Pam of Quirky flowers stands in her flower field surrounded by tall blue spires of delpiniums in the Staffordshire landscape. She's holding a bucket of cut flowers as she laughs with the photographer. Photo: Nicola Stocken.

member story

From dairy farmer to flower farmer

Pam Moseley of Quirky Flowers explains how joining Flowers from the Farm as one of the founder members in 2011 gave her the confidence and support to develop her business. Starting from a small patch in the farm garden, Pam describes how her business has grown.

I live with my family on a working dairy farm and started my flower farming career in early summer 2008 in a very small way – with just a small patch of annuals and a few perennials in the farm garden. I was amazed how well they grew and in August went to Stone farmers’ market for the first time. I sold my flowers at the ridiculous price of £3 for a large bunch and of course sold out by 10.30am.

As well as working on the farm milking cows every day, for the next few years I carried on with flowers in a small way, expanding my growing area a little with each passing year. I continued to sell at the farmers’ market and started to do a few wedding flowers also. But I struggled with confidence, especially with the marketing and pricing of my flowers.

The Quirky Flowers plot full of soft purple agastache and towering blue delphiniums sits on her hilly site, overlooked by the all important polytunnel where she nurtures her seedlings on her flower farm.

Pam's flourishing acre on her dairy farm near Leek, Staffordshire.

A gorgeous bouquet of locally grown British flowers by Quirky flowers, Staffordshire, stands on an old stepladder. Full of scented roses, dahlias, grasses and unusual seasonal ingredients.

Pam's business supplies locally grown bouquets and wedding flowers.

A misty summer sunrise over the bursting flower field in the Staffordhsire landscape as the cows quietly walk past the Quirky Flowers plot on their way to morning milking.

Early summer sunrise over the Quirky flower field on the dairy farm.

In 2011 I joined a newly set up organisation – Flowers from the Farm. For the first time realised I wasn’t the only person growing cut flowers to sell. I remember going to my first West Midlands meeting at Maria Heywood’s (The Flower Patch) house and found myself sitting nervously with just a handful of strangers in her sitting room. I can say that although we came from very different backgrounds these people have become great friends and even though we don’t see each other often there is so much support for one another. Ten years on I am now near Leek in Staffordshire growing on approximately one acre, supplying flowers locally in the form of bouquets, wedding flowers and wholesale to other florists. Flower farming is my obsession and now my full time occupation with the cows happily taking a back seat. Flowers from the Farm provided the encouragement I needed to carry on, with so much great advice and support. Seeing other members doing so well in their own businesses has been a huge boost in giving me confidence with mine.