Sutton cum Lound and Barnby Moor Gardening Club held its monthly meeting on Thursday 13th February, with 35 members and visitors in attendance. Due to illness, the scheduled speaker was unavailable, so the organisers reverted to Plan B. Fortunately, they were able to secure a stand-in speaker at short notice to address the gathering.
The guest speaker was Linda Clark from the Spotted Dog Flower Co., based in Blyton near Gainsborough. She specialises in growing and styling beautiful, eco-friendly, seasonal, and scented flowers for weddings, funerals, farewells, and anyone who loves flowers. Linda shared how she became involved in growing and selling seasonal and scented flowers, highlighting the limited number of UK-based flower growers.
She spoke about the challenges of the industry, including unsuccessful attempts at cultivating certain varieties and unexpected setbacks – such as a neighbouring flock of sheep that absconded and helped itself to much of the growing crop. She also noted that most flowers, plants, and bulbs in the UK are imported from Europe and beyond.
Many attendees fondly remembered the Tulip Rally once held in Spalding, where decorated floats covered in tulips paraded through the town, attracting large crowds. However, due to climate change and rising costs, this event – like many other local floral traditions – eventually came to an end.