Rachel brought a breath of Spring and a promise of things to come to a cold, damp April evening. Rachel, along with her partner, runs a six acre organic flower farm on the banks of the Thames between Wallingford and Goring. Despite not being trained in floristry, Rachel grows flowers for cutting including shrubs, perennials and annuals. The displays and arrangements are made up solely of flowers that she grows along with some items that have been foraged, with only seeds and bulbs being imported. Flowers are grown in every conceivable hue with many unusual varieties. Weddings are a large part of their business. Having only one wedding to supply during the first year, Rachel has one hundred booked for this year! Customers are welcome to visit her shop on any Saturday where organic vegetables, free range eggs and homemade jams are also available. There is also a successful mail order business and courses are held during the Spring and Autumn.
Despite losing the use of her projector during the evening, Rachel gave us a feel for her work with her slides and then demonstrated how to make a hand tied arrangement. Flowers were available for members to buy at the end of the evening, including some rather unusual varieties of tulip.