Flowers, Glorious Flowers: news, plants and food from Totleigh Barton

Ever noticed how nature’s colour coordinated? Neither had we…until now that is.

In early spring flowers tended to be yellow which showed an amazing fit with the colour scheme around Easter. Coincidence? I think not… And then suddenly, as if the wizard of Oz has decreed a colour change, purple is all the fashion. We can’t wait to see what colour will be the next flavour of the month.

But it’s not all flowers we are keeping a close watch on, this is the time of year our own produce demands attention so we are looking for the best spot for our tomato and chilli plants, we are tidying our herb patch and we are even trying to grow some artichokes which will hopefully bear fruit next year. We are especially keen on our edibles this year because we are expecting a group of foodies this summer on our food writing course (2 – 7 July) who will be making the most of our vegetables to try and impress Sophie Grigson and Alistair Hendy. For a week Totleigh will be turned into a foodies paradise with a strong emphasis on fresh, organic and local food. We have already put in the application for a Michelin star.

Huib Boekelman
Centre Director, Totleigh Barton