The beginning 2020
"Driving home from college every day I would pass Pratis barns and dream of having a peice of land to grow flowers.... The pandemic arrived our lives changed forever. I contacted Pratis about my idea and while finishing my course in Horticulture I started the journey of setting up a flower farm! The land was arable, used as a golf range, shooting range then stables. A fence was erected to provide boundaries and keep wildlife out, we covered the ground with weed control fabric to kill the weeds. We didnt factor the winds at all,which has and continues to cause problems but we continue to combat this. "
Arable land at Pratis barns
The spectacular view from Pratis Barns
Looking across to Elie point and the Firth of Forth
With a view like this who wouldn't want to work here.
"The first few months was a bit of an adventure, making beds to plant seedlings and sweeping out the very empty workshop, I had a lot of time on my hands as very little flowers in the summer of 2020. I did successfully sow and cut Calendula, Cornflower, Corn Marigold, Cosmos and a few other delights. 2020 turned out to be a very wet summer and I soon had flooded beds and a very heavy clay soil. We dug a trench and popped one drain in!! This took all summer!
after that it was clear to help improve the soil a no dig method would be used or raised beds.
To be Cont......
Progress Continues
As summer of 2020 dried up a bit and the temperature was in the high 20's the raised beds were made and placed for the section to be used for all things bulbs and some biennials along with some herb's. The use od raised beds will help prevent the bulbs rotting from the soggy clay soil and help prevent slugs, snails and small rodents or so I thought!
The bulbs were planted and progress was being made, we waited until the beginning of November and by the end of Nov the Bulbs were gone! A valuable lesson, rodents like Tulip bulbs so cover with Rodent wire net!
To be Cont ........................
Reviews
Its nice to get reviews from customers
The planting Continues
Many locally grown flowers are planted every year
Flower farming is labour intensive and very dependant on good weather! by planting perennials, they tend to be hardy and come back year after year and produce an abundance of blooms. I am continuing to expand my perennial section annd also divide some plants to produce more flowers. There is such a variety already including Achillea, Alchemilla mollis,Leucanthemum,Echinaceae ,Asters and much more
Jump forward to 2021
The progress continues.....
The Spring/bulb section of the field is producing some lovely flowers-Tulips, Daffodils, Allium and Iris.
we also started the final section in the field with some Roses and shrubs that can ne used for foliage or wedding work.
We had our first weddings in 2021 including some bridal parties making their own bouquets in the workshop.
Festive wreaths in December were also in demand for door and for the cemetery.
The weather as always is a constant problem when trying to nurture flowers...Too wet, No rain, High winds,Late frosts!!
More Reviews
So grateful for many kind words from such lovely brides, grooms and their families
2022
The field is pretty established now and from April -Oct there is an abundance of flowers to be cut, conditioned and used for orders for customers, subscription flowers. wedding flowers for brides and also for local florists and for fellow flower farmers too.
There are a few flower farms in Fife and we all try to collaborate with each other as our goal is to encourage the use of local flowers and reduce the carbon footprint.
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