‘Tis Dahlia Season

Isn’t it interesting that the flower season here at Lottarock begins with flamboyant tulips,

flamboyant tulips

and ends with flamboyant dahlias.

flamboyant dahlias

Flowers in with a bang, flowers out with a bang. Holy moly, the colors of the dahlias are as stunning as the fall foliage will be, but even better because there are more choices of colors and sizes of blooms. It is enough to knock one’s socks off. Keep all this in mind because there are only two more weeks of the open flower shed. Then Steve and I are off on a well needed holiday, good for us, maybe not so good for you, so hurry up and get some of these stunning flowers.

This morning I sat in front of the computer for the second half of my tulip forcing workshop. It was lucky for me that the morning was way overcast and windy because I didn’t find it quite so difficult to be inside on my laptop for 3 long hours. This portion of the class was devoted to planting up the tulips, their holding temperatures, and then growing them on for sale. I am starting slow and low with only 3000 tulips to force. My plan is to start providing stunning, locally grown, farm fresh tulips to you all by the first of March. Now, I do have a few spanners being thrown my way, but hopefully I will have a bulb cooler/flower cooler before Thanksgiving. If not, well, some good ole’ yankee ingenuity will have to happen. I also have a mere 3500 tulips that are going to be ground planted this fall. I am very excited and I hope you are all as well because I have ordered some stunners for this spring.

My other exiting news is that my new greenhouse came on Tuesday. This is very exciting because it replaces the old “erector set from hell” greenhouse that Steve got for me 10 years ago. This greenhouse is twice the size and has automatic venting which will make life so much easier on those shoulder seasons, and certainly in the spring. Check it out!

Ta Da! In this space will be growing on the tulips, while the tunnel in the back ground will grow the ranunculus and the anemones. Wicked exciting.

I am going to leave you with this afternoon’s harvest of flowers for tomorrow’s delivery. Just look at those stunning colors. They just make me smile and when you come by to get some they will put a smile on your face as well.

Until next week, Allie

Flowers going on a road trip. Not the best photo, but they are in water and are ready to hit the road.