This year I am looking forward to seeing some familiar flowers as well as trying some new ones! I have expanded my growing space and narrowed down what I am looking to fill it with. Each season teaches us many things in the garden or farm field and it is important to listen and adjust each year. So lets get to it! Here is a sneak peak into what you will see coming from me this coming season broken down by season.
Tulip Season!
These technically bloom in spring but with nearly 3,000 specialty bulbs planted last fall these beautiful flowers get their own season. I absolutely love tulips and to be a flower farmer growing tulips you must love them. They are surprisingly labour intensive and you have to have a plan in place when when they all start blooming or you will be very stressed out! I am going to be selling these at my regular stores, I also have a May flower subscription which will include many tulips, and I am looking to do a fundraiser with these as well. Stay tuned for more information. Here are some varieties I am excited for! From left to right we have the Amazing Grace Tulip, Black Hero, and Secret Perfume.
Spring
Once the tulips have come and gone we will have some other really special spring bloomers. Preparing for this season makes me always feel that spring is my favourite.
We have increased the amount of ranunculus we are growing and we are growing anemones for the first time. We will also have some other beautiful spring blooms including larkspur, orlaya, sweet peas, snapdragons, and of course bells of Ireland! In an effort to extend this season we will have most of these under cover to get them out in the field before the last frost. All of these flowers prefer it cool and do not do well when we get the inevitable 30 degree weather that arrives in May and June.
Summer
Once the longer days and the warmer weather is here to stay many of the annuals start to shine. During this time plants like zinnias, celosia, cosmos, phlox, strawflower, basil, and statice thrive. This is also when the dahlias put on a lot of growth and get ready to bloom in August/September. This year we are growing lots of fun colours again as well as some softer pastels to provide a variety of colour palates. This is a very popular season for weddings and we have select plants growing just for our brides. If you are getting married in the area reach out and see what we can grow specially for you!
Late Summer/Early Fall
This season is always determined by the first frost. Some years we are lucky to get the frost in October and others it comes early in September. September is a busy month for weddings and the stores we sell our flowers at so we plan to have a large abundance in this time. Due to the unpredictable nature of frost we have low structures we can move to the field to protect the flowers. In September the Dahlias are usually at their peak productivity. Alongside the other flowers they seem to enjoy the cooler nights and warm days giving them a break from the stress of the summer heat. September is also lovely because we generally start getting rainfall after a two month dry spell.
As I write this in January it makes me so excited to see the field full of colour again. I feel inspired and excited for the season to come. It will be full of beautiful flowers to share with my community and teach me many lessons throughout the season. I am hoping to share more of the process with you through my newsletter and blog so please feel free to sign up and let me know what you would like to see more of.
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