Beautiful July & the many blood-thirsty horseflies!

July has been quite the month, throwing one curveball after the other, and again, I have had moments sat questioning if I can make things work!

The excessive dry weather brought with it a whole host of pesky pests including Wasps which is always fun. It also brought the most persistent horseflies I have ever encountered, and I spent many days running as fast as my legs would carry me away from the vampires and fighting them off with my kneeling pad. Many an hour has also been spent reading up how to avoid their bites! I can laugh at this now as we enter August, and they seem to have, fingers crossed, settled slightly, but I'll be on high alert through August I'm sure! I am now; however, the owner of a lot of striped and zebra patterned clothing (look this one up if you're interested) and I look very snazzy indeed whilst cutting flowers :D

Tears have been shed a' plenty navigating this month (and only a few of these occasions were horsefly related!), but the glimmers throughout have been warm and encouraging, and it is in these moments I have felt nothing but excitement for what can be achieved this season, let alone the next!

As a result of the weather and the consequential higher pest pressure (...& horseflies, did I mention them?), I have needed to invest quite a lot in extra biological controls to help support the local beneficial insects which handle pest control brilliantly for me.

It has been a full-time occupation caring for the flowers alone this month, including feeding them lots of molasses and seaweed (again, an interesting topic I might do a separate post on), and the flowers are looking amazing, even if I, myself may not be!

In the time I did have between feeding and caring for the flowers, I have managed to squeeze in plenty of floristry and lots of gorgeousness has been created, and I have enjoyed working on some larger installation work (more of this to come in August!)

I have learnt so much that I think I could write a book's worth on how to overcome the many hurdles if/ when they do appear, and maybe better yet, how to avoid them in the first place :D

I am looking forward to a flower filled Autumn/ Winter and have started sowing seeds for 2026. I am cutting lots and lots of gorgeous stems at the moment, some of which are being dried ready for Festive wreaths and Winter workshops!

I leave July excited for the events I have planned for Autumn and beyond, and can't wait to hopefully see you at some of them too :)

I feel like this blog post is more pages from a diary, but I always try to give you an honest snippet into the day-to-day happenings; the highs and the lows, and I hope you appreciate the insights (maybe less about horseflies going forward; though I can't make any promises!)

Wishing you a wonderful weekend wherever you are...In a world that is heavy, look for the light always,

Peace and Love,

Meg.