thedevelopingplot

At last it looks as if the weather is set fair for awhile and next week there will be warm temperatures and a rest from the battering rain and winds. This week the stall will be at Sofacoma Market off Lake St with home sown flowers and plants. All are raised on Oxford’s doorstep without the use of pesticides or herbicides in peat free compost. See below for more detail on what’s available.

If you would like to pre-order for pick up at the market or free delivery within 5 miles of Oxford, please email me at: thedevelopingplot@gmail.com

Flowers

Beautiful, bright field grown tulips, the first of the ranunculus, scented narcissi, along with fresh foliage and blossom will be just some of the ingredients in this week’s seasonal, local bunches and bouquets.

Prices:

Jam Jars: £6.00

Pickle Jars: £10.00

Bouquets: start at £15.00 up to £30 gift wrapped

Bouquet in a vase: start at £25.00

Bespoke flowers and flowers for events – just contact me to discuss.

Plants

Annuals:

The first small pots of annuals, grown from seed, priced between £1.00 – £1.50

These are in either 7 or 9cm pots and, apart from the nasturtium, have been hardened off and are ready to plant out now to establish quickly. The nasturtium will need to protecting from frost.

Pictures show what the young plants will look like once in flower.

Strawflower, Apricot mix: a truly lovely strawflower which is wonderful both fresh and dried. This is a warm mix of pretty peach and apricot flowers on long, strong stems. Also known as everlasting flowers, the colour and shape of these papery blooms will last indefinitely when dried. They make an attractive impact in the garden and will flower until the first hard frosts. I am planting mine out next week, but will protect them if there is a hard frost forecast. Strawflowers like to be positioned in full sun, but will tolerate some shade. They can grow to over 3 foot tall. £1.25 a 7cm pot

Ammi majus: a superb annual, bearing dainty white flowers reminiscent of lacework or a more refined cow parsley above finely cut fern like leaves . It is a lovely cottage garden plant which adds a light airiness to a garden border. It grows best in well-drained soil in sun or partial shade. Allow seeds to develop to save and sow the following year, but if you leave some finches are likely to come to your garden to feast on them in winter.

Cerinthe Major: a lovely unfussy plant which gently self seeds – once planted it will come back again and again. A pretty filler in the border and the vase, its purple bell-like flowers are a magnet for bees and othe pollinators. It has attractive silvergrey/green leaves which often have a blue wash. It flowers early and long and can grow up to 18 inches. Space plants between 9 & 12 ins apart. They enjoy sun, but do well in almost any position apart from deep shade. £1.25 a 7cm pot; 1.50 a 9cm pot

Nasturtium Black Velvet: a sumptuous, richly dark flowered nasturtium which is great for containers or towards the front of a border. This is a half hardy annual so does need hardening off and protection from frost. It can grow up to 12 inches and has a slightly trailing habit. As well as being beautiful, it is also edible and its flowers and leaves make a delicious (and pretty) addition to salads. £1.25 a 7cm pot.

Violas: dainty, extremely lovely plants which have flowers in a range of pinks, whites and purples. Perfect for containers and for gaps at the front of borders. Extremely hardy, they have been out all Winter and are beginning to flower profusely. With regular dead heading they will continue to do this for months. Once they get straggly towards the end of the season, cut them back and they will regrow strongly. They can also be left to self seed. £1.00 a 7cm pot and £4.00 in a vintage terracotta pot.

There will also be a few pots of sweet peas (the last for this year) £1.50 for 2 sturdy seedlings.

Perennials

All these are also grown by me in peat free compost from either seeds, cuttings or divisions. They are all tough and reliable and suited to local growing conditions.

There will be a range of hardy perennials available in different sized pots. Prices start at £2.50 for a 9cm pot; £3.50 a 1 litre pot and £6.50 a 2 litre pot. A selection of some of the perennials available:

Nepeta Walkers Low: a magnet for pollinators, it is alive with bees and other beneficial insects for weeks. It has deep violet to lilac-blue summer flowers and aromatic mid-green leaves. This catmint makes an excellent, long-flowering plant for a border. Cut back after its first flush in June, it flowers through to early autumn. Useful as an informal, scented edge for paths. Likes sun, but can tolerate some shade, it grows to around 2 feet tall.

