Sustainable Natural wedding flowers for an Intimate Dartmoor Elopement

27th October 2020 By Holly

Sustainable Natural Wedding Flowers for an Intimate Dartmoor Elopement

It’s the time of year when autumn is truly with us (my favourite season, minus the rain), and I thought I’d share one of my favourite autumn wedding flowers that I’ve created. This brief was so sumptuous, and full of depth of colour and texture, and of course also full of sustainable natural wedding flowers- grown here on our Devon flower farm.

1.Dartmoor- a wild and rugged setting for an intimate wedding

Held at Ever After on Dartmoor, this was such an inspiring place to be. Dartmoor is truly breathtaking; it’s wildness and sense of space is really special. The way trees grow, various mosses and rivers, it’s easy to get lost- in best possible way. I wanted to bring this wildness and sense of freedom into the flowers.

2. Autumn Bridal Bouquet full of flowers from our Devon Flower Farm

The bouquet was a dream to create (bouquets are always my favourite thing to make), but all the flowers came together in a way that just felt effortless. I make lots, being a Devon wedding florist, but each is so unique and special- helped partly by how we work and source our British flowers. As we grow the vast majority of flowers ourselves, on our Devon flower farm, it means that no two flowers are the same, and adds to the wildness and beauty and each piece we make.

3. Sustainable Natural Wedding Flowers

What we’re completely passionate about! It fits with our natural wedding flower style, but also it’s just so, so important. Everything has a process and life cycle, and for us, being able to know where everything comes from and reduce our carbon footprint is important. Also we grow really cool flowers (I’m biased but still), and get to make beautiful wedding flowers from them 🙂

4. Seasonal Wedding Flowers for a Dartmoor elopement

What flowers did we use? All of the jewelled tones! Dahlias, roses, grasses, rudbekia, carrot flower. I could go on and on. Being a wedding florist in Devon, we get mild winters, which means the flowers we grow carry on a bit longer (frosts tend to happen sometime in October). Which is great as this means our sustainable, local flowers get to hang around that little but longer.

5. The table settings for a Devon elopement

Set next to the river, this beautiful table was special. It feels almost other worldly in its bountifulness- cascading with fruit and flowers, gorgeous tapered candles too.

Small weddings are beautiful, and it always feels special because of their intimacy. Flowers play a huge role in creating the look and feel of your wedding, and this autumn elopement was great to be a part of. I was able use all of our autumn flowers, picked fresh, and create beautiful and sustainable Devon wedding flowers in the special place that is Dartmoor. If you’re planning you Devon wedding, I’d love to hear more details, and can be contacted here. I hope this has given some inspiration on what is a rather rainy day (at least here in Devon)…

The wonderful team from this day were:

Styling & Design: Knots & Kisses – www.knotsandkisses.co.uk

Photographer / Creative Director: Emma Barrow – www.emma-barrow.com

Florist: Holly Bee Flowers – www.hollybeeflowers.co.uk

Cake: Queen Bee Cakes www.queenbeecakes.org.uk

Fabrics : West Country Wedding Planner – www.westcountryweddingplanner.co.uk

Furniture and Props: Virginias Vintage Hire – www.virginiasvintagehire.co.uk

Hair Stylist: Brigitte Fisher – www.brigittefisher.co.uk

Location: Ever After – www.lowergrenofen.co.uk

Make Up Artist: Emma Roberts – www.facebook.com/emmarobertsmakeup

Model: Alex Reeve

Stationery: Knots & Kisses – www.knotsandkisses.co.uk

Silk Ribbon: Kate Cullen – www.katecullen.co.uk

Wardrobe: The Wedding Company, Plympton – www.the-wedding-company.co.uk

Photographer’s Assistant: Liam Ring

Devon Christmas Wreath Workshop 2020: Private wreath workshops at our Devon flower farm

14th October 2020 By Holly

Devon Christmas Wreath Workshop 2020: Private wreath workshops at our Devon flower farm

Each year we run wonderful wreath workshops in our flower studio at the heart of our Devon flower farm. Due to restrictions this year, we’re changing how these work slightly; we’ve decided to make them much more intimate and offer them on a one-to-one basis, or a two-to-one (you plus a friend or family member), and these will be running in the first few weeks in December. Treat yourself and come along to our Devon Christmas Wreath Workshop.Here’s some more info:

1. What to Expect at our Devon Wreath Workshop

Space and lots and lots of beautiful things to get creative with! It’s such a relaxing and creative experience. To start with I’ll guide you through the technical aspects of the making of your wreath, then you’re let loose on our buckets of ingredients. Also they’ll be excellent mince pies, cake and coffee on tap.

