Pippa's Flower Patch

Pippa's Flower Patch Seasonal British flowers grown pesticide-free in Oxfordshire 🌿 Bouquets, posies, dried flowers, subscriptions & wedding flowers. Based in Cumnor, Oxfordshire
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Eco-conscious, wildlife-friendly & sustainably grown. RHS grower & Flowers from the Farm member.

29/07/2026

There's something quietly luxurious about growing your own lace flower which is called Orlaya grandiflora.

It self-seeds with real generosity, but saving your own gives you control over where next year's flowers appear. At around 10p a seed to buy in, a full bed's worth soon adds up.

The trick is to harvest them before they turn black.

Wait until the seed heads have faded to a soft parchment brown papery, not black.

Snip whole heads into a paper bag; plastic traps moisture and spoils the seed.

Let them rest somewhere dry and airy for a week or two, then gently roll between your fingers to release the seed from its casing.

Sieve away the chaff, then store in a labelled envelope somewhere cool and dark.

Today I did something I never do, I picked flowers for myself. I don't grow for me. I grow for other people's weddings,...
22/07/2026

Today I did something I never do, I picked flowers for myself. I don't grow for me. I grow for other people's weddings, their kitchen tables, their someone needs cheering up moments. I don't think I've ever stood in the garden and cut something just because I wanted to look at it.

This year has been a brutal one to grow in. Heatwave after heatwave, barely any rain, and if I'm honest, they've been days I've wondered why I bother growing flowers.

So I gave myself a talking to. Went out, cut whatever caught my eye which were the gorgeous David Austin Olivia roses, the last of the sweet peas, mint that's gone to flower, jasmine, lavender, cosmos and put it all in a container. No brief, no client, no occasion.

And it reminded me exactly why I do this. That feeling when someone's handed a bunch of flowers and their whole face changes and I'd forgotten I could give that to myself too.

July's Joy. Sometimes you have to grow it for yourself first to remind yourself why you do it.




It could be a bumper year for butterflies and this weekend marks the beginning of the Big Butterfly Count for in the UK...
18/07/2026

It could be a bumper year for butterflies and this weekend marks the beginning of the Big Butterfly Count for in the UK. All it takes is 15 minutes in a sunny spot: download their free app or count sheet and see who visits you. Have you spotted any in your garden? Post your sightings in the comments.

say this year's warm, dry spring has been one of the best on record for breeding, small coppers and holly blues are already out in force, and peacock, red admiral and brimstone have had a strong start. There's even talk of a possible "painted lady summer." But a good spring doesn't guarantee a good summer and that's exactly what the count is there to find out.

These are some of the butterflies who've visited my cutting garden and it means so much to see it full of life because it's for this reason that keeping the garden chemical-free matters so much to me. Every flower here is doing a job beyond looking pretty and keeping the butterflies happy.

Pippa 😊🦋🌸

Some carousels are easier to make than others and this one's basically my whole flower story in 8 slides. From jam jars ...
06/07/2026

Some carousels are easier to make than others and this one's basically my whole flower story in 8 slides.

From jam jars left outside during lockdown to a proper working flower patch, grown pesticide-free and peat-free right here in the village of Cumnor, just outside Oxford and I still can't quite believe this is my job.

Forever grateful to and for the training that got me here, and to for the community that keeps me going (and occasionally talks me out of buying more bulbs) and to who initially planted the seed that it was actually possible.

Fancy grown-not-flown flowers for your big day, or want help starting your own patch? Come and say hello 🤗

Possibly the last bunch of beautiful sweet peas cut before the heatwave. But in a couple of months time I'll be sowing ...
05/07/2026

Possibly the last bunch of beautiful sweet peas cut before the heatwave. But in a couple of months time I'll be sowing more seeds from to enjoy again next year. I think Charlie's Angel is one of my favourites, what's yours?

Sweet Pea Sunday | Grown not Flown | British Flowers | Cut Flowers | Oxford

Hello July - June was a busy month with a couple of weddings, the regular subscriptions and a one-to-one session for a c...
03/07/2026

Hello July - June was a busy month with a couple of weddings, the regular subscriptions and a one-to-one session for a client which was fun.

I wonder what July has in store. The flowers from the cutting patch are looking fresh and beautiful at the moment but I do wonder what the weather brings for my flowers. The looming heatwave and lack of water is really testing who's a survivor in this heat.

How's your garden coping with this weather?

Pippa x

June - it was a hot one.The ox-eye daisies loved it but soon went to seed. They've all been cut back and am hoping for ...
30/06/2026

June - it was a hot one.

The ox-eye daisies loved it but soon went to seed. They've all been cut back and am hoping for a second flowering late summer.

Little jam jars of joy

After surviving the slugs the sunflowers made an early appearance.

The sweet peas are here and smell amazing just hope they stick around long enough. I'm continually cutting and feeding so they last as long as possible

The poppies were fleeting but the bees loved them. The seed heads are harvested ready for wreath making and seeds collected for sowing in the autumn.

More lavaterra than I can pick

Lots of bouquets for celebrations and the kitchen table for local delivery.

Some of the roses were happy, some weren't

But at least I get to play with making some confetti for wedding season

The dahlias received the message and it's the earliest I've known them to flower. At least I'll be keeping the bees happy with the first dahlia called Bumble Rumble or is it Rumble Bumble either way I love it 🌸

So that was a record breaking June in more ways than one - I hope you all had a good one and fingers crossed for a cooler July x

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Cumnor
Oxford
OX29PU

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