Notes from the Flower Field — August 2026
A wee hello from the flower field.
We're well into August and this month feels very much like a turning point here at Home Farm Flowers & Crafts.
There are still plenty of flowers coming from the field, but alongside the cutting, bunching and arranging, our attention is beginning to turn towards harvesting, drying, pressing and preserving as much of the season as we can.
Flowers are starting to hang from every available beam, presses are being filled, seed heads are being collected and we are already thinking about the botanical work we will be creating through autumn and winter.
At the same time, we are sowing again.
That is flower growing for you — harvesting one season while quietly beginning the next.
A rather funny growing year
It has certainly been an unusual season.
The long spell of hot, dry weather through July arrived at a really important growing stage for many of our plants, and we are still seeing the effects of it now.
Some varieties simply seemed to stop growing, particularly our sweet peas and cosmos, while others produced shorter stems or hurried into flower much earlier than we would normally expect.
There is actually a fascinating reason for this. Plants rely on water inside their cells to create turgor pressure, which helps stems remain strong and allows new cells to expand. During prolonged heat and drought, plants begin conserving water and close the tiny pores on their leaves. That helps them survive, but it also limits photosynthesis and growth. In effect, the plant switches from grow to survive, and some plants accelerate flowering and seed production because their priority becomes completing their life cycle.
It has meant that some of our carefully planned successions haven't behaved quite as planned this year. But that is all part of growing seasonal flowers. We can plan, sow and nurture, but ultimately we have to work with whatever Mother Nature gives us. And she certainly likes to keep us on our toes.
August in the flower field
There is no shortage of jobs this month. We are feeding and deadheading the dahlias and sweet peas, cutting flowers regularly and keeping a close eye on everything beginning to flower. We are also harvesting specifically for drying. Some flowers will become dried bouquets and everlasting arrangements, while others will find their way into our Seed-to-Art range, botanical artwork, cards and winter creations.
Our flower presses are filling up too. We are always thinking several months ahead, so a flower picked on a sunny August morning might not become part of a finished piece until November, December or even next year. That is one of the things we love about our low-waste approach — a flower doesn't stop being beautiful or useful when its fresh vase life comes to an end.
Sowing while we're harvesting
While we are cutting this year's flowers, we're already growing next year's. During July we started sowing our biennials, including Foxgloves, Sweet William, Sweet rocket, Honesty, and Canterbury bells. And now in August we are starting to sow our hardy annuals.
We have also had to rethink how we look after our seedlings this summer. Our polytunnel can become incredibly hot during sunny weather, which isn't ideal for young plants, so we have found them a cooler, shaded growing area and introduced shade cloth to protect them during the hottest part of the day. Every growing season teaches us something new.
A little look back at July
July was incredibly busy away from the growing beds too. We created flowers for weddings, farewell flowers, bouquets and special commissions, and we have continued preserving wedding flowers and creating keepsakes for some of our couples. There is something very special about taking flowers that were grown here for someone's wedding day and transforming them into something they can keep for years to come.
July also brought our first pressed flower workshop, when six lovely ladies joined us for an afternoon of flowers, creativity and conversation. We had such lovely feedback afterwards, and they will soon be at the exciting stage of opening their presses and discovering how their flowers have turned out. We can't wait to hear how they got on.
Workshops made around you
Our workshops are still available throughout the year, but rather than having lots of fixed dates, we love being able to make them a little more personal. You can book through our website or simply get in touch and tell us what you would like to make. Pressed flowers, botanical art, seasonal flowers or something a little different — we can discuss your ideas and arrange a mutually suitable date. They are also lovely for a group of friends, family get-together or simply an afternoon spent doing something creative together.
A Sound Bath amongst the flowers
Something a little different is also happening here at Home Farm this month. On 23 August, we are delighted to be hosting Morven for a Sound Bath and Guided Meditation amongst the flowers. It will be a lovely opportunity to switch off for a while, surrounded by the flower field, while Morven guides the session. Places are limited and cost £18 per person, or £15 concession. For availability and booking, please contact Morven directly on 07368 958315. Bring along a mat, pillow, blanket and a drink — and, as we are outdoors in Scotland, some midge protection may also be useful!
