Firth Flock Flowers — My 2025 in Review

Photo by @arielinblue at Plas Newydd, Llangollen styled wedding photoshoot. Oct 2025

As the year comes to an end, I’ve taken a moment to look back at 2025. It has been jam-packed — a year that stretched me, strengthened me, and filled our little corner of Ruthin with more colour, community, and connection than I ever expected.

Thank you for being part of it all.

But first — a quick reminder of the wreaths, Christmas gifts, and festive workshops still available.

🛒 Website shop

So lets get comfy and jump into our 2025 roundup....

Winter

The year began with something I never expected: winning Young Learner of the Year at the LANTRA Awards — on my 21st birthday, no less. After years of quietly worrying that my age might hold me back, it was a moment that shifted something in me. I realised that being young can be a strength: it fuels creativity, adaptability, and the courage to try.

The award was a huge honour, but the everyday moments have meant just as much: customers at markets, supportive wedding couples, and the ongoing encouragement from our local community.

With that boost of confidence, the year gathered pace fast. February brought our first wedding of the year, Valentine’s chaos, and five triplet lambs to bottle-feed — somehow everything found its rhythm in the beautifully chaotic way that farming and floristry tend to do. 

We finally launched our flower subscription service, which is steadily growing — but the real surprise has been the website shop. It has taken off, with most orders now placed online and many arriving on doorsteps via Royal Mail next-day delivery. Simplifying delivery options and expanding seasonal products and customisation choices has already made a huge difference.

Spring

Mother’s Day brought wonderful support, as always. Taking the Tulip Bar / Build-a-Bunch event out to different venues was such a highlight — it was lovely meeting customers face-to-face and connecting with so many parts of the community. 

One of my favourite workshops of the season was our Living Easter Wreath session. I loved sharing the idea of a wreath that starts its life on the door through spring, then continues growing in the garden afterwards — something beautiful that doesn’t end when the season does. 

This idea felt like a natural extension of how I’ve always approached flower arranging: creating pieces with real meaning. Sometimes that involves using flowers from people’s gardens, bulbs that can be planted afterwards, or wreaths that can be taken apart so each family member can keep a piece. There’s something very special about designing work that lives on in some way, and the Living Easter Wreaths captured that perfectly. 

A personal milestone arrived in April with flowering a Good Friday wedding at Tyn Dwr Hall. Being trusted with a wedding of that scale, and receiving such encouraging feedback, reminded me how far things have come and gave me a quiet but steady confidence moving forward.

In May, our Cut Flower Garden workshop was so well-received that we added a second session in autumn, focused on hardy annuals for early spring blooms. This is a very small intimate workshop teaching people how to grow their own flowers, and remains one of my happiest roles. We’ll be running this workshop again in 2026.

Summer

One of the most memorable days of the whole season was our Blooms & Brunch event at Nantclwyd y Dre. The day blended a historical tour, a floristry workshop in the gardens, and a beautiful lunch on the lawn prepared by Sorbus Catering. Their food was incredible, and we can’t wait to work with them again. 

The event was photographed by Alex Morgan Photography, who also visited the farm later in the summer to document the flower field in its peak bloom — something I’m so grateful to have captured.

Growing flowers again for the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod was a privilege, especially alongside other North Wales growers. Watching the floral committee volunteers pour their hearts into every detail is endlessly inspiring. 

At Gŵyl Rhuthun, we brought back our flower crowns — this time made entirely from the abundance of dried flowers hanging in the rafters of the workshop. They’ll last for years, and the day itself was full of music, friendly faces, and the best kind of community spirit.

And then came a moment that meant more than I expected:Kara & Sion’s wedding at Soughton Hall. The styling, the colours, the dahlias from Lima Gardens Wales — it was all beautiful. But what made it unforgettable was recognising so many of the other suppliers and feeling, maybe for the first time, like I’d stepped fully into a creative community I deeply value.

Autumn

Autumn brought one of our most heartfelt projects yet: the Plas Newydd photoshoot, inspired by the Ladies of Llangollen. Even with last-minute model changes and Storm Amy cutting our time short, the result was pure magic — a celebration of art, love, history, and resilience. We published a behind-the-scenes write-up on the blog; you can read it here. The photographs by Ariel in Blue are truly special.It was also a brilliant chance to collaborate with a skilled and supportive creative team — a real highlight of the year.

Autumn gave us time to reflect and reset. Two workshops had to be cancelled due to slow bookings, something many small businesses seemed to face after summer, but we channelled our energy into preparing for Christmas.

We confirmed workshops with eight different venues and hosted our first autumn bouquet and gin-tasting evening at Polly’s Social in Mold, another sustainability-focused business we are happy to be partnered with. It was simple and lovely: people talking, eating, creating, and enjoying a bit of gin along the way. 

This season also marked the start of dried-flower orders and a busy diary of artisan fairs — and, knowing that I’m not a natural salesperson, I quickly realised I needed backup.

A snippet of the photos taken at our styled photoshoot with @arielinblue at Plas Newydd

Christmas

This Christmas has been like no other...

The support has been staggering — truly the strongest festive season Firth Flock Flowers has ever had, and it isn’t over yet!

Our wreath workshops didn’t just sell well; they sold beyond anything we’ve experienced. Some doubled in size compared to last year; three oversold entirely; and almost all were sold out before the end of November. It’s honestly a wonder there are any fir trees left on the farm. 

We also launched new seasonal products at markets — colourful twine, elegant vases, hand-thrown terracotta pots planted with delicate miniature bulbs — alongside dried flower arrangements and wreaths. The response has been overwhelming.

And this part needs saying loudly:

I absolutely could not have done this Christmas season alone!

Bethan has been extraordinary. She represented Firth Flock Flowers at markets with warmth and confidence — including the incredibly busy Llanbenwch Christmas Fair — and handled sales like an absolute pro. She also stepped in to help with the oversold Glasfryn workshop, keeping everything running smoothly.Having her support meant everything, and I am endlessly grateful.

This Christmas showed me what Firth Flock Flowers can become with good people, community spirit, and shared creativity lifting us up.

A Winter Win — Hattie & Hollyhock

In the words of Cammy Wilson @thesheepgamevlog, it was “some buzz” — and never has that expression felt so true! Hattie and Hollyhock made us prouder and more emotional than we could ever have expected, or even dreamed of. First prize in the second largest class at the Royal Welsh Winter Fair still feels almost unreal.

The Black Welsh Mountain breed also did the breed proud, winning the Taste Award 2025 for the third time — showcasing the exceptional flavour and quality of this lamb. Hattie and Hollyhock will continue representing Firth Flock at shows next year, following in the hoofprints of their older sisters, who came second at last year’s Winter Fair.

Thank You — For This Year & the One Ahead

2025 was full of challenges, breakthroughs, learning, laughter, and the most incredible support.

I’m so grateful to every person who ordered flowers, booked a workshop, came to a market, or simply shared a kind word.

Thank you for helping this little flower farm bloom.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year, 

Love,

Ellen