of glorious blooms, then you have almost certainly passed Katie Briggs Thomas’ business; The Petal Passion Flower Farm.

Katie came to our November meeting to tell us how she set up her business and went from beautician to flower farmer. When COVID shut down Katie’s beauty business in March 2020, like many of us she spent time in her garden and found that she was rather good at growing flowers.

An unlikely flower farmer, Katie had suffered debilitating hayfever until the wonders of modern medicine made working with flowers a possibility. So to develop her passion, Katie bought one and a half acres of the field behind her home and a polytunnel. She began creating flower beds and planting 1000 bare root roses, dahlias, peonies and many other varieties of perennial flowers as well as annuals like cosmos and zinnas, to create stunning floral arrangements.

It is Katie’s mission to help reduce the carbon footprint of cut flowers by offering beautiful blooms locally and sourcing other materials as close to home as possible. She provides seasonal flowers for funerals, weddings, birthdays and other occasions, beautifully arranged in her casual, unique style. In addition Katie supplies florists & shops with seasonal, sustainably & locally grown flowers, with no added chemicals or pesticides.

Katie is extremely keen on protecting the environment and only uses peat free compost and natural fertilizers. She uses sustainable materials in her floral arrangements and made a plea to us to stop using oasis because it is made of plastic which does not biodegrade, but breaks down into microplastics that can harm wildlife . Katie suggested using moss in compostable bags wrapped in twine which I am definitely going to try.

Katie has plans to further develop her business and has planning permission for one more polytunnel and a large workshop from where she can run events. If you are interested in Katie’s work or events then visit her website; www.thepetalpassionflowerfarm.com or facebook page to find out more.

During the Q and A session which followed Katie’s talk, she prepared a stunning bouquet of mixed flowers which was given as a raffle prize.

Our next meeting of the gardening club on 11th December has a slightly different format. We will be listening to talks by members about projects that they have undertaken in their own gardens and this year we will hold a Desert Island gardening tool demonstration. We also have Christmas afternoon tea, a quiz and a Christmas decoration competition. If you would like to join us then do come along to Stoke St Milborough village hall at 2.00pm to join in the fun. ​