Out and about
August has already taken us beyond the flower field too. We were delighted to be part of the first Community Garden Show in Helensburgh. It was wonderful meeting community growers, chatting to people who share a love of gardening and seeing the fantastic flowers, produce and other entries. We felt very privileged to be invited and came home feeling thoroughly inspired. A huge thank you to Fiona Howard and Val Reid for all the work that went into organising the event and for inviting us along. We really hope it becomes a regular date in the community calendar.
We also had a lovely day at the Wild Ivy Craft Fair at Gamble Halls in Gourock last Saturday. It was great to get out and about with our flowers and botanical creations, meet lots of lovely visitors and chat with fellow local makers. Thank you to everyone who stopped by to say hello — we always enjoy putting faces to names and having the chance to talk about what we grow and create here at Home Farm.
Visiting Craigend's flower field
We've also been popping down to Craigend's pick-your-own flower field, where Mhairi and her dad Billy have done an outstanding job. It has been great fun wandering through someone else's flower field for a change. We've mainly been choosing stems that will dry beautifully so we can use them through the autumn and winter months. And it hasn't just been flowers coming home with us — we've also been buying their garlic and tomatoes, which have been absolutely delicious. Supporting other local growers and small businesses is incredibly important to us, and there is nothing quite like food and flowers grown just down the road.
Fresh flower subscriptions
Our fresh flower subscriptions have now sold out for this season, which we are incredibly grateful for. We are, however, still creating fresh seasonal bouquets and flowers to order whenever the field allows, so please do get in touch if you are looking for something. As ever, our flowers are led by the season rather than a catalogue — what is blooming beautifully that week is what will find its way into our bouquets.
Trying something new
One thing we're particularly looking forward to during August is having some time to experiment. Alongside our pressed and dried flower work, we're going to be trying botanical casting and botanical imprinting. We love discovering new ways of preserving the detail of the plants we grow — from the shape of a leaf to the tiny veins, textures and markings within a flower. Some experiments may work beautifully. Others may never see the light of day! But that's all part of the fun.
And, of course, Haud It and Daud It have been extremely busy too — mowing, moving, making and generally being presented with an ever-growing list of flower-field jobs. We're not entirely sure they knew what they were signing up for.
Looking towards September
As August comes to an end, the flower field will start changing once again. We'll still be cutting late-summer flowers, dahlias and whatever else the season gives us, but our attention will increasingly turn to seed saving, autumn sowing, drying and preserving. Our shelves will be filling with pressed flowers and our drying spaces with the colours and textures that will carry us through the colder months.
We also have dried flower weddings booked for September and October, and dried wedding flowers are becoming increasingly popular — and we can completely understand why. They have such a beautiful, natural feel, they are full of texture and character, and unlike fresh flowers they can be enjoyed long after the wedding day is over. They also fit beautifully with the way we work here at Home Farm, allowing us to use flowers we have grown and carefully dried throughout the season. It is lovely seeing more couples choosing something a little different and embracing the soft, seasonal look of everlasting flowers.
We'll also be turning more of this year's harvest into our botanical artwork, everlasting arrangements and Seed-to-Art creations.
And yes… wreath season is coming!
It might feel far too early to mention Christmas while we are still cutting summer flowers, but behind the scenes we are already beginning to think about autumn and Christmas wreaths. Our seasonal wreaths are made using natural materials, foliage, dried flowers, seed heads and other treasures from the growing year, and we'll be sharing more as the seasons begin to change. If you like to plan ahead, you can already take a peek at our seasonal wreaths on the website.
And we'll still be getting out and about. On Saturday 12 September, you can find us at the Helensburgh & Lomond Artisans Association Craft Fair at Victoria Halls, Helensburgh. We'll be bringing along a selection of our seasonal and botanical creations, so please come and find us and say hello if you're visiting.
There is something lovely about this transition in the flower-growing year. Spring and summer are about sowing, growing and abundance. Late summer and autumn are when we start gathering everything together, saving seeds, preserving flowers and creating with what we have grown.
For now, though, we're making the most of August — cutting, sowing, drying, pressing, experimenting and enjoying the flower field while it is still overflowing with life.
Thank you, as always, for following our little Scottish flower farm through the seasons and for supporting flowers that are home grown, not flown.
With love from the flower field,
Paula & Jeanette, Charles, Rab & Daisy
Home Farm Flowers & Crafts
