Interview with Sarah from Middle Creek Flowers

Often what starts as a hobby or passion ends up taking a turn and becoming something way more than that! Sarah Alexander well and truly has her hands full already with 5 little people to keep her on her toes but she is an absolute goer and decided to bite the bullet last year and take her gardening adventures to a new level.

She extended her cutting garden substantially and started a flower farm where she hopes to offer specialty cut flowers for sale and might I say her taste is exquisite when it comes to colours and varieties! I have a feeling her skills at arranging will no doubt lead into wedding design as well, but as she says in the interview she is more than happy to let the growth happen organically (no pun intended).

When I sent her through a bunch of random questions she responded thoughtfully and with much consideration. I can not wait for you to hear her story and fall in love with the beauty she grows… all from packets of seeds!

An added bonus for us is that she lives less than 10ks from the church! So if local and seasonal are things you are conscious of then Sarah has you sorted.

What inspired you to go from growing for yourself to making this a business?

Sarah : My undeniable seed buying addiction? Also, simply, I stopped asking myself “what do I want to do? (Job wise.)” And instead thought about what do I love doing. All of my spare time, in between raising five children, is spent in the garden. Obviously the children are my main priority, and this is hopefully something I can do whilst also being a good mother. I have a farming and artistic background, so flower farming and flower arranging is a perfect fit! Being connected to nature and having a creative outlet is extremely important to me. 

How big is your growing space? 

Sarah : A little over a 1/4 acre. I haven’t filled it yet though, I’m preparing beds as I need them. I think it’ll be plenty for me, to do on my own. 

Sarah’s garden with all the babies planted out and ready to grow

How many types of flowers do you grow? Are you able to give me a bit of a list of what you're hoping to have available this year?

Sarah : It’s an ever growing list! I’m growing the types of flowers that have grown well in my garden previously. Concentrating on the cottage garden type plants that I enjoy using and seeing in bunches. 

David Austin Roses and some Hybrid Tea’s and Floribundas, larkspur, scabiosa, ranunculus, anemone, freesia, strawflower, snapdragons, feverfew, yarrow, chocolate lace, Queen Anne’s Lace, sweet peas, poppies, delphinium….  these are all things I have already started for spring. 

And then I’ll have Dahlias and Zinnia’s again in summer. 

Are you able to give me an idea of the time frame involved with taking a plant from seed to flower? I know they vary but just a rough idea so people understand it isn't short process.

Sarah : It’s hard for me to know exactly, as this is really a new thing for me. However, I have planted and started seeds already, that I don’t expect to see any flowers from, until Spring. Also, I have started Foxgloves that are biannual, in which case should flower in their second year! I am sure that they will be well worth the wait. I actually can’t wait. 

Seedlings ready to plant out

The beds are full with seedlings tucked in. Now months of tending to them before they start producing flowers

What have been the biggest challenges you faced over the last growing season? Weather/bugs/time....

Sarah : All of the above! Seriously, I feel like a bit of a whiner, but since you’ve asked! The brand new roses that I planted last year, did not like the wet season at all, and as a result I lost quite a few. I will replant some different varieties this year, and we’ve put a drain in at the top of the patch, so hopefully that will help. 

We have bulk slugs and snails, and I can’t seem to train the ducks to stick around long enough to eat them all. 

Also, the mice are nuts at the moment and are currently enjoying digging up all of my seeds in the greenhouse. I also suspect that they’ve eaten most of the Ranunculus corms that I sowed a few weeks ago. Im going to get some pet owls. Not really. Maybe I could train my three year old to eat them? 

It’s very windy here too, I’ve planted hedges and shrubs for a break, and hopefully they will provide a home for some helpful birds too. 

Favourite flower/foliage in each season? If this is too hard I totally get it!

Sarah : Goodness. Feverfew is a definite favourite, they’re so cheerful and just seem to lift everything up. Pure happiness in a tiny little flower. 

Cosmos. For the same reason, they’re so simply beautiful. 

Roses, for their old world fragrance and the way they drop their petals softly on the table, as they age within an arrangement.

And I’m sure the Sweet Peas will win me over in spring. I’m very excited about those. 