Geum ‘Totally Tangerine’ : a long flowering,  clump-forming, herbaceous perennial which produces an abundance of upward and outward facing, peachy-orange flowers from late Spring to Autumn. Carried on branched sprays, they rise well above the healthy mound of deep green, slightly fuzzy leaves. It is loved by pollinators and is a wonderful bullet proof plant. It tolerates part shade and flourishes in the clay soil in my garden

Centaurea ‘Jordy’ (Knapweed): another cottage garden favourite and pollinator magnet. Magnificent, deepest plum-purple flowers top upright stems in late spring and early summer above bushy clumps of foliage. Cut back to the ground after flowering and a second flush may appear. Lift and divide large clumps every three years in spring. Likes full sun, but does well on our clay soil in part shade – it probably doesn’t grow up to its full 45cm potential though.

Hardy Geranium (name lost): beautiful, muted dusky pink with copper toned markings on leaves. My favourite hardy geranium which is well behaved and excellent for the front of a border forming a lovely, healthy clump. Once flowered, cut back and it will return for another show of flowers.

Hardy Geranium, Phaeum: a beautiful and striking hardy perennial which grows to around 18ins in both sun and part shade in any type of soil. Its unusual dark flowers are prolific and if you cut it down to the base after its first flowering in May/June it will flower generously again.

Campanula Persicifolia, blue: a very reliable and very pretty herbaceous perennial which is much tougher than it looks. It forms clumps from which it sends up straight stems with green, lance-shaped foliage and numerous large, outward facing, rich blue, bell-shaped single flowers providing a long flowering display in summer. An easy to grow plant that tolerates a range of soils and different positions in the garden including light shade. Can be easily divided to create new plants and is also good for beneficial insects.

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Sunshine and showers and a stop start Spring have made it unusually tricky to predict what the plants and flowers will be doing. To give everything a chance to catch up on growing, I am taking a break from markets until mid April when there should be lots ready including vegetable plants. The greenhouse is now almost full of tomato, courgette and cucumber seedlings which are sharing the shelves with cosmos and a growing number of other half hardy annuals.

Flowers

Meanwhile there are some beautiful home grown flowers ready for orders next week. The first of the ranunculus are just about to burst into bloom along with tulips while the narcissi, daffodils and hellebores are still going strong. If you would like to order a pickle jar or a bouquet for free delivery within 5 miles of Oxford, please email me:

thedevelopingplot@gmail.com

Flowers Prices:

£10 for a Pickle Jar – at at 20 stems

£20 a gift wrapped bouquet

£25 a gift wrapped bouquet in a vase

Multiple jam jars also available at £6.00 each.

Other size bouquets can be made- just ask.

Deliveries will be on Friday, 7th March & Saturday, 8th March

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The weather continues to be frustrating and this year Spring almost seems to be on pause, but there will be some plants with hopeful bunches, bouquets and pots of bright, seasonal flowers for next weekend. These can either be delivered to your door from 17th March to 19th March or can be picked up from the Wolvercote Community Market in the White Hart Community Pub between 10.00am and midday on the 19th.

If you would like to treat someone or yourself, please email pre-orders to me by Friday evening.

thedevelopingplot@gmail.com

Delivery is free for orders of £10 or over within 5 miles of Oxford. Payment is via BACS, cash or contactless.

Flower Orders: each bunch or bouquet will contain a mixture of lovely Spring flowers and foliage grown by me supplemented with flowers from other local and British growers chosen for their sustainable approach. As well as the jars and bunches, bespoke bouquets can be made too – just ask. Smaller jars of flowers will be available at the market.

Flower Prices:

Pickle Jar: £10 (at least 20 stems)

Wrapped Bouquet: £20 (at least 30 stems)

Wrapped bouquet in a vase: £25.00

There will be jam jar posies available at the Market starting at £6 each

If you would like to order a larger bouquet, they are also available if pre-ordered.

Plants at the Market: below is a selection of the plants available at the market.

Hardy Geranium Bill Wallis: one of the most cheerful and tough plants in my garden. It thrives in all sorts of conditions and gently self seeds. Its pretty purple flowers are long lasting and give a lovely cottage garden feel. Good for the front of a border or filling in gaps. £3.00 a 1 litre pot

Homesown Sweet Pea Plants: these are grown from seed saved from my favourite varieties chosen for their amazing scent and colour. The seedlings tolerate down to -5 so once they germinated, they were left outside to harden up. If the weather is particularly brutal, they might need a little protection. Prepare the soil to help water retention and plant out from start of March when weather is hospitable. Plant each pot around 8″ apart. Sweetpeas like to be well watered and prefer sun. They will need support to clamber up and regular picking to keep them flowering. They are the most generous of flowering annuals, but do need quite a lot of attention. I think it is worth it for the scent alone. £1.50 a 9cm pot of 3 seedlings.

