episode 211| show notes & advice
episode description
Alfie Nickerson is a biodynamic flower farmer making his mark in British horticulture, and his 3,500-strong dahlia field, buzzing with wildlife, is testament to that.
After working for 6 years as a jobbing gardener in London, and then volunteering at Fern Verrow – the biodynamic farm of previous guest Jane Scotter – Alfie describes his journey in creating the biodiverse haven that is Burnt Fen Flowers, as well as sharing his favourite annuals and dahlias, on this week’s episode of ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’.
In this episode, discover
- Alfie’s early gardening experiences in London, and what drew him to the Norfolk countryside
- The incredible work behind Burnt Fen’s biodynamic flower crop
- How they prioritise biodiversity in their practices, and what that biodiversity gives back to the land
- Alfie’s absolute favourite varieties of annuals and dahlias for cutting
links and references
Order Sarah’s new book - A Year Full of Pots
Order Sarah’s book - A Year Full of Flowers
Order Sarah’s book - A Year Full of Veg
Sarah Raven's Garden Cookbook | Sarah Raven
Shop on the Sarah Raven Website
Visit Burnt Fen Flowers: https://burntfenflowers.com/
Get in touch: info@sarahraven.com
Episode 211 advice sheet
Alfie’s background and move to Norfolk (0:00-7:30)
Alfie shares his experience of living in London and working as a gardener, which left him seeking fulfilment away from the city and led him to pursue his passion of growing plants from seed.
After researching different methods, Alfie volunteered at Fern Verrow, the biodynamic farm of Jane Scotter, in Herefordshire. It was here, inspired by Jane’s passion, knowledge and experience, that the idea for Burnt Fen Flowers began to take shape.
Embracing biodiversity at Burnt Fen Flower Farm (7:30 to 14:30)
Alfie now grows on about 3 acres of land, cultivating a whopping 3,500 dahlias each year with the help of a small team who work in rotation. He has successfully integrated nature and biodiversity into Burnt Fen’s farming practices, and within just 5 months of starting, Alfie saw a dramatic return of wildlife to his land.
The beauty in this biodiverse environment is that everything has a purpose – balancing pests and predators can be a challenge, but nature has a way of working in harmony and embracing imperfection is part of Alfie’s ethos.
Future plans and favourite varieties (14:30 to 22:30)
The future of Burnt Fen looks set to incorporate more agroforestry elements, with rows of trees running through the flower beds. Alfie hopes it’ll further enhance the mixed habitats and support even greater biodiversity.
With such a vast quantity of dahlias, it’s a challenge to pick just five, but Alfie chooses some favourites grown on the farm, including a cactus type that Sarah is yet to come across, Trelyn Kiwi.
