Jan
7

The New Flower Field.

36 Comments

I have moved to Cornwall…and have take Higgledy Garden with me….

A temporary flower field has been found. I need something to keep me in business whilst I find myself a wholesome few acres for the permanent ‘Kingdom of The Higgledy Garden’. It has not been easy…I have been in Cambridge and it was too far to keep nipping down to Cornwall to look for a rentable patch of land.

The result is…of course…less than satisfactory. It is 400 sq metres of scrub/moorland/cow field…it is at an altitude that requires one to duck to avoid passing satellites…the average wind speed is such that Americans take great delight in giving it female names and the soil is so acid that it melts your wellies…the rabbits however seem to thrive off the combination of these conditions and have evolved to driving around the field in golf carts…wearing backward facing baseball caps and smoking Benson & Hedges.

Whilst up there this morning I was on the verge of disregarding the site entirely and moving on to find something else…when I realised this was an opportunity. The wonderful readers of the Higgledy Garden website can’t just up sticks and move off from their own patches just because the growing conditions aren’t ideal…so why should I? If I can turn this acid bog, wind tunnel, rabbit breeding ground, mountain top into a half decent flower field by June then I would have proved my mettle…if I can’t…then I shall look like a right banana in front of 200,000 website readers and 10,000 twitter chums…in which case I will hang up my trowel and go back to being high class gigolo  in Paris.

So not only shall I be offering you lovely lot the benefit of my wisdom in the flower growing arena from now and until well into the summer but also updates on my own Cornish adventure in setting up business and settling down in Cornwall to ‘grow flowers…save the world…and impress girls’.

Kindest regards

Benjamin Higgeldy

Posted in Blog
36 Comments Posted by Ben

36 Responses to "The New Flower Field."

  • Jo says:
    January 9, 2013 at 11:12 pm
    Reply

    Hi Ben
    I moved from Brighton to Cornwall 6 months ago! Love it as I am sure you will. We have 25 acres, so have our work cut out too. Now what i want to know is how to turn a field of grass into a meadow of flowers? Can you broadcast flower seeds into grass or would one have to remove grass first? Would be a pretty big job to do that (not suggesting i want to remove 25 acres of grass) but more meadows of flowers would be lovely.
    Look forward to hearing your advice…Jo

    • Ben says:
      January 10, 2013 at 9:11 am
      Reply

      traditional ‘wild flower meadows’ are really really hard to achieve…ie growing with grass…I wouldn’t undertake one unless the conditions were perfect. Why not make a small one…but yes…I would remove some turf and sow every year…you can try different annuals/colours etc every year. Where is Cornwall are you?

    • Ben says:
      January 10, 2013 at 9:12 am
      Reply

      PS Are you still running yoga classes? (took a peek at ur site)

      • Jo says:
        January 10, 2013 at 1:24 pm
        Reply

        Yes thought as much…those glorious pictures one sees in catalogs proclaiming how one can have ones own flower meadow look stunning, but to get that at home would be challenging I am sure.
        We do have beautiful wildflowers in the bottom meadow, vetches, scabious, meadow cranesbill, greater knapweed, musk mallow & more. During August it was the most beautiful sight with the buzz of bees & butterflies.
        We are in Calstock, in the Tamar Valley right on the West Devon border. How about you?

        And as to the Yoga, yes I am just getting started again after a 6 month break. Planning a workshop around Easter. Eventually I want to set up a retreat space here.
        Planning to grow all our own vege with a beautiful cutting garden too. There is a history of market gardening all around the Tamar Valley.

        • Ben says:
          January 10, 2013 at 3:35 pm
          Reply

          Best of Luck with that…2013 is going to be wonderful…the berries have told me. ;) I’m in deepest Cornwall…Lanner.

          • Jo says:
            January 10, 2013 at 5:06 pm

            Deep indeed…Enjoy! And Good Luck. Meant to say found you because I received seeds from you for Christmas…I am sure I will return for more.

  • GillyMc says:
    January 9, 2013 at 2:12 pm
    Reply

    Hey Mr HG, what a fantabulous adventure :o ) I’m going full on into my fleur growing this year with you as my guide! Last year’s cerinthe major are STILL flowering (yes I know I should ahve pulled them up but they’re sooo pretty!). Good luck, keep us posted on Twitter and the blog.xxx

    • Ben says:
      January 10, 2013 at 9:14 am
      Reply

      No…I would never say pull them up…they will self seed…and also provide a habitat for insects and groovy lifeforms. ;) It’s going to be a fab season…can’t wait to get started….roll on spring.

  • Salisburygirl says:
    January 8, 2013 at 9:49 pm
    Reply

    Hi Ben, just wanted to wish you luck in your new home. I had some seeds from you last year which grew into some wonderful cut flowers in spite of the weather and i’ve now got the bug (sorry meant to send you some pics). Will be ordering again this year just dithering about which ones i want to have a go at!

