Welsh Organic Wildflowers

20/03/2026

A quiet country lane with insignificant verges - or a tiny treasure trove?
This narrow verge hosts several clusters of Viola odorata and Viola odorata var. imberbis. Across the fence, only lesser celandine has survived the grazing pressure in this little patch of woodland edge.
This tiny roadside verge demonstrates just how important these areas are as vestiges of habitat for wildflowers and wildlife.
If you are lucky enough to live on a country lane, please look after it - don’t mow, don’t plant non-native plants, just enjoy it!

16/03/2026

Early dog-violet Viola reichenbachiana on a field edge in Monmouthshire. The early dog-violet has pale purple flowers, pointed sepals, and the spur is un-notched.
In contrast to sweet violets, the flowers are unscented and hairless. They enjoy light shade and respond well to coppicing of woodland.

15/03/2026

A little patch of Viola ordorata var. imberbis on a driveway. This variety of Sweet Violet has white petals and a pale pinkish spur. It does not have the little tufts inside the flower seen in var. dumetorum.
Thank you to Steph Tyler, Honorary President of for the mini-tutorial on sweet violets which enabled me to identify these!
is a small, friendly charity which exists to promote the conservation of wildflowers in meadows. You don’t have to own a field to be a member - they welcome individuals who are passionate about wildflowers, whether they have a tiny garden meadow, look after a public space such as a churchyard, or farm in Monmouthshire.
These tiny, beautiful are vulnerable to physical damage, habitat loss, and nitrogen pollution. Please take only photos, and leave the flowers for the bumblebees and other insects which depend on them for early spring feed.

15/03/2026

A small patch of Viola odorata var. dumetorum found on a roadside verge. This variety of Sweet Violet is distinguished by its white petals with a deep purple spur, and a little tuft of hairs on the inner petals. All sweet violets have finely hairy leaves, which is one way to distinguish them from the smooth-leaved dog violets.
According to the ‘legend holds that a person can only smell sweet violets once, as they steal your sense of smell. This is untrue, but, it stems from the fact that sweet violets contain beta-ionone, a chemical which temporarily shuts off smell receptors.’ Thank you I’ve always wondered why I struggle to smell sweet violets!
These are incredibly vulnerable both to physical damage and to nitrogen pollution, so please take only photos and leave violets for the pollinators who depend on them for early spring feeds.

14/03/2026

Birdsong
Bees a-buzzing

07/05/2025

Mowing up the camping crop circles for I couldn’t bring myself to mow the birds foot trefoil! These sweet yellow flowers were buzzing with bumblebees and even the odd common blue butterfly 😊 So not all the camping circles are round, but they will be flower-filled 😉
Just 4 weeks to go! See link in bio to get your ticket 🕺☀️🌸

01/05/2025

Yellow Archangel (Lamiastrum galeobdolon) is a member of the deadnettle family which thrives in woodland settings. It’s flowers are a great food source for queen bumble bees when they emerge in spring. They’re looking really good at the moment here in the nursery, and the air is buzzing with insects and birdsong.
The nursery is open by appointment so DM or email - link in bio 😊

22/04/2025

Would you like to bring your festival stall to the valley?

We're looking for a small group of traders to join us at , a small family-run festival on our organic farm near Abergavenny.

We welcome traders who are local, organic and eco-friendly.

Trading hours: Friday 6th June afternoon / evening, Saturday 7th June all day.

Anticipated footfall: 300 - 600.

Apply here: https://www.secretvalleyfest.com/get-involved/trader-call-out

16/04/2025

Apple and cherry blossom in hedgerow trees along a little lane - great for pollinators and, provided they are not trimmed too hard in the autumn, they will also feed the birds

15/04/2025

Join us at a magical mini festival on our organic farm surrounded by wildflowers!
6-8 June 2025

https://www.secretvalleyfest.com

💚💜

Discover the magic of Secret Valley Festival, a mini music festival in a secret location, somewhere near Abergavenny. Get ready for all-day all-night music, delicious food, and valley camping.

12/04/2025

🦺 Wanna work at Secret Valley Fest? We have some roles available to join the crew! 🦺 �
Stewards are the main crew we’re looking for. They help the festival run smoothly. As well as being part of the magic, you’ll get a ticket in exchange for your time. There are different roles, but will include things like helping with car parking and directing people where to camp, sitting at the gates checking tickets and wristbands, or helping with rubbish and clean-up.

We’ve also got a few paid roles we’re trying to fill, including first aider, stage hand, sound tech, SIA licensed security so let us know if you have specialist skills.

Key info:
⭐️If you steward for us, we’ll give you a festival ticket in exchange for four hours of your time, split over one or two shifts.
⭐️You MUST attend a steward’s briefing before your first shift. These will be held at approximately 3pm on Friday, and 10am on Saturday.
⭐️We might ask for a deposit on your festival ticket, to be refunded after your shift.
⭐️Applications are rolling and will close when all our spots are filled

Application form up there or dm us for the link 👆

Any questions: [email protected]

🩷🩵💚💜