Within a walled garden just in-between ancient hedgerows, stone walls laden with centuries of history and an abundance of fruit and vegetables the idea of a cut-flower farm slowly started to ripen in the hands of a trained horticulturist. Her name is Rachel Siegfried and she now runs the renowned cut flower farm “Green&Gorgeous” based in the picturesque landscape of Oxfordshire, next to the river “Thames”.

Collecting the knowledge of cultivating flowers started early on as Rachel shared that her mother was teaching her names of many native wildflowers, yet her main influence was her beloved grandmother: “She was probably the biggest influence on realising my gardening dreams and love of plants as an avid gardener who tended her acre garden all day everyday. It was her life´s work which she had developed over the decades from a field of brambles. Her obsession rubbed off on me and I was at my happiest helping her and learning plant names and seasonal horticultural tasks.”

Fuelled by her keen interest in gardening and nature, she attended Pershore College where she trained as a horticulturist and garden designer. With it’s excellent reputation and teachers like Chris Beardshaw, Rachel was following her passion: “I loved all the aspects of the Garden Design course from the plant idents to looking at historical gardens with my wonderful teacher Chris Beardshaw. I am ashamed to say I was not so keen on the soil science which I used to bunk off quite often. In hindsight this would have been very useful to me now.”

Growing organic produce and cut-flowers for six years in an 18th century walled garden, as her job straight out of college, allowed Rachel to brush up on her soil science as well as falling in love with cultivating seasonal blooms even further. During her time there she started to think about building her own business continuing her deep love for growing flowers and seasonally produce blooms: “I saw a gap in the market for local, seasonal flowers. The slow food movement was well underway with lots of farmers market and box schemes offering fresh produce but no one seemed to selling flowers.”

That said and done, Rachel and her partner Ashley moved after finding the ideal fertile spot in an affluent area next to the Thames in Oxfordshire. Rachel however knew that she needed to be a florist alongside her passion for growing: “I had a small amount of experience in floristry after working part time in a shop in the States and helping out with events in London. Rather than formal training, which did not really appeal to me, I decided to take my garden designers eye to learning how to put flowers together.” She continues: “Chris Beardshaw was a big influence on my style, he was an inspiring teacher who advocated connecting the garden with the surrounding landscape and using plants in a naturalistic style. He loved green, paid a lot of attention to form and favoured harmonious colours. I would say I have translated this ethos into my floral design.”

From Rachels firstly planted seeds in 2008, “Green & Gorgeous” quickly started to become one of the leading pioneers of seasonal cut-flowers in the UK, striving for excellent blooms sold as farm-gate flowers as well as creatively arranged into abundant bouquets, centrepieces and bridal installations. With over two acres of flower fields, orchards, herb and vegetable beds Rachel and her partner later ventured into teaching floristry and floriculture respectively sharing their experience, excellent skills and knowledge based on decades of growing: “I love teaching particularly on the growing and business side. I have a very good teaching tool with the farm and love to see people gain confidence and start to grow their own flower business. Teaching helps to spread the word and hopefully reduce the carbon footprint of flowers I think it is important that people can buy local or grow their own. By sharing knowledge it is my contribution to a more sustainable future.” Rachel explains passionately.

Floral filled posts and dreamy images of Rachel cutting arms full of blooms in her fields, arranging elaborate centrepieces or tending to workshops are what many aspiring cut-flower farmers and flower enthusiasts imagine the job to be like. However most of the real work isn’t seen through the aspirational images:

“A typical day on the farm in the height of the season starts with an early start, I normally get up at
5am and go straight outside. The flower fields are right opposite the house which is a very short
commute! This is my favourite time of the day where I walk the rows and plan the day ahead. If anything needs to be photographed I take advantage of the soft morning light. If there is harvesting to do I will make a start and prep any pick lists for staff when they arrive to help me. I always favour picking early in the day rather than late and getting the blooms in the cooler and crossed off my list so I can focus on growing or floristry tasks.”
Rachel continues to share her routine: “The day´s tasks vary through the seasons. I always compare being a flower farmer to running a marathon. It starts in February/March with cutting back and mulching, whilst raising hundreds of seedlings in the greenhouses. It then ramps up with harvesting the first of our flowers in the tunnels in April and for our weddings, farm gate sales and courses. We are now in full planting mode, all the balls are in the air and a good juggling act of growing and selling must continue through till June to ensure there is enough in the ground for the latter part of the season. We have reached the half way mark and now the focus comes away from the planting and moves to maintaining, dead heading and harvesting. Of course events are in full swing so there is a good deal of floristry happening too. I think August offers a slight lull in garden activities but it picks up again in September/October as we prepare for the following Spring. By November my flowers are usually finished and so am I!”

Yet the hard labour usually pays off in the end with countless smiles brought to brides, to workshop-attendees, florists and most importantly Rachel and Ashley too, who grow with such a passion that is evident in all the hard work being put into the farm so lovingly. Rachel has also shared some brilliant advice for any flower enthusiast, eager to set out on an unforgettable growing journey:

“My advice to a a budding flower farmer would be to be brave, take the leap of faith but make sure you do lots of research and planning first so that you can hit the ground running. There are so many resources out there now from courses, books to organisations. Take advantage of them so that you get your set up right and have a market in place before starting full production. You don´t have to own your land, it is more important that you are in the right place for your market and have decent growing conditions.”

Times have changed and the well known routines habe been turned upside down. At least a little, since the growing sure does continue without any excuses. Through the global pandemic many things have changed, from not escaping the European winter’s to a foreign paradise, like Rachel and Ashley used to, to rejuvenate their energies for the upcoming growing season, to having to focus on local escapes and slowing down the often hectic pace of growing. For Rachel it has also brought upon a time of creativity as she is currently focusing on writing a brand-new book about farming with perennials and shrubs hat long has crossed her mind: “This is a hot topic at the moment for flower growers as our increasingly extreme weather has made it harder to grow many of the annuals we have relied upon for years. A flower farm with a backbone of permanent planting is a much more sustainable approach which requires less inputs, tillage and muscle power and in turn will encourage greater biodiversity starting with the soil.”

Besides that she has revealed that she is developing her own “Green&Gorgeous” seed collection based on 18 years of experience in growing and arranging flowers: ”The aim is to produce as much of the seed from our own open pollinated crops as possible. All varieties I have decided to include are tried and tested favourites chosen for their “growability” and floral design attributes.”

Even though 2021 may have looked a little bleak for the floral industry from the perspective of 2020 these news sure start a blazing fire amongst the gardening world and all its inhabitants keen to grow their own little piece of “Green&Gorgeous”or learning to grow perennials and shrubs, in both a decorative and functional manner thanks to Rachel.

It is truly a job of a passionate soul, that loves working with the ever-changing seasons, the fast paced years and the thousand abundant blooms that are the yield of love, labour and the willingness to grow new things. As Rachel and her partner continue to grow “Green & Gorgeous” in many new ways, changing with the current times, she remembers the passion of her beloved grandmother: “Sadly she died when I was a teenager, I often wonder what she would have though about me turning my own field into a life´s work.”

Follow Rachel´s passionate and earth-honouring story and to stay up to date with her range of seeds called “the cultivated palette” and the very promising upcoming book:

Either through the inspirational Instagram:
the “Green&Gorgeous” Homepage or their elaborate Youtube Channel where Rachel shares her farm throughout the seasons.

The images were shot by the talented and award winning photographer: Eva Nemeth