Tucked away close to the Helford and Lizard Peninsula, you’ll find Pemboa Flower Farm - offering a seasonal selection of organic cut flowers, set in an insect-friendly meadow.
This year we were delighted to support Pemboa Flower Farm with a £500 donation via the Cornwall AONB Trust and their Environment Landscape Fund project. The Trust supports community projects that aim to conserve the environment, and Pemboa Flower farm is working hard to provide a space in which wildlife can flourish.
Esme, who started the flower farm with her partner River, kindly invited the Classic team to visit and see for ourselves what they’ve been up to. Esme and River, along with their joyful baby Romany, gave us a wonderful tour of their special site, which firstly led us through acres of pollinator-friendly meadow. We learned that the couple quickly set to work planting a variety of flowers that would help insects thrive and the land blossom. Alongside this, the project funding has helped them set up three beehives, now home to thousands of vital honey bees.
The process and flowers
After saying hello to their resident ducks, we then explored the flowerbeds where a beautiful variety of flowers, shrubs and herbs are growing sustainably and organically using a ‘no-dig’ method. This means the soil is not disrupted (where important microorganisms, fungi and worms help to feed the roots of plants) and instead organic matter, such as green waste compost or well-rotted manure, is laid under sheets for several months to naturally diminish weeds and create a rich texture for growing. This technique has resulted in a colourful bounty of seasonal flowers at the farm, including dahlias, cosmos, sweet peas, strawflowers, flax flowers and decorative grasses (to name a few!).
Esme gave us an insightful introduction to the characteristics of each plant, followed by a flower arranging demonstration, for us to then create our own. Her approach was wonderfully relaxed, and focused simply on handpicking and combining favourite blooms for their colours, textures and scents, to take home and enjoy. We were also treated to their floral and heady homemade meadowsweet cordial - delicious!
You can pick up a fresh bunch of blooms from Pemboa Flower Farm’s roadside stall, and keep an eye on their website and social media for more information about upcoming workshops and flowers for sale.
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