Flowers in a Hurry - Book Review

This beautiful book has been written by Victoria Martin who, together with her husband Barney runs Stokesay Flowers in South Shropshire.

Victoria and Barney have two walled gardens which are devoted almost entirely to cut flower growing, mainly for florists in London and the Cotswolds. The original garden where they've been established and growing flowers since 2012, is Stokesay Court and the second garden, which they took on more recently is called Downton Hall.

In both of these beautiful gardens flowers are grown by Victoria and Barney in the loose, abundant manner of an old fashioned cottage garden. There is no sense of hurry or commercial set up but instead Victoria has focused on seasonality, patience, and an almost defiant commitment to beauty over convenience.

Visiting Stokesay, as I did last year, was a surreal experience. As you step beyond the large wooden gate set into the walls, time quickly loosens its grip on you. The garden reveals itself gradually feeling slightly wild but deeply intentional and instead of a commercial flower farming operation, Stokesay is more like a real life secret garden that has been shaped by care rather than production.

Whist wandering through this stunning walled garden it's difficult to remember that this is a working, highly successful business, supplying an exacting market that demands both quality and consistency. That duality, between the romance of the setting and the discipline required to sustain it, is what makes Stokesay Flowers so remarkable and sets it apart.

I have visited other flower farms, places that stretch on in long rows of polytunnels and precision planting, efficient and controlled, where the emphasis is squarely on output. They function well, but they carry little sense of place, and less of beauty. Set against them, Stokesay feels like something altogether rarer, an enterprise that has purpose, heart and soul.

In "Flowers in a Hurry" which is Victoria's second book, she writes with a clear and practical passion, for growing beautiful English garden flowers, and for passing that knowledge on to others. The book is, at its heart, an encouragement and invitation for others to try, without being intimidated by the scale or skill they imagine is required.

Victoria is careful to lower that barrier. Rather than urging grand designs, she advises starting small, choosing a flower that will grow quickly and bloom within a year. It is a simple strategy, but a deliberate one, designed to offer early success, and with it, the confidence and quiet pleasure that so often determine whether someone continues or gives up altogether.

The book moves through a wide variety of flowers, all of them grown by Victoria at Stokesay, but it never overwhelms. Instead, Victoria encourages the reader to choose a flower that catches the eye within the pages of her book, and to begin there. It is a measured approach, grounded in experience rather than ambition that concentrates on taking things just one step at a time.

Victoria's guidance is gathered in a separate chapter, simply titled “Some Tips,” where she sets out the practical knowledge she has built over many years. Victoria’s tips are deceptively simple, emphasising the quiet, almost unnoticed work of tending to your soil, the careful spacing of plants, and the necessary discipline of staking flowers to keep them upright.

There’s no overwhelming depth to her instructions, just clear, grounded advice. And in that simplicity, there’s a quiet confidence that makes you believe this is not just possible, but something you really can do. It’s a testament to the power of focusing on the essentials and trusting that they will lead to results.

"Some Tips" is quickly followed by a section on "Cutting" where Victoria addresses the cutting of the flowers you have grown, when to do it, and how to store them afterward. Her instructions are brief, but they set out the essentials with no room for confusion. It’s a quick detour, just enough to get you on the right path before she dives into the heart of the book, the flowers you can grow in a hurry.

Next come several chapters, each dedicated to a specific flower including bulbs, sweet peas, hardy annuals, dahlias, chrysanthemums. Each chapter begins with a brief introduction to the flower, just one or two pages, followed by several pages of suggestions on the many different varieties that work well.

Each plant variety is given a double-page in the book including a description, Victoria’s notes, and a stunning image of the flower. These are all tried and tested plants that Victoria knows intimately, having grown them herself at Stokesay. With so many options, and the combination of beautiful images and thoughtful commentary, it’s easy to decide which ones you’d want to try.

After reading the book, you feel confident enough to pick up a seed catalogue, knowing exactly what to look for. You’re not just making a random choice, but selecting plants with a real chance of success. To make absolutely sure and to reinforce everything you have read, there’s a final section to the book where Victoria lays out the months of the year, showing when to plant or sow for flowers in each specific month. Each entry is cross-referenced back to the relevant pages of the book, making it all incredibly easy to follow and try yourself.

To sum up, this book is not just a guide to growing beautiful flowers, it is an invitation to reconnect with the rhythms of nature and the joy of gardening. Victoria Martin’s approach is rooted in practicality, but it also carries a sense of timeless beauty, as if she’s inviting you into her own secret garden at Stokesay and following along.

Through clear, thoughtful advice and a deep knowledge born from years of hands on experience, she makes the art of growing flowers feel both achievable and rewarding. Whether you’re a novice or an experienced gardener, her book offers not just instructions, but inspiration, showing that, with patience and care, anyone can cultivate beauty in their own garden.

Garden Writer | Guineveres Garden