small space gardening
Bouquets on board
Hop off the towpath onto Stuart Fenwick’s floating floristry studio and learn how to grow cut flowers in any tiny space
Stuart’s canal boat overflows with colourful blooms, many grown from seed, in containers large and small
PHOTO: NEIL HEPWORTH
No space is too small to grow flowers to cut and enjoy at home, and I hope to inspire you with a few of my favourites, plus a tour of my floating garden. I’ve worked as a florist for 20 years, gaining experience from all over the world, and I always strive to use locally grown beauties whenever I can. A canal boat can be a challenging place to grow flowers, with extreme weather conditions, watering to keep on top of and the fact that I’m continuously on the move. But this all adds to the sense of achievement when those frst buds open and I add my homegrown cut flowers to beautiful arrangements.
◼ Stuart Fenwick is the owner of Bria Studio, a floating flower shop selling Britishgrown plants and flowers, with an ever-growing garden on the roof. @briastudio
To keep the plants thriving and in full bloom, they need regular watering and deadheading all summer long
Stuart uses his array of homegrown flowers to boost his arrangements
PHOTOS: SARAH CUTTLE; PAUL DEBOIS; NEIL HEPWORTH; JASON INGRAM
I grew up in the Cheviots, in Northumberland, and my grandad was a keen gardener, so I was always surrounded by nature. My family had a haberdasher y for 50 years and this combination of nature and an eye for detail led me to my first Saturday job at 15 in a local f lorist. Since then, I have managed shops across the UK and beyond, working alongside some of the best f lorists on weddings, events, installations and films, as well as teaching workshops.