Named Sweet Pea Varieties: Prince Edward of York, Matacuna, Albutt Blue, Piggy Sue, Jimmy Shand and Bristol Cream among others – all chosen for their wonderful scent and strong flowers. £1.50 a pot of 2 seedlings.

Hardy Geranium Phaeum: : a beautiful and striking hardy perennial which grows to around 18ins in both sun and part shade in any type of soil. Its unusual dark flowers are prolific and if you cut it down to the base after its first flowering in May/June it will flower generously again. £2.50 for 9cm pot – £5.00 for 2 litre pot

If you would like to know what’s available each week, please add your email below.

Although the bulbs are confident it is Spring as they push up into the light, the weather is determinedly wintery with snow this week. The plants are growing slowly in their pots and there will be just a few ready for this weekend’s Sofacoma Market on the 12th and a week later at Wolvercote Community Market.

Flowers:

Flower Orders: these can be made now for this weekend (12th March) and for Mothers’ Day (19th March). Each bunch or bouquet will contain a mixture of lovely Spring flowers and foliage grown by me supplemented with flowers from other local and British growers chosen for their sustainable approach. As well as the jars and bunches, bespoke bouquets can be made too – just ask. Smaller jars of flowers will be available at the market.There will only be a limited number available, particularly for Mothers’ day on the 19th March so please email me to place an order in advance if possible. Flowers are delivered free within 5 miles of Oxford with a minimum order of £10 or can be collected from the market. Payment is via BACS, cash or contactless card.

Email: thedevelopingplot@gmail.com

Flower Prices:

Pickle pot of flowers: £10

Wrapped bouquet: £20

Bouquet in a vase: £25

There will be smaller jam jars of flowers available for £6 at the markets. If you would like more than one of these delivered, please let me know.

Plants:

There are some plants this weekend and hopefully more to follow next. These include:

Bill Wallis hardy geranium: one of the most cheerful and tough plants in my garden. It thrives in all sorts of conditions and gently self seeds. Its pretty purple flowers are long lasting and give a lovely cottage garden feel. Good for the front of a border or filling in the gaps. £3.00 a 1 litre pot

Homesown Sweetpea Mix: these are grown from seed saved from my favourite varieties chosen for their amazing scent and colour. The seedlings tolerate down to -5 so once they germinated, they were left outside to harden up. If the weather is particularly brutal, they might need a little protection. Prepare the soil to help water retention and plant out from start of March when weather is hospitable. Plant each pot around 8″ apart. Sweetpeas like to be well watered and prefer sun. They will need support to clamber up and regular picking to keep them flowering. They are the most generous of flowering annuals, but do need quite a lot of attention. I think it is worth it for the scent alone. £1.50 a 9cm pot of 3 seedlings.

Named Sweetpea Varieties: Prince Edward of York, Matacuna, Albutt Blue, Piggy Sue and Bristol among others – all chosen for their wonderful scent and strong flowers. £1.50 a pot of 2 seedlings.

Primroses in old terracotta pots: simple and beautiful to enjoy close up and a great present: starting at £5.00 a pot

Today the world outside my window is looking completely beautiful with a white frost icing the trees and the sun’s light adding extra loveliness. Everything is frozen as hard as metal, but thankfully most things in the garden will spring back into growth when the weather warms up this week.

Next Sunday, 29th January, I will be at the Wolvercote Commumity Market at the White Hart pub with a small stall. There will be a selection of Spring bulbs for sale: some, like the fragrant paperwhite narcissi and hyacinths are best kept inside to make you smile and enjoy their colour and heady scent close up, while others such as the iris reticulata, snowdrops, dwarf narcissi and crocus can be enjoyed inside or out. All these bulbs (apart from the paperwhites) will come back and can be placed in their pots /planted outside once they have flowered to brighten up late Winter/early Spring again next year.

This is likely to be the only market for the plant stall until March and some of the bulbs have a little growing to do before flowering. For me that’s part of the pleasure of having them and you can speed them up by bringing them in to the warmth or leave them outside to develop in their own time. The delicate looking iris reticulata, crocus and dwarf narcissi are extremely tough and will survive the very worst of the weather outside while offering much needed food for early pollinators.

Here’s a sample of what will be on the stall this Sunday:

Spring Bulbs in Pots:

Scented indoor paper white Narcissus, Ziva and Inbal; scented hyacinths; iris reticulata, Alida, Purple Hill and George; dwarf narcissi, Artic Bells and Golden Bells and crocus Prins Claus and others too.

