The accidental flower arranger

Kelly Orr grew up on a farm in Premnay, Aberdeenshire, and now lives with her husband Gavin, at Wardmill, outside Forfar.

Kelly started thinking about growing ‘farmgate flowers’ after reading an article on English growers, Green and Gorgeous, as a student at SAC's Craibstone campus. A keen gardener, the opportunity to start growing flowers to sell did not arise until 2014.

The Orr family business consists of arable and livestock farming, while Kelly develops her horticultural enterprise. She grows her flowers on a small patch on the farm and in a polytunnel, which is shared with mother-in-law Alison’s vegetables. Kelly grows many types of flowers from spring flowering bulbs to biennial Sweet William, and various annuals, with some less likely candidates awaiting the longer duty of providing seedheads in the winter months.

Kelly aims to have a supply of fresh, cut flowers from April till October. "At first, I grew a wide variety to test on friends and family, before I took flowers to Forfar Farmers Market.”

She now attends Forfar regularly, and in the summer months, Stonehaven, whilst also offering flowers at the farmgate. A self confessed accidental flower arranger, she also provides flowers for events, grows for weddings and supplies blooms by the bucket for DIY floral arrangements.

The seasonal nature of Kelly's produce encourages unique, individual selections of flowers for arrangements and bouquets. "I don't do planned formats like 'sunset bouquets'; my arrangements are different every time.”

Once on the path of growing for sale, Kelly developed her floral skills by attending classes, courses and joining growers’ groups. "I am a member of Flowers From The Farm (FFTF), a national network of growers set up by Gill Hodgson in Yorkshire to encourage British blooms back into every vase. Paula Baxter in the Borders is the co-ordinator for Scotland.”

She continued, “I work on a small scale, but some members are bigger, and there are commercial growers too, but the beauty of FFTF is that we can all network to spread the word about British flowers and we can help each other out in lean times or during a glut, and offer moral support with the exchange of information.”

Formal lessons and natural ability have combined and the so called 'accidental flower arranger' has built an enthusiastic clientele by word of mouth. Now, under the 'Blooming Bees' title, Kelly has a reputation for producing professional quality arrangements for weddings and other events.

Kelly’s beekeeping hobby has meshed well with flower growing and contributed to the business name. ”I was always interested in beekeeping and after attending a meeting of the East of Scotland beekeepers group, just hoping to learn some more, I was invited to join." Kelly came under the spell of local beekeeper, Jim Batchelor of Aberlemno, outside Forfar, and he told her the only way to learn was to keep her own bees. "I bought a nucleus hive and that was the start. Now, I make beeswax candles to sell at Christmas markets alongside other seasonal goods such as wreaths."

Although Kelly is working on a small scale, she is fully involved in industry promotional initiatives. British Flowers Week in June is a campaign led by New Convent Garden Flower Market which aims to remind people about home grown flowers. Growers throughout the UK participate in a range of activities. This year Kelly is teaming up with a small Dundee fashion boutique and together they want to encourage folks to ‘Love Everything That’s Local’ for a week of fashion, fizz, flowers and workshops. British Flowers Week runs from 13th – 19th June.