    • Ben says:
      January 9, 2013 at 8:19 am
      Reply

      oh brilliant…great stuff…I love it that so many customers from last year are coming back. :) Let me know what shipping name you order under and I shall include a little New Year bonus. ;)

  • mark says:
    January 8, 2013 at 2:46 pm
    Reply

    Wow mr, good luck, thought I was crazy attempting to build a” flower maze” on 1 k sq m. Of overgrown cheshire bog ……..rexkon we both got our work cut !! X out

    • Ben says:
      January 8, 2013 at 3:04 pm
      Reply

      ha! You more than me it seems….are you going ahead with the maze? Sounds awesome…would love to come up and have a look.

  • Wendy says:
    January 8, 2013 at 10:38 am
    Reply

    Looks great and so much potential! Look forward to reading about it and seeing the pics.

    • Ben says:
      January 8, 2013 at 1:25 pm
      Reply

      Thank you you Wendy…I’m looking forward to writing up the ups n downs….can’t wait to get started when the land dries off a little.

  • Lisa says:
    January 8, 2013 at 10:16 am
    Reply

    Good luck Higgledy Ben, I have every confidence in you! At least you shouldn’t be flooded out if we have another Monsoon summer, all too likely these days one fears. Lx

  • David Perry says:
    January 8, 2013 at 3:53 am
    Reply

    Please accept my great gratitude for the humor and the reminder that its never too late to go back to one’s high class gigolo life in another country. You’ll always have Paris…

  • Terri says:
    January 8, 2013 at 1:42 am
    Reply

    Hi Ben,

    Good luck with your field. I’m confident that you will grow flowers, you’ll probably save the world and you’ve definitely impressed this girl. Your Higglets await the transformation with baited breath! “He who plants a seed, plants hope.” We’re all hoping! x

    • Ben says:
      January 8, 2013 at 9:24 am
      Reply

      Thanks Terii-Higglet. : xx tee hee…I like the idea of ‘Higglets’ I’ll huff and I’ll puff and I’ll blow your flowers down….

  • Sarah says:
    January 7, 2013 at 10:19 pm
    Reply

    Good luck with your field! You know what, most children love to dig – could you organise a field trip (literally) from the local school and hand out spades at the gate?

  • Jon Knight says:
    January 7, 2013 at 8:58 pm
    Reply

    Top tip Ben: in the very unlikely event that the flower borders on Mount Cornwall don’t go to plan, you could always photoshop images from last year’s Cambridge flower beds onto this picture. :-)

    Actually we all have the utmost confidence in your abilities – an acidic, windswept hill sound like easy-peasy work for a chap like you!

    • Ben says:
      January 7, 2013 at 9:06 pm
      Reply

      ha! Thx Jon…yes….I was keeping my photoshop skills under my hat. Thank you for your kind words…hope your own season in 2013 goes swimmingly well.

  • sarah humby says:
    January 7, 2013 at 8:35 pm
    Reply

    love cornwall, i grew up there. that looks preeety elevated. On the plus though, you will have longer daylight hours. what will you use to protect your flowers from the wind? Good Luck!

  • Jenni says:
    January 7, 2013 at 8:21 pm
    Reply

    Hi Ben, thanks for following on twitter, and for the opportunity to be inspired by your website and work! Last season I gave up one of my 13x4ft allotment beds to fruit and flowers. I have never had much luck in growing flowers, but was rewarded with sweatPeas for the first time ever (I know, easy peasy…) alongside some other successes. I shall try for even more victories this season and will be musing over your collection….good luck in Cornwall. Jenni

    • Ben says:
      January 7, 2013 at 9:03 pm
      Reply

      thx Jenni…annual flowers are easy…just don’t sow too early…i start some off undercover at the beginning of April…and nothing outside until mid april…no pint if the soil isn’t warm enough imo. Thx for posting.

  • Laila says:
    January 7, 2013 at 8:16 pm
    Reply

    Now that is what I call an adventure! Good Luck Mr. Higgledy, can’t wait to read all about it!

  • pete says:
    January 7, 2013 at 8:11 pm
    Reply

    catch the rabbits eat them and sell them

  • Tabitha says:
    January 7, 2013 at 8:09 pm
    Reply

    Good luck will be following with interest! I’m redesigning my garden after getting rid of some overgrown firs. That seems a challenge but feel better now I’ve seen your task! Keep us up to date on Twitter.

    • Ben says:
      January 7, 2013 at 8:14 pm
      Reply

      aw…thanks Tabitha…I will do my best…must let it dry out first…Cornwall is still saturated after the floods.

  • Georgia says:
    January 7, 2013 at 8:06 pm
    Reply

    You will do brilliantly and inspire us all to keep going! Good luck drink lots of tea (and wine) and keep tweeting x

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