 You grow lots of special things you don't see elsewhere (like chocolate cosmos-so good!) Do you have any other weird and wonderful things in the garden? 

Sarah : I’m hoping to have some Nigella Transformer and Mexican Hat Flower, though I’m finding them a little tricky to germinate. I will work it out! 

Favourite colour palette/s? 

Sarah : I would say I lean towards the more muted, dusty tones. However, that’s not really true. I love an autumnal palette. I love all colours. Eek this is too hard. I love rich earthy tones. I also love soft natural tones. I haven’t answered this question at all....

What I do know is that when I’m ordering seed, I’m drawn to dark burgundy, pinks (not hot,) peach and whites. Yes, so an autumnal pallet. But that’s probably going to change when it’s no longer Autumn. 

I love the addition of fruiting branches, trailing vines, grasses and other textural elements in your work. How would you describe your style?

Sarah : Oh yes, I do love a furry quince and a twisty vine. I’m not sure how to describe my style, other than it mirrors the beautiful wild tangled mess that is my life. Ever changing with the seasons. 

Do you rather bouquets or vase arrangements?

Sarah : I get more creative satisfaction from making a vase arrangement. However, I love the personal connection that comes with making a bouquet that is specially for someone. 

What are you hoping to grow more of this season?

Sarah : I’m hoping to be able to grow more of everything. The goal, this year, is to get my succession planting nailed, so that I can have a consistent amount of flowers from spring until winter. It sounds simple, but it’s important to get right! 

Where do you hope to take your business? Wholesale, weddings or just wait and go with what works in with your program? (Please say weddings so I can try and get you to do things at the church!)

Sarah : I’m taking things slowly, I don’t want to bite off more than I can chew. I have sold to florists, and hope to continue to do that. I am planning to have a little farm gate stall this spring, which will also provide a place to pick up orders if people wish to place one. Weddings are definitely a long term goal! And I’d be lying if I said I haven’t been dreaming about filling your little church up with flowers, every time I have passed by to collect the kids from school! I have loved watching you bring it back to life, and not so secretly hope I’ll be able to get my morning coffee in there one day. Or, enjoy a long lunch or dinner?! I can’t wait to see what’s to come. 

What would you like people to know about field grown seasonal flowers? And what makes them so special? 

Sarah : To me, a field grown flower provides a subtle reminder and a connectedness to the seasons. Field grown flowers are unique to their locality and essentially grow depending on the environment and what nature provides. We can of course, try to manipulate this to a certain degree, but we cannot control everything. The beauty of a field grown flower, lies in their imperfections and impermanence. 

Field grown flowers are the homemade cake, compared to the supermarket variety.  I mean, the supermarket cake can be ok. I’ll eat it. But a homemade cake is just so much fresher, more delicious, there’s variety and it’s undeniably better. It just is. Because an actual person made it.  Given the option, I will choose the homemade cake every time. 

Do you have a favourite 'type'? The dancing floaty types, the quirky ones, the big perfect ones? 

Sarah : A delicate stem with a bouncy bloom is hard to beat, a flower that can create movement within a bunch or arrangement. I love the nostalgia associated with simple little Pansies and Forget Me Nots too. Also, I love the sculptural beauty that you can find in a Poppy seed pod. Even still, when it has decayed down to its bare skeletal form. 

 Anything new you are trying and looking forward to seeing how it goes?

Sarah : I’ve planted some Echinops and Eryngium this year, and I’m hoping they go well. Fingers crossed it’s not too wet. 

You're a local to Buangor, any favourite places to visit/shop/good wineries in the surrounding area?

Sarah : I have many children, so it’s safe to say that I don’t get out as much as I would like. We like to walk around the Beaufort lake. The Beaufort Market is also worth a look, as is the Pyrenees Farm Gate Trail. 

We are so lucky to have Mt Cole on our doorstep. It’s a fantastic place to explore, and we often head up there for a quiet BBQ sausage and a toasted marshmallow. I have fond memories of my childhood spent up there, and hopefully my children will have that too. 

See what I mean? Isn’t she just the loveliest! I hope you found Sarah’s story inspiring and if you are interested in watching her business grow and want to keep up with the changes at Middle Creek Flowers you can follow Sarah here.