The bulbs come planted in peatfree compost in a range of different sized pots including old terracotta, metal and plastic. Each pot is individually priced from £1.50 for individual bulbs in plastic pots to £12.00 for a collection of bulbs in a pot.

All pots can be returned to me for reuse if not needed.

There will also be cheering violas for sale. Grown from home gathered seed in small pots last Autumn they have kept going through all weathers. Deep frost makes their heads droop, but they immediately recover their spring in the thaw. They are ideal for outdoor containers and window boxes and will give beautiful splashes of colour for months. In shades of purple and blues so far. 7cm pot: £1

Over the next few days, I will be making the last of the sustainable fresh wreaths. Each is handmade and individual and all are decorated with local homegrown flowers and garden foliage as well as lightly foraged ingredients. Made on a moss base, they will last for weeks.

If you would like to order a fresh wreath, please contact me by 11th December at the latest as there are a limited number available. Delivery is free within 5 miles of Oxford and payment can be made in cash or by BACS.

Contact me at: thedevelopingplot@gmail.com

Fresh wreaths on 10 inch frames are £15 each

Fresh wreaths on 12 inch frames are £20 each

Fresh wreaths on 14 inch frames are £25

There is still time to order a lovely, local handmade wreath decorated with homegrown flowers, foliage and lightly foraged ingredients. Fresh wreaths are made on a moss base and will last for weeks if kept damp while dried everlasting wreaths will last for years if kept dry. If you would like to make your own fresh wreath, moss bases and a starter kit are available too. Wreaths can be ordered for delivery up to 11th December.

Each wreath is different and if you would like to choose one in person, there will be a variety to choose from at Sofacoma Market, just off Lake St in Oxford this Sunday, 4th December.

There will also be fragrant paperwhite narcissus, hyacinths and iris reticulata in pots which make great gifts (for yourself or other people).

Pre-orders for pick up at the market or for free delivery within 6 miles of Oxford can be made by contacting me at: thedevelopingplot@gmail.com

Payment can be made in cash or by BACS.

Fresh Wreaths

Fresh wreaths on 12 inch frames are £20 each

Fresh wreaths on 10 inch frames are £15 each

Fresh wreaths on 14 inch frames are £25

If you are interested in making your own fresh wreath, you can buy a starter kit for £10

The starter kit contains: a mossed wreath base, a mix of foliage to get you started and some mossing pins. Instructions for how to make a wreath from scratch, starting from the wire base, are on the website. https://thedevelopingplot.com/how-to-make-a-mossed-wreath-base/

Everlasting Wreaths

There will be a small selection of dried wreaths at Sofacoma Market this Sunday. These are handmade by me and the flowers and foliage were grown on my plot.

Over the next few weeks (until they run out), you can order a local handmade wreath decorated with homegrown flowers, foliage and lightly foraged ingredients. Fresh wreaths are made on a moss base and will last for weeks if kept damp while dried everlasting wreaths will last for years if kept dry. If you would like to make your own, moss bases and a starter kit are available too.

Each wreath is different and if you would like to choose one in person, there will be a variety to choose from at Sofacoma Market, just off Lake St in Oxford this Sunday, 27th November and for the following two weeks.

Pre-orders for pick up at the market or for free delivery within 6 miles of Oxford can be made by contacting me at: thedevelopingplot@gmail.com

Fresh wreaths on 12 inch frames are £20 each

Fresh wreaths on 10 inch frames are £15 each

Fresh wreaths on 14 inch frames are £25

If you are interested in making your own wreath, you can buy a starter kit for £10

The starter kit contains: a mossed wreath base, a mix of foliage to get you started and some mossing pins. Instructions for how to make a wreath from scratch, starting from the wire base, are on the website. https://thedevelopingplot.com/how-to-make-a-mossed-wreath-base/

Next Sunday, the Homesown flower stall will be back at Sofacoma Market, off Lake St, with a range of lovely, local eco-friendly flowers grown on Oxford’s doorstep. If you would like to reserve flowers to be picked up at the market or would like free delivery within a mile or two of Oxford this Saturday & Sunday, please email me at the address below:

thedevelopingplot@gmail.com

The dahlias are the showstoppers this week with a few second flush roses joining in. Sunflowers, zinnias, cosmos and delicate grasses are also part of the mix. As well as whites, pinks and purples, there are also burnt orange and yellow dahlias giving an Autumnal tone.

Prices:

Jam Jar of flowers: £6.50

Pickle Jar of flowers: £10.00

Flowers in a vase: £12.50 – £15

Bouquets of flowers start at £15.00

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