2.What ingredients are best to add to my wreath?

We supply lots! And the smell is incredible-so much fresh greenery. Our workshops run at the beginning of December, so you want your wreath to last at least until Christmas. This is do-able, trust us (we’ll go into more detail further down). But also made so much easier by choosing the right ingredients to start with- which we ensure by only supplying things we know will work! Greenery, dried flowers, berries and rosehips (birds have been known to steal these off wreaths on people’s front doors).

3. Will my wreath last until Christmas?

Yes- it will need a drink (seriously) every so often- but yes. If it’s on a front door which will get rained on and is open to the elements and lovely British winters, then your job is easy. No need to do anything- it’ll be getting enough water. If your wreath is somewhere more sheltered then you either need to spray it with water every so often, so keep it fresh. Or another top tip is to take it down and place it (front side up) on dewy grass for an hour or so a few mornings.

4. What happens if I’m not creative?

Worry not, I’m on hand to help and support. But also you can’t really go wrong , once you have the right technique it’ll all come together. Just remember you’re there to relax and enjoy yourself, and don’t put any pressure on. Plus have I mentioned we only use the best supplies so you only have beautiful things to create with. You’ll be onto a winner.

5. How do I book?

Just send me a email with your preferred dates. That simple. As these workshops are much more bespoke than normal, we can be flexible with dates. So tell us when is good for you! Workshops run for 2.5 hours and cost £75 for a 1:1, and £130 for 2 people. We would love to see some friendly faces, feel creative and that bit festive too.

So if you’d like to book, or have any further questions, please just get in touch. I promise not to just play Michael Buble Christmas hits really loudly. Also if you can’t make it to a workshop here in Devon but still want a wreath we’re taking orders, email us to talk further. Or if you’re from further afield and looking for local wreath workshops or someone to make you a beautiful wreath, check out Flowers from the Farm to find your local flower grower around the UK.

Devon Flower Farm: The October edit of growing seasonal flowers from my garden at Holly Bee Flowers

7th October 2020 By Holly

Devon Flower Farm: The October edit of growing seasonal flowers from our garden at Holly Bee Flowers

Hello from our Devon Flower Farm. Growing and designing with flowers… I love both, but as the year and seasons change, the pull of different tasks and focus also change. Right now I’ve got my gardeners’ hat on, and spend most days in waterproof trousers and mud. Sustainable, eco friendly flowers take work and forward planning! Flowers are still going, and we’ve had no frosts yet, but the mental shift into preparing for next year has happened. Here’s what’s going on this month.

1.Sowing Hardy Annuals for 2021

Sowing seeds for next year. 2021 feels like an age away, but I’ll be so grateful to have done it come May next year. I don’t grow loads of Hardy Annuals, but always make sure to have a continuous supply of Ammi- umbels ALWAYS. And their white and green hues mix with everything beautifully. Ideal for natural weddings and wild looking bouquets. Also they happily self seed everywhere- we had a forest in the polytunnel paths this year- impractical but wonderful.

2.Sowing early flowering sweet peas

Sweet peas are one of the reasons I started flower farming in the first place. Highly scented, pick and come again, and holding nostalgic memories for so many of us (often requested in wedding flowers). I sow now for strong plants next year. Grown in pots, then planted in the polytunnel normally during the first week on January. We mulch round them with straw, and if colder temperatures are forecast, we push the straw up round the baby plants. This process means we get super early flowers, normally from the end of March into April.

3.Planting out Bi Annuals (finally)

I’m not the most organised grower, but things do eventually get done. And as we’re based in Devon, we stay milder for longer, so bi annuals still have a chance to get going- planting the plug plants out now. Again I don’t grow loads of varieties, but I know what works for me. I always, always grow foxgloves. I never seem to have enough. And also I grow the heavily scented (and marvellous) Sweet Rocket. These are my top 2 bi annuals and every garden should try them- they’ll both happily grow in most soils, and don’t need full sun either.

