Local Blooms | Stonehill Herbs and Flowers

How did you first come to work with flowers, and when did you launch Stonehill Herbs & Flowers?

“I have always been interested in growing plants. My nan was a keen gardener who loved propagating fuchsias and pelargoniums (the smell of them still reminds me of her). All throughout my student days, if I had a garden I would plant things and tend to them, and if I didn’t I would grow plants on my windowsill. I grew the flowers for my wedding on my allotment plot and just kept growing flowers for cutting after that.”

What do you love about Swallowcliffe, and how does the Wiltshire landscape influence what you grow?

“I love that even though we are just off the A30, we are still in deep countryside. Swallowcliffe not only has Swallows but we have a healthy population of Swifts and House Martins, and it is always a great day when they arrive back here in spring.

We live at the foot of the chalk downs, which is such a special and sadly now rare habitat. I love walking up on the downs – there is so much wonderful wildlife, including loads of butterflies, tiny rare early gentian (if you can find them), orchids, cowslips, lots of bird species, lizards and bumblebees in profusion. The view from the top is also stunning!

I try to echo what loves to grow on the down as much as I can: cornflowers, Daucus and other umbellifers, Mediterranean herbs which love the light soil. I don’t think there is any point fighting to grow things that don’t suit this soil, and while there are things that I can get away with (roses in particular), I try to keep things simple by growing things that thrive.”

What do you grow at Stonehill? Tell us about some of your favourite flowers, herbs or more unusual varieties.

“I like to grow lots of different things and have something throughout the whole growing season.

I love the early daffodils right through to chrysanthemums in October. Dahlias, Zinnias and Ranunculus are probably the stalwarts of the season, but I love to have small amounts of lots of things to add in to bunches and arrangements to make things interesting – much like an artist’s palette.

I like to add herbs into my bunches as they add fragrance that is a bit different. The rose geraniums and Basil flowers at the moment are a firm favourite. I do love a challenge and have not yet mastered growing Eustoma, so that is one for the future.”

What does a year on the flower farm look like? When does the season begin, what are the busiest periods, and which part of the year do you love most?

January often feels like the start of the season when I look through the flower catalogue and do my ordering for the bulk of the spring sowing, but sowing for the coming year actually starts the previous July with biennials, bed prep, weeding, mulching and clearing.

August and September are when I sow my first hardy annuals and plant out the biennials, with more weeding, bed prep and tidying up. October sees the arrival of all the spring bulbs and Ranunculus, so there is a lot of planting then, and putting things to bed for the winter.

I think I am definitely a Spring/Autumn person. I like the cooler working conditions, and there is always lots to do on the plot – digging, weeding, planting out and sowing. I have lots of favourite parts about growing: seeing people happy when they get flowers, watching bees and butterflies on the flowers, and seeing things flowering that I have nurtured from tiny seeds.

The busiest time of the year is probably the summer, as there is lots going on off the plot so I have to fit things around the family, and I have to work around the heat in the daytime. I will often be cutting flowers well into the evening, which in midsummer can be as late as 9.30 to 10pm.”

What was the incredibly hot Summer of ’26 like at Stonehill? How did it impact your flowers and herbs, and will you make any changes to growing next year in anticipation of another hot, dry summer?

“This summer the heatwaves have been pretty scary, if I’m honest. My plot is on a sheep farm and I work part time on a local organic veg farm, so seeing farmers of all types struggling is a big cause for concern, not least because they are producing our food for the year ahead.

I spent most of the summer focussing on watering things in the polytunnel and the Dahlias, but left most other things to fend for themselves. Some things struggled in the heat, but there were lots of pleasant surprises – self-seeded Nicotiana was very happy, as were the Roses, which have deep enough roots to get to water and stay cool.

Some crops unfortunately flowered and went over way more quickly than usual, but I have plans to grow more drought-tolerant plants for the coming year. I will be mulching more and trying to keep the soil covered as much as possible. I am even thinking of putting in some shade plants, and this winter I will put a small pond in to keep the wildlife hydrated and cool.”

Can you tell us about some of the other businesses you supply? Do you deliver flowers to pubs and restaurants?

“I supply a few lovely local pubs, restaurants and shops with seasonal flowers, and sometimes herbs for their kitchens too. It’s really nice to see the flowers being enjoyed in different settings, whether that’s on a restaurant table, at a wedding or simply in a local shop for someone to take home.

I also collaborate with other flower farmers in the area, which I really enjoy. We’re a small but wonderfully supportive flowery community, and it’s lovely to be able to share flowers, ideas and knowledge with one another.”

And finally, are there any particular landmarks, stately homes or gardens in Wiltshire that you love visiting, for their flower displays?

“The displays of flowers on the downs en masse throughout the season are beautiful – cowslips and orchids in spring, knapweeds, harebells and grasses in summer.

We are also lucky enough to have lots of Bluebell woods locally, and they really are such an amazing sight. I also love drifts of wild garlic – the smell is fantastic, wafting up as you walk through it.

I do love a good plant nursery. Special Plants on the outskirts of Bath is a good one, and Glenholme Herbs has a wonderful pollinator-rich garden.”