Gathering & Arranging
Studio Seapink x Mill Pond Flower Farm
As we approach the last of the Gather & Arrange workshops this year (‘Gather & Arrange - Autumn Vases’ is at the end of this month) I’ve been reflecting on the past two years of these seasonal, sustainable floristry workshops at Mill Pond Flower Farm and felt it would be a good time to share some words all about them - and hear some thoughts from Paula too.
The concept of the Gather & Arrange workshops was inspired by my own experiences picking at Mill Pond Flower Farm - which I have been very lucky to do on a few occasions - and of then creating with these wonderful, characterful flowers.
While in the field, picking for a bridal bouquet or such like, I would feel such an enormous sense of peace and calm. I think there is something about this sort of 'focussed wander', where you are intent on looking and choosing, but meanwhile also experiencing the sights and sounds of the field - the bird calls, the insects buzzing and fluttering, all the smells, the changing light, the water. Seasonal change brings a constant flux, there’s a feeling that no day is ever the same. Your breathing slows, your shoulders soften and you can’t help but smile at all the beauty there. It’s a working farm, one which works with nature (no chemicals are used), where all kinds of creatures co-exist and the boundaries between cultivated space and wild space blur. It’s a wonderful place.
Then, having these incredible ingredients to play with - unique flowers full of colour, shape, movement and often scent - all chosen that day because they caught my eye and my mood. They are flowers imbued with a sense of place, of that field, of that time. Their forms are inspiring, suggesting to you how they could be arranged; they are flowers that you have already seen growing, chosen yourself and began a relationship with. It’s a magical way to arrange flowers, to start like that, I think.
All of this is something I wanted others to experience too, a kind of freedom and ease to create, to take inspiration from the flowers and the field, making different kinds of seasonal arrangements, right there on the farm where they grew. Paula, Mill Pond Flower Farm’s incredible owner and grower, was open and encouraging to this idea and to us hosting groups this way, so we thought - why not?
So, since April 2023 we’ve offered a different creative focus each season, inspired by the character of the flowers at that point in the year - in Spring it has been making floral bowls, in Summer meadow filled bottles and in Autumn, vases. So as well as being (very!) enjoyable, you come away with new skills - and new vessels to re-fill at your whim.
And as hoped, it’s been a joy to offer these workshops to others and folk have really responded to them positively. We’ve had complete floristry beginners and some more experienced with flowers; folk who love to grow their own flowers and those who have never really thought about doing so; folk who have liked the idea of a different way to be creative or to experience nature; folk who have brought friends or family as a special way to spend time together; folk who wanted to gain skills for creating their own wedding flowers; and quite a few returning folk who came for a workshop in one season and returned for the another in a different season. Everyone always leave with such smiles. It’s been a huge joy to see that and to nurture that. I’m so grateful to Paula for opening the farm for us all to have had these really special flowery times - and of course to everyone who have joined us here!
Would you like to join us for the next workshop? All the details can be found by clicking the button below.
Or, simply email to enquire or book: studioseapink@gmail.com
And finally…..
Mill Pond Flower Farm’s Paula has been kind enough to provide some of her own insights to having us visit the farm for the Gather & Arrange workshops:
Q: What do you feel is special about doing a workshop like this on the farm rather than a different venue (even if it was with your flowers)?
When you do a workshop in a venue away from the farm, the flowers have already been selected, even if you have a choice of what you use. A farm-based workshop gives you the chance to choose yourself from the hundreds of plants growing here. You see how the plants grow and the forms they create. The colours are set against each other and inspire new combinations. And every time we have a workshop, someone picks something I've been overlooking!
Q: How does having folk visit for these sessions give you a different insight into your work?
Growing flowers is hard work and it's easy just to put your head down & look ahead to the next jobs to be done. Having flower lovers visit gives us the chance to see what we're doing through someone else's eyes, to appreciate it and be in the present, for a day at least. They always ask such interesting questions too.
Q: What sort of shift in the awareness and appreciation for locally grown flowers have you seen since you began growing flowers?
Thirteen years ago there was just the very beginnings of people growing flowers outside of commercial farms in the UK. People laughed at the idea of selling what grew here. Thankfully now that's completely changed and there's a much bigger market for UK grown flowers, more growers and lots of appreciative customers.
Q: Your favourite place on the farm and why?
We built a summerhouse on the pond edge last year, with windows on 3 sides. It was already a favourite spot, with views over the pond and across the flower field, but now we don't get wet if it rains!
Q: Your favourite time of year on the farm and why?
I love late May/early June when the trees are in leaf, all the beds are lush & green & there are major quantities of flowers, hundreds of lupins everywhere you look!
