IMAGINE being able to walk into a rainbow-coloured field and cut exactly the flowers you want for your table decorations.
I have always loved having fresh-cut flowers in my home and can spend a good half an hour in a florist or supermarket picking the best bouquet.
Therefore, the idea of being able to go into a field and choose from a variety of 52 dahlias had me rushing to Webbs Garden Centre in Wychbold to try out their new experience.
Flora Fields, named after the co-owners of Webbs Garden Centre's daughter Flora, officially opened on Saturday (August 17).
It aims to allow visitors to pick flowers, make them into a bouquet, select from various photo opportunities, and relax in a tipi with light refreshments.
Webbs Garden Centre co-owner Louise Webb is passionate about freshly cut flowers and wants to create an experience where her customers can choose flowers to take home.
As I parked in the Webbs overflow car park, I was shocked by the collaboration of colours that greeted me.
Pinks, reds, yellows, oranges, and all the shades in between had completely transformed the corner of the car park.
Each dahlia had been colour-coded in neat, symmetrical rows and I knew instantly that I would be spoilt for choice.
The Webbs team worked for four months, hand-planting 7,000 dahlia tubers to create the spectacle you may see today.
I must admit the work had really paid off.
They had created a really relaxing, family-friendly atmosphere, which continued throughout my two-hour time slot.
I was given a short tutorial by Claire Wilson, a Webbs horticultural assistant who was one of the team on standby to give advice on how best to cut the flowers and how to get the most out of your picking session.
Then, it was time to get picking.
I had a bucket to fill, which seemed like a difficult task given the many varieties and bunches of flowers.
I was really impressed that once I had collected my flowers, the team at Webbs neatly wrapped them for me and also provided advice on how best to look after them so I could get the most out of the bunch.
The Flora Fields is a perfect experience to complement a day out at the garden centre and if you love picking fresh flowers.
I found the experience unique to what I had done before and would be back if I wanted to hand-pick a bouquet for someone special.
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