Frequently Asked Questions

Soil blocking is a wonderfully simple, yet genius solution for seed sowing. Essentially you have your soil blocker, fill it with a soil mix, and then press out a perfect cube of soil. It’s then ready to sow your flower seeds. It mitigates your need for hundreds of plastic pots, and substantially increases your seedling health by reducing the risk of them becoming root bound and suffering transplant shock when planted into your garden. For more information head over to my blog.

No you absolutely do not! It’s easy to assume you need a massive space to ‘have a flower farm’ but that’s simply not true. In fact people are often surprised at how small a space I actually grow my flowers in – even though we live on ½ an acre, I only grow in approximately 100m2 of my garden. Even if you are in small garden or a rental you can get creative by growing in crates or being selective about what you grow.

Yes I do! This is something that is really important to me. Firstly- I check that packet of loveliness is going to grow – so I germinate test everything. This also helps me understand all the little tips and tricks for getting the best germination out of your seeds. Secondly - by growing everything I sell I can understand the growth habits of the plants and any little quirks so I can help you get the most out of your flowers. This also means if you need any advice I’ve had first hand experience so I can help you along with your flower growing journey. Thirdly – It also means I can photography all the flowers too, giving you a genuine representation of what you can expect the flowers to look like. I know my photography is not some super fancy professional image – but I believe this way you are not led to disappointment by only cherry picking the best of the best flowers.

No! Absolutely not! All my flower seeds can be grown and left as decorative in your garden for the bees, butterflies and for you to admire. In fact, in my own garden, I have a purposeful cut flower patch where I harvest my flowers for all my floral work.

I do love having visitors – especially for little garden tours and flowery chats! However, this is my personal home, so please get in touch to arrange a visit beforehand. Also I won’t be doing any special tidying before you visit so expect the usual hazards and a forest of weeds to. Note we are located in New Zealand – Barrhill which is approximately 50 min drive south of Christchurch At this present time I do not accept gardening groups.

That’s no problem, at Barrhill Blooms we’re here for everyone and not the slightest bit judgey, so if you don’t know a flat tray from a plug tray or compost to soil mix just drop me a message with your questions and I’m more then happy to point you in the right direction. My ultimate goal is to make growing cut flowers accessible and easy for everyone! I do also have a basic growing tips and understanding your seed packet guide here:

Of course I can! I have ‘the Collections’ – these are a specially curated selection of seeds that I have put together as bundles. These also include some of my absolute favourite flowers (asters, poppies, scabious and rats tails statice in particular) accompanied by the perfect fillers. Check out the "Collections" here: https://www.barrhillblooms.com/flower-seed-collections

Absolutely – to get the most out of your flowers feeding them regularly is an absolute must. Think about it, if we just ate a constant diet of plain crackers, sure we’d survive but we’d never truly thrive. Nourishing our plants is the same concept. Just a little bit can go a long way. Adding deliciousness to your garden doesn’t have to be complex or expensive. The easiest way to start is head over to our equipment and supplements and start with the Tri-kelp seaweed emulsion and spray all your flowers foliage (leaves) once a week, and don’t forget about the soil - just work our Seacliff Organics Opulent Bloom Mix into your dirt, and you are good to grow. Trust me both you and your garden will be thanking me in months to come. https://www.barrhillblooms.com/gardening-equipment

We are located down in South Island NZ, in a little place called Barrhill approx. 70km south of Christchurch. We ship all our Ladbrooke Soil Blockers, seeds and supplements all over New Zealand. Yes you can collect your order. This needs to be arranged in advance as this is a private residential address (my house) - and not a physical shop.