4.Clearing and covering beds: cuts down on work in the long run

Here at Holly Bee, we love our soil. It’s the backbone to everything- and gives us so much goodness and beauty each year. Sustainable and eco minded, we are fans of no dig. It also just makes life easier. So at this time of year, beds slowly get cleared then covered over winter. Next year we’ll uncover, put a good layer of mulch down, and then plant. Simple right?!

5.Planning for growing and designing 2021

As it gets colder, darker and wetter, I need excuses to stay indoors and work. Searching for new varieties of flowers and foliages to grow is fun; it keeps things interesting. So each year I look forward to learning, experimenting and growing.

I’m also starting a photography course with the wonderful Eva Nemeth, which I’m so excited about- she’s a photography hero of mine. But for today, it’s off to mark out a new iris bed in the polytunnel, wish me luck! Also If you want further seasonal inspiration have a look through all our seasonal flower galleries.

Devon Wedding Flowers: What exactly do you need for your 2021 wedding?

30th September 2020 By Holly

Devon Wedding Flowers: what exactly do you need for your 2021 wedding?

What exactly do you need when it comes to your Devon wedding flowers? It’s a question I get asked a lot… Whilst I don’t think there’s a definite answer, (weddings are personal, bespoke and should work for you), there are some stalwart items that I would always suggest. These can work around most budgets, and still be sustainable and simple.

1.The natural Bridal Bouquet (of course)

My favourite thing ever to create in terms of wedding flowers. I adore making these, it always feels like a special moment when it come to cutting and conditioning the exact flowers for bridal bouquets. Then weaving them into then finished creation- it’s lovely, reflective process. Whilst bridal bouquets come in all shapes and sizes, here at Holly Bee flowers (in the heart of the Devon countryside) we like natural, wild and unusual and always, always romantic. Seasonal led, our flower choices are based on colour, texture scent and style. It’d also important to notice how it feels to hold a bouquet- some are large, and therefore heavy- we prefer to work on the delicate side of things, making it easier to hold, but still providing breath- taking impact.

2. Buttonholes to add delicate details

I always like to think of these as mini- bouquets. Our buttonholes are tied with twine, and not wrapped in florist tape- it looks more natural and tends to blend with our style better. Buttonholes can be worn by the groom, groomsmen, father of the bride, father- in law. I’ve also made for the mother of the bride on occasions too! The flowers used in buttonholes, tend to reflect the other wedding flowers in terms of colour and style; tying everything together. They also need to last well out of water and not droop. I love adding personal touches to buttonholes, maybe a tiny forget- me- not just peeking out, or some rose hips in the autumn- small but beautiful additions to your devon wedding flowers.

3. Bridemaid Bouquets to add romance and wildness

Like an echo of bridal bouquets ,this is something I love creating too. Whether you have one best friend bridesmaid or your whole gang, flowers are an important part of your look (but we try to not be too traditional- wild is our style!). Also all the bouquets I provide are in kilner glass jars of water, so can be used as decoration after the ceremony, and last longer (top tip right there)- getting the most out of you wedding flowers.

4. Ceremony and Reception flowers, think outside the box with DIY Buckets

Once you’ve decided on your personal flowers (bridal bouquet, buttonholes and bridesmaid bouquets etc), then it’s time to decide on decoration for the ceremony and reception! The choice is huge, and it’s going to be led partly by budget. I love providing DIY buckets of flowers for couples to then decorate venues themselves- relaxed weddings are amazing, and it’s a way to involve the bridal party and families, get creative, and also keep budgets in check when it comes to your wedding flowers. Picked to a colour scheme and grown on our Devon flower farm, our buckets are overflowing with flowery goodness and make arranging your wedding flowers easy and simple.

5. Installations to add WOW to your wedding flowers whilst still being completely eco- friendly

Budget allowing then creating installation pieces are AMAZING. Whether this is for the ceremony, or reception, it’s a way of adding impact, and really brings the atmosphere together. Currently we’re getting a bespoke arch made, so next year we hope to be able to create lots of flowery arches with our wild blooms- watch this space.

Image by Emma Jane Photography

So I hope this can act as a gentle guide and get the ball rolling when thinking about wedding flowers and what you would like. If you want to talk further about flowers for your South West wedding then get in touch via our wedding page.

Also the wonderful photographers for the woodland boho arch is Emma Jane Photography .

Thanks so much for reading, I’m off out to plant some new grasses in the rain now- head to toe waterproofs required!