What will 2011 bring?

Hello All,

Before I get started, I'd like to wish everyone a Happy and healthy New Year.

Christmas has come and gone, along with the snow and things here on our windy hill in Wales are slowly getting back to normal after the festive period.  A week before Christmas we had about 8inches of snow when we woke one morning, followed by a few days where the temperatures didn't get above -6c.  Every one's pre-Christmas shopping and plans came to an abrupt halt.  Roads were treacherous and impassable, airports were closed and there was general havoc across the UK for a few days.  Us Brits aren't very good at dealing with snow - a few flakes in London and the entire country seems to come to a stop.  Not to mention how every time it snows the 'authorities' seem to have been caught off guard and where (once again) totally unprepared for the so called extreme weather. 

January is a funny month on the growing front.... Sat here enjoying a cup of tea in the warmth and out of the wind, we've had chance to ponder about what 2011 will bring both personally and for Brecon Blooms.

On the Brecon Blooms front: we've already had an order for wedding flowers for a date later on in the year - some brides are super organised and like to get things ticked off the list and booked up a long way in advance for their peace of mind.  The list of markets we will be attending come spring time is getting longer and longer.  The seeds that need sowing are just waiting for the longer days and warmer weather. 

At the moment we can't wait for spring to arrive.  Yet ask us when Spring is here and we'll all be running around like headless chickens trying to sow, pot on, plant etc everything in sight.  Not to mention it'll be lambing time too! 

We hope that our little business continues to grow and grow just as it did during 2010.  Fingers crossed! 

And on a personal front, I think we'd all just like 2011 to be a year full of happiness and good health for everyone.

A quick update on the day to day goings on:

Things here on the flower farm are fairly quiet at the moment.  Everything is ticking along nicely and we are just thinking of seasonal arrangements for Valentines Day using Narcissi, Anemones, Violets and winter foliage.  Roses are still by far the most popular flower at Valentines but we like to offer something a little bit different and something that is seasonal.  Not an imported 'hot house' rose insight!

On the farm front... the farmer has been busy thawing out water troughs for the cattle/sheep, feeding the animals, and generally pulling his hair out at all the extra work that snow and bad weather brings. 

As a certain cartoon bunny said.... "That's all (for now) folks!"

Cathy
http://www.breconblooms.com/