Clare Day is living many a florist’s dream; imagine the luxury of walking out to your farm garden to pick flowers for your arrangements, while being just 15 minutes away from downtown Victoria, Canada.
Photography by Clare Day except where noted.
At the time, Red Damsel Farm was a 30-year-old organic produce and vegetable farm with three farmers working the land. Clare’s work in her home garden inspired Shellie, one of the three farmers who works Red Damsel Farm, to start growing flowers for Clare and another floral designer in the area.
The farm stand at the entrance of Red Damsel Farm is open year round.
The farm is divided into three sections: the upper field (between the market and the road); the lower field, which includes the house and outbuildings, and the seasonal flood plains which Clare plans to use for permaculture planting in the near future.
Sweet peas blooming in July.
A mixed bed of seedlings in the upper field at the beginning of the season.
One of the views from Clare’s house onto part of the lower field.
A dahlia bed in July in the upper field.
Clare picking dahlias Photograph by Red Leaf Studios courtesy of Clare Day.
Sweet peas grow on a trellis.
Photograph by Red Leaf Studios courtesy of Clare Day.
A basket of dahlias and scabiosa.
A finished Clare Day arrangement, including dahlias and blackberries.
Clare’s cosmos, which Shellie—a farmer at Red Damsel—now grows for Clare.
Garlic from the produce farmers at Red Damsel.
Another beautiful arrangement from Clare, this one with apple blossom, cherry branches (the dark purple foliage), hellebores, akebia, spirea, and foraged branches.