If the start of September means socks, soups & slippers to you, then you’ll be very pleased to hear our rosehips are BACK!
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These are the perfect decoration to bring into your home to mark the change in season. They are thornless and can be used out of water as they slowly dry, so last for ages.
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A few of our favourite ways to enjoy them are in a vase, dotted along a mantlepiece, popped into seasonal wreaths, hung from beams or laid on shelves.
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The first bunches have hit @loddingtonfarmshop so pop along to grab some!
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We are gently celebrating the change of season with some beautiful harvest inspired cards from @orwellpress and leaf garlands from @eastendpress at @loddingtonfarmshop
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#autumndeco #bloominggreen #loose #linton #boughtonmonchelsea ...

Last night we hosted a screening of the People’s Emergency Briefing in our flower shed. I felt so nervous the evening before, thinking ‘what on earth have I got myself into!?’ It felt like I had bitten off more than I could chew. I think I was most nervous, because last night felt so important. It was something I felt I simply couldn’t not do.

The People’s Emergency Briefing is a 50-minute public information film and UK-wide campaign that details the urgent threats of the climate and nature crisis. Adapted from a major 2025 Westminster presentation by leading scientists and experts, the film is intended for screening in local communities, workplaces, and places of worship to foster civic engagement and encourage dialogue with Members of Parliament. Last night it was shown in the Blooming Green shed — and I am so pleased we did it.

As soon as I put our screening on the NEB (National Emergency Briefing) map, we got a steady flow of bookings (via Eventbrite). It was a free event but we needed to keep a handle on numbers. I also messaged my family and a few friends on Whatsapp and we ended up with a full shed and a fantastic mix of people; different ages, genders, nationalities and professions. The film is intended for those over 16 years old.

As ‘facilitator’ I was advised to warn the audience that the film was likely to provoke strong emotions. Facilitators were also advised that we should be prepared to handle extreme responses.

After the film, we took a moment to digest what we had watched then a few minutes to stretch our legs before returning to the shed for an informal discussion.

The aim of the film is to encourage positive action — and a grassroots movement. Primarily by:
1) Spreading the word amongst friends and suggesting they go to a screening
2) Writing to your local MP
3) Hosting a screening
Comments we had from tthose who attended included:
“It has re-ignited a fire in my belly”
“I will definitely act on the ‘calls to action’ suggested”
“It was epic — I’m going to organise a screening at my school”
“My husband has emailed our MP already!”
Visit the NEB site yourselves, to find out more (link in bio) or email us at BG. Thank you for reading! ...

As part of @loddingtonfarm Loddingfest weekend we are open:
🌻Sat 29th ~ 10am - 5pm
🌻Sun 30th ~ 12pm - 5pm
🌻Mon 31st ~ 12pm - 5pm
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Our PYO flowers are £25 each for up to 30 stems. Children’s PYO jars available when an adult’s container is purchased.
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Our flowers are sown & grown by hand, without chemicals and wrapped without plastic.
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Wandering around our flower plot & picking your favourite flowers is such a treat and a real feel good experience.
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Booking on Saturday is recommended. Follow link in bio to our website. Just turn up on Sunday & Monday.
Happy picking everyone!! ☀️ 💐 ...

Many of you have been asking us how our flowers are coping with the drought. It’s been very challenging but we are doing okay thank you! As well as growing a vast array of drought tolerant flowers the main thing keeping us afloat is a spring water irrigation on our flower plot and it has made all the difference. Swipe to keep reading >

About 16 years ago, Loddington Farm put in a water reservoir, along with solar panels and a wind turbine. The reservoir, and the irrigation system attached to it, has been our lifeline in recent years and especially this one. And we couldn’t be more grateful.

Our heart goes out to other flower growers who do not have irrigation or those who have mains irrigation, which has then been switched off. Our thoughts are constantly with other growers right now who are having to water by hand—it’s backbreaking work. Working in this heat alone is a challenge in itself, so we have adopted ‘heat-wave hours’ to start and finish early and take small breaks when needed.

Today we have had a few light showers, and it has filled our hearts with joy… if not the reservoir just yet. It is certainly looking low, so we could do with lots more rain in the coming weeks, to replenish it. A few more showers like today, will give our flowers a boost and we expect to have a flush of flowers for the next few weeks of pick your own.

So, thank you for asking… Do come along for pick-your-own to see for yourself. Our late summer and autumn flowers are coming through and there are lots of interesting grasses and seed pods too. We have cosmos, amaranthus, dahlias, sunflowers and lots more. Pizza & PYO runs til Sept 3 and Saturday PYO til Sept 26… We hope to see you soon! ...

Another visit to another incredible, ground-breaking garden… and a fantastic follow-up to my recent visit to @joshua_sparkes at Birch Farm.

This time, thanks to a bright spark (Jill) at the @gdnmediaguild we were lucky enough to visit Hilldrop in Essex and its creator, John Little.
It’s hard to know where to start… though, I can say without hesitation, I finished the day feeling as if i was floating on a cloud of positivity. And fired up to go home and look at my own garden in a completely different light, again (Birch Farm had a similar effect).

John’s brilliant talk, before we toured the garden, caused a few chins to drop… and we certainly had our accepted wisdom challenged. He’s a disrupter of the best kind. Alongside running the @greenroofco John set up @carenotcapital to teach professional & municipal gardeners ‘everything but horticulture’. Check out their Insta to find out more and / or donate.

The garden / space at Hilldrop, as well as featuring an array of green-roof structures, is a tapestry of wild flowers, ‘weeds’, standing deadwood, insect & reptile habitats… rubble piles, rubble walls… (Check out the pics, as it’s hard to sum up). It’s so far from a conventional or formal garden — and so refreshing. The pond features a shopping trolley, with resident moorhen & eggs. The view out over the Essex countryside is the perfect backdrop too.
Our group was completely transfixed — and full of questions.

Walking around — on a baking hot day — you could almost feel the abundance of insects, microorganisms and reptiles. One of John’s slides mentioned the importance of ‘getting into bed with your entomologist’ which raised a few smiles… (It seems we have an entomologist friend in common too — the wonderful @ericamcalister )

Thank you John!
I believe the garden is open ‘by appointment’. It was a privilege to be shown round. If you get a chance to visit, do. We should all be taking a leaf out of John’s book… ...