Retraining for a new career in horticulture at 40 whilst juggling a young family is not easy, but ten years on I’ve made my mark locally teaching community horticulture in schools, allotment gardens and online under the very apt business name, Mrs. Bloom.
When covid hit the community side of my business stopped overnight. I had to adapt like everyone else, teaching over Zoom and writing gardening articles for magazines and social media. Lockdowns in 2020 and 2021 gave me an opportunity to enjoy gardening for myself again. Cut flowers soon became my obsession with endless photos posted on Instagram and before I knew it people were asking to buy my bouquets. Mrs. Bloom’s Flower Farm was born!
Growing and selling cut flowers is one of the most fulfilling jobs I’ve had. Seeing the joy in someone’s face when they see the bouquet you created just for them, makes all the hard work worthwhile, and believe me it’s hard work. Flower farming is a very physical, demanding job but when you’re passionate about something you enjoy every minute.
The unique selling point of my flower business is sustainability. Flowers are grown locally with the seasons, not flown from across the planet all year round. Bouquets are tied with string and wrapped in recycled and recyclable paper with no plastic in sight. Even the tape is plant based. All my flowers are grown using a ‘no dig’ approach to protect soil structure and without the use of pesticides and artificial fertilisers.
We can grow so many beautiful flowers here in Northern Ireland like zinnia, dahlia, scabiosa, rudbeckia, anemones, ranunculus and sunflowers to name just a few. Unfortunately, the downside is the seasonality of our produce. Without heated greenhouses and artificial lighting, the flower season for most small-scale local flower farmers is March to October. Competing with supermarkets on price is another hurdle to overcome, but when it comes to quality you can’t beat locally grown freshly cut flowers. Fortunately, protecting the environment, sustainability and supporting local business are growing in importance for people in Northern Ireland which helps small businesses like mine.
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