A Belfast flower farmer shares her guide to growing cut flowers at home
Not far from East Belfast, overlooking Strangford Lough, Scrabo Tower and the Mourne Mountains, you’ll find Hilltop Flowers, a passion project turned successful flower farming business.
Raised on a dairy farm in Pembrokeshire in Wales, farming was always a part of life for Angharad Maxwell, who long dreamed of opening her own flower farm. After years working as a respiratory physiotherapist, a beautiful gift from a friend planted the seed of an idea which slowly took root. “A friend came over for dinner and she had a bottle of wine in one hand and the most amazing bunch of flowers in the other hand. They were all flowers from her own garden. I knew her garden – it was tiny compared to ours, with even fewer flowers than we had. I just couldn’t believe I had never thought about bringing flowers inside from our own garden.”
Inspired to start experimenting, Angharad began cutting and bringing flowers in purely for her own enjoyment. “There was never a week where I didn’t have a jar or a jug or a vase full of flowers on the table.” If something didn’t last, she wanted to know why. “I started reading, getting books and researching on the internet. I built up this knowledge in the background, not knowing that I would later become a flower farmer.”
Encouragement from friends affirmed that she had a knack for it, but giving up a full-time job and steady income wasn’t an option. Two and a bit years later, circumstances changed. “I unexpectedly found out that I was pregnant for the third time, which was a complete surprise. The day after, I found out that my brother had cancer. He was only 33 at the time, so it was a complete shock. I got to the point where I realised that my hours just weren’t working for us as a family… I had to take a step back.”
When her brother got the all-clear, Angharad began thinking about the future again. “I knew I wasn’t going back to physio, certainly in the short-term, so I just started looking for land. That was a really big thing; if I couldn’t find land, there was no way I could do it. Everyone wants to sell you 20 acres, which I didn’t want, and couldn’t afford. I was a wee bit stuck, but then a friend told me a man at his church had just inherited an old plant nursery with a field and polytunnel. By the end of that week, I had rented half an acre in a four-acre field, half the huge polytunnel and had running water. It was all or nothing.” This was the start of Hilltop Flowers.
Though it came together quite quickly, it was not an easy process by any stretch of the imagination. “The land was in terrible condition. I just had to take it a step at a time.” First things first, flattening the land. Next, a foot-deep, rabbit-proof fence around the perimeter. Once all of that was done, she could begin work on her “blank canvas”. Each bed – 11 metres by one metre wide – was hand-dug by Angharad and often, her husband David too. “I managed to fill half of my entire plot last year, about 30 beds,” she says proudly, a smile in her voice.
“When you’re planning what to grow, you’re looking at the whole season (the end of March to mid-October), making sure that you’ve always got five or six varieties in flower at any one time. I don’t promise people what they’ll get in their luxury bouquet, but that’s the beauty of seasonal, locally grown flowers. Someone could buy flowers from me one week, come back a fortnight later and get a completely different palette and style.” At the moment, Angharad sells luxury bouquets directly to the public and wholesale to florists.
Regarding the weather, Angharad is very diplomatic in her answer. “God gives us rain and we need rain. He gives us sun and we need sun and sometimes we need wind and that’s the best thing for us. You just have to go with it and choose the right plants.”
The polytunnel helps bring the season forward by a few weeks but sustainability is at the forefront, so it’s not heated. She doesn’t use pesticides or herbicides and all her packaging and cellophane is completely compostable too. Fertiliser has been replaced by organic seaweed brew from Galway Bay – “liquid gold” in her words – while weed suppressant fabric that can last up to 15 years is used instead of weed killer.
On the topic of pollinators, Angharad hasn’t noticed any issues. “All I know is that my field is humming every day. My field is doing great and attracting them. Last year, it was unbelievable for ladybirds, which helped get rid of the aphids. You’ll never get a perfect environment – you’ll always have slugs, you’ll always have weeds – but you just need to keep on top of it.” For her, the pollinators are a sign she’s doing something right, particularly when compared to the global flower industry which relies largely on chemicals to sustain it.
