Blooming Brilliant
Posted Friday 26th June, 2026
Flowers that will never fade
Bruce Garside has been with us creating fabulous, oversized floral sculptures from metal materials around the farm. Bruce was the last apprentice blacksmith to be trained in the Hambleden Village forge. He has been working in metal for over 30 years.
Creativity with 'ancient' materials will add further texture to the farm’s landscape and our offering. We now have giant Sunflower and Daffodil sculptures on the farm trail.
It has been so exciting to watch Bruce repurpose the ghost of rejected pieces, sculpting with discarded metal combining raw industrial materials with artistic expression. Bruce and Farmer Mark were also tasked with the logistics of installing the oversized, metal artwork around the farm trail. We've a few videos of Bruce riding front of tractor, and I'm not talking shotgun, protecting his creations, whilst Mark drove. Certainly, we advise leaving the stunts to the professionals - don't try it at home!! So we now have two heavy-metal daffodils and two heavy-metal sunflowers that will never droop, framing the pastures.
We would like to say a very big thanks to the astonishingly creative talents of Bruce Garside - Artist Blacksmith - repurposing our metal work around the farm. Upcycling scrap metal ultimately reduces waste. Using junk material from old farm buildings; casting, forging and welding, to mould beautiful sculptures is an astonishing thing to watch. Under blue skies and high temperatures, this former blacksmith turned something ordinary into something extraordinary.
We hope to welcome Bruce back to the farm next year when visitors will be able to watch this incredible process. We plan to extend the sculpture attractions around the farm and will be looking for a curator to manage this project. WhatsApp us on 07879 219 103 if you'd like to find out more.
