THE DEACON family are bringing the beauty of North Wales to life at their Abergele flower farm.
Three years ago Karen, Amy, Chloe and Simon Deacon picked up and moved from Leicestershire to a Denbighshire hillside where they sowed the seeds of their business - Fresh in Bloom.
Since then they have grown and blossomed, offering beautiful bouquets for every occasion.
Their seasonal bouquets are 100% certified Welsh - and their goal is to ensure that everything they offer is grown on-site as soon as possible.
"We are north-facing and get some fantastic sunshine," said Amy who is a qualified florist.
"So we are working on ensuring that everything people need for any occasion is grown on-site. Currently all we buy in are specific items for some wedding bouquets, but in time every flower we sell will be grown right here."
The family has built Fresh in Bloom from the soil up with everyone pitching in to build the infrastructure, plant and tend the flowers and take them to shows, markets and fairs to generate sales and raise brand awareness.
"It's hard work but it's so rewarding," said Karen. "We are a Christian company and our faith is important to us. Working with God's beautiful creation is a real blessing.
"We have had a challenging year with the weather - and as a result some of the autumn flowers have come on later - but people are beginning to know us and we have still had good flow of orders coming through."
Among the key selling points of Fresh in Bloom's flowers are their eco-credentials. Unlike other commercial growers they do not send their flowers to market in Amsterdam to be sold - eliminating the air miles and associated carbon footprint.
They also make their own compost from their waste plant products and they ensure that as much of what they make as possible is biodegradable.
"After the summer we move into autumn flowers and dried," said Amy. "Drying the flowers out takes over an entire room but they are really popular and the grade of our flowers means that, if they are kept out of direct sunlight, they retain their colour for a long time.
"We are also just starting on our Christmas wreath bases. They are made from our own hay and woven together. We use them instead of artificial foam.
"As a result, once your decorations come down, you can throw your wreath and base in the green waste for composting - so there's no environmental impact."
The flowers - which can be ordered at www.freshinbloom.co.uk - last longer than most store-bought bunches, thanks to the lack of chemicals used on them.
"We use a no-dig method of growing flowers which is better for the soil and we don't use the chemicals you get on supermarket flowers," said Karen. "Everything we do is as natural as possible.
"People think we must charge a fortune but in truth, our prices are similar to the supermarkets, but you get a better grade of flower with a longer life from us."
As beautiful as the farm is, unfortunately it is not open to the public - except for a few special events which can be found
"We do have an event coming up on October 19, where people can come and make dried flower wreaths," said Amy. "We publish on our website and social media when we have workshops but it's essential to book."
Visit their website or social media - @fresh_in_bloom on Instagram and Tiktok or search Fresh in Bloom on Facebook to keep up to date on workshops and to contact them.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here