“Over 90 per cent of flowers used in floristry and sold in supermarkets here come from outside sources. The international flower industry grows things that can travel far and travel well, but that means you’re losing out on more delicate variations.” Aside from the diluted scent and obvious aesthetic issues with chemically saturated flowers, there are many worrying health concerns too. “The National Institute for Health did a study on florists and their exposure to high toxicity levels from plants and water used for flowers. They were at such high levels that they were capable of causing cancer and infertility.”
It’s all about much more than the finished product, Angharad says, but the beauty of these blooms is also an obvious appeal. “People are becoming more mindful of where their flowers come from. If everyone had that mentality of getting as much as they could locally, that would make such an impact. People come to me not just because it’s sustainable and organic, but because they know it’s the most beautiful product they can buy.”
Growing cut flowers at home
Angharad shares her tips for growing cut flowers yourself.
People often tell me they’d love to have a “cut flower patch”, but I think it’s better to focus on planting beautiful flowers and foliage in your borders, yard or balcony that you can also pick from. There is nothing more beautiful or satisfying than going outside in the early morning or evening light to enjoy your outside space and pick a jug full of flowers for your kitchen table. From spring to mid-autumn it’s possible to have a succession of flowers, fillers and foliage. Even just a few stems in a jar brightens up an entire room.
It’s tempting to focus on growing mostly show-stopping focal flowers, but adding fillers and foliage elevates and enhances any display, and anyone can do it.
Start by looking at your soil and position. A soil sample test might sound over the top for a domestic garden, but I promise you it’s worth it. You can purchase sample kits online. Once you know your soil type and whether you need to add anything, your plants will be more productive. Full sun is best, but if you have a shady garden, you will always find perfect plants to suit these conditions. Write a basic sowing and planting plan to make sure you don’t feel overwhelmed and make it achievable.
Bulbs
Spring and summer flowering bulbs are a must! They are simple to plant and look after and most will come back every year if you don’t cut the leaves and give them a feed. They also have a long vase life. Plant lots of them so that you have a wonderful display inside and out. My favourites are scented narcissus, peony, double headed tulips and alliums.
Perennials
Perennial cut flowers and foliage are those that come back every year. They require less watering than annual cut flowers and can be divided and multiplied every few years, so you are always getting more blooms for free. If you already have perennial flowers, a quick online search will let you know if they are good for the vase. Geums, astrantia and phlox work well.
Annual/Biennial Seeds
Whilst this might be the cheapest way to grow cut flowers, it is also more labour intensive. They require more planning and care, so if you’d like to grow from seed, choose just a few varieties to sow in autumn or early spring to make it achievable, such as gloriously scented sweet peas or snapdragons. Plant them in the gaps between perennials and shrubs.
Shrubs
Shrubs are wonderful for foliage and flowers. Take a look at
what you already have in your garden. The chances are you already have some small shrubs or trees which can be used, like viburnum or hydrangea. Shrubs are easy to grow but be careful not to cut them until they are well established. Once established, you can cut around
a fifth of the stems.
Conditioning
Harvest flowers early in the morning or the evening. Put them in water with a tablespoon of sugar and white wine vinegar and put them in the dark for 12-24 hours so that they are fully hydrated. This will give them the longest vase life. Some stems have specific cutting and conditioning techniques, so buy a good cut flower book or do a quick internet search to make sure you’re getting the most out of each stem.
Feeding and dead heading
This will keep your flowers coming for as long as possible. I use an Irish organic liquid seaweed tonic (by Sea Nymph) once a week, which I water onto the leaves as a foliar feed.
Varieties to grow
February Snowdrops, hellebores March Scented narcissus April Early tulips, euphorbia, ranunculus May Late tulips, lilacs, orlaya, cornflower, gypsophila, sweet rocket, geums, persicaria, perennial cornflower, Alchemilla mollis June/July Roses, nigella, cornflower, alliums, achillea, astrantia, snapdragons, sweet peas, campanula, peonies, penstemon, feverfew, daucus, artemisia, verbena bonariensis, gladiolus, cosmos, phlox August Astilbe, dahlias, grasses, sunflowers, echinops, hydrangea, agapanthus, cosmos September/October Sedum, dahlias, penstemon, rudbeckia, hesperantha
Photography: Studio Kin and Huw Rees Photography
This feature originally appeared in the spring/summer 2024 issue of IMAGE Interiors. Have you thought about becoming a subscriber? Find out more, and sign up here.
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