Blog
Gower Fresh 2022 Update
It it’s already Mid-March and the days are getting longer at the farm. Can you believe it’s already Spring?
I have finally found some time and energy to sit in front of computer and tell you all that’s been going on at the farm.
First and foremost, thank you all, as ever for all your support via social media, via Facebook and Instagram as probably easiest way to follow us and keep up to date. We are nearing the end of planting about 8000 Korean Firs which are proving so popular, 8000 Fraser Fir and about 20,000 Nordmann Firs. The demand for Fraser fir and Korean firs is increasing each year due to its lovely vibrant smell, great needle retention and stunning turquoise colours.
Christmas Trees
Many of the trees we planted are going into pots, lots of people now want a living tree. We specialise in pot grown Christmas trees and we now have around 20,000 in the ground. It’s a great alternative to a cut tree if you want to plant one in the garden.
Christmas was a great success I believe, but personally and for staff here it was very tiring. It was so busy in a short space of time and we were all very anxious with COVID and all the controls and rumours of closing before Christmas. We didn’t want to disappoint any children like it happened in the last few years due to being forced to close. So Christmas Eve was a relief. Thank you to all who came and to the hard working staff.
Winter Wonderland
This year’s grotto and Winter Wonderland are all planned and slowly constructing. As I always say, it’s set to be the best Winter Wonderland experience ever. And it will be, we can’t wait for you all to come back. We have become part of so many families Christmases, who visit us every year to see Father Christmas and his reindeer. It’s a great honour and privilege for us.
The Reindeer
The reindeer are well, loving the cold snap in weather today, but are not so keen on the wet weather. They have outgrown their housing and as you might have heard are awaiting news on been given a go ahead for a new dry barn, which they desperately need. We have been waiting for 2 years for permission and original price of shed has more than doubled. I hope planners will have some compassion as this is a need not a luxury, fingers crossed.
If you have been following us on social media, you will know that the reindeer are due to give birth at the start of May. That is a very exciting time, yet I will probably be a nervous wreck for the month and even sleep with them to keep an eye on them in case there are any complications.
Usually they get on with it and find a nice quiet part of the farm to birth and rarely birth, I find, when I’m staring at them 24hrs a day. I don’t blame them, but as a fifth generation farmer here, I have seen so many species of animals at the farm, but of all the reindeer are the most devoted and love being mums. They can become close to aggressive when they give birth. It’s a joy to see, they would die for their calf. So, start thinking of names. We will appreciate your suggestions and ideas as always around this time of the year.
Easter Eggstravaganza
The next event is at Easter. Our first Easter event was back in 2019, before the pandemic and it was a great success. This year we are planing for a 40-minute Easter trail around the farm, there is a shorter route for the less able or smaller children, also Easter bunny and our Alice in Wonderland Characters, fun fair, cafes, food, RolyPoly entertainer, craft stalls, reindeer feeding, tractor rides, and more.
It will be a great day out for the whole family. We start on 11th April to 18th of April. Go ahead and buy your tickets while we still have some. www.gowerfreshchristmastrees.co.uk
At the end of April, we will start planting the pumpkins and sunflowers.
The Pumpkins PYO went really well last year with so many visiting. We plan to plant more and bigger variety of Pumpkins this year. Last year the white and blue pumpkins sold out fast. And maybe we’ll get more wheelbarrows as too much fun riding out the field in one and filling up with pumpkins in the other. In 2022 we will be having a light path and floodlit patch as Halloween holidays are short so will be able to come after school and maybe even meet a ghost or ghoul ?
Sunflowers
Besides the sunflowers at Rhossilli where we are now up to 23 varieties to sow, we will be planting sunflowers, pyo flowers and more dahlias at the Christmas tree farm in Three crosses, saves a long drive to Rhossilli is older or a bit far to travel and walk.
But as for Rhossilli sunflowers is a great event and day out, parking in the national trust car park a 10 minute walk to 8 acres of sunflowers overlooking the iconic Rhossilli bay, we will be open till dusk this year for the sunsets so great news, and the Gruffalo trail, sunflower arches and food hut will be there along with a few other additions, and all children receive a pack of seed to take home and grow.
FOR ALL THE LATEST SUNFLOWER INFORMATION BEST TO FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK
Make sure to follow our hashtag too #RHOSSLISUNFLOWERS follow the progres as it is hard to predict when we open due to growing season. Hopefully, we’ll be open by mid-July. There is a £2.50 entrance and one of the charities we raise money for this year is the NCI coast watch people, who look after the people, sea coast and animals at Rhossilli, the other cause is yet to be decided ?
LAVENDeR FIELDS
2022 should be the first year to get a good bloom of lavender at Gower Fresh, next year be better again. We have 20,000 lavenders that will be flowering for you to visit in July, very excited for this as it looked fantastic last year and we didn’t even open. We’ll be hopefully producing lots of lavender related products, there will be also live music, food and drinks and sunset evenings. Watch this space.
