Things I Miss (and Don’t Miss) About Flower Season
As much as I love flower season, now that it’s winding down, I’ve been reflecting on what I miss and what I’m glad to leave behind until next year.
What I Miss
The colours:
From soft spring pastels to rich autumn tones, every week the flower plot feels like a living painting. I loved watching the spring peach, blush pink, lavender, pale yellow, and apricot flowers gradually transition into the deeper oranges, pinks, and golden yellows of summer and autumn. Each bouquet tells a story of the season, and seeing the colours come together - in a bunch of sunflowers, dahlias, cosmos, or chrysanthemums - never fails to make me smile.
The buzz of the flower stand:
There’s something magical about chatting with customers and watching their faces light up when they pick out a favourite bloom. Busy days, like Mother’s Day in March, were exhilarating - the stand felt alive with excitement, laughter, and the scent of freshly cut flowers. Even quiet days, when someone paused to admire a single stem, reminded me how much joy flowers bring.
Last-minute orders:
Weddings, parties, or special bouquets kept me on my toes - and I loved it. There’s a thrill in arranging flowers for a unique event at the very last minute, pulling together stems from across the plot to create something beautiful that matches the occasion. It’s demanding, but seeing the delighted reaction of someone receiving a bouquet makes every frantic moment worthwhile.
Fresh-cut scents:
Walking through rows of blooms early in the morning is a sensory delight. There’s the sweet, heady fragrance of sweet peas - surely everyone’s favourite scented flower - and the delicate, soft scent of peonies that makes arranging them feel like a little indulgence. Dahlias are another favourite: while the flowers themselves don’t have a strong scent, the fresh, green aroma released when cutting the stems is wonderfully uplifting - a bit like cut grass, fresh and pleasing. Even after long hours on the plot, those moments of walking among blooms and breathing in their scents are truly magical.
What I Don’t Miss
The exhaustion:
Long days on the plot, late evenings doing seed sowing, transplanting, and all the admin after the children were in bed - it’s intense! Balancing family life with flower season meant that some nights ended very late, and I was often running on pure adrenaline. As much as I love what I do, it’s nice to finally catch my breath now that the season is over.
Mud, mud, mud:
Clay soil is lovely for flowers, but it is always messy. When it rains, it turns into squelchy mud that sticks to boots and trousers. When there’s not enough rain, the soil becomes dusty - or almost concrete-like if I need to plant something in an area I forgot to mulch! And then there’s the grime on my hands. It’s not just mud that can be washed off - it gets ingrained into my fingerprints, and the green stain between my thumb and forefinger from stripping leaves off cut stems can feel almost permanent. I adore my plot, but I won’t miss the constant battle with mud and soil, no matter the season.
Endless watering and maintenance:
Keeping 34 beds looking their best is never-ending work. Watering during heatwaves, removing weeds, supporting tall stems, and monitoring pests keeps me busy from dawn till dusk. It’s satisfying to see the flowers flourish, but it’s definitely hard work, especially when every plant is competing for attention. Thanks to your support this year, I might just have saved enough to invest in a little irrigation system, which will really help me out next year and make the watering a bit less frantic.
Even with the challenges, flower season is worth every moment. The highs - the colours, scents, smiles, and creativity - far outweigh the lows, and they leave me excited to start all over again next spring.
And the best part? You can get ready for next year! I’m now offering 2026 flower subscriptions, available to reserve now for seasonal British blooms starting in April, and for the first time, I also offer flower delivery for local orders.