Month: May 2023

It is very near the end of May and the push is on to get everything in the ground. I think I have figured out where everything is going, but we shall see. I finally decided where the pumpkins and gourds are going in the two o’clock sleepless moments a few days back so that is good. I have figured out where the sunflowers are going so that is good. I have planted 80% of the dahlias and that is very good, now I just have to get all of this planted.

The cool flowers are starting to come into their own,

That is correct, after waiting for months, not very patiently, and in my mind writing off both crops of anemones and ranunculus I have flowers. As the weeks progress and, if we can stay away from the wicked hot temperatures, I should have bucket loads of these stunners. The other cool flowers, the godetia and the clarkia are showing buds so along with the tulips, I will have beautiful late spring bouquets on offer. Speaking of tulips, I still have a wide variety to offer. Their beauty just knocks my socks off.

Even though the seedlings will hopefully all be in the ground by the next blog posting, I will still be doing successive sowings of sunflowers, then I need to sow the perennials so they will be well established by the time they go in the ground in the late summer. Not like this year with the seedlings being so small I am not sure where they are. They are growing, but I would like to be ahead of the game. I would LIKE to be ahead of the game.

I want Steve to send up the drone to give you all an overview of the gardens this year. They have expanded just a bit. You won’t see color, but you will see masses of green plants. I think it is pretty cool to see and I think you will enjoy an arial shot as well. Especially if I can fine a shot of the gardens 4 years ago. I will see what I can do.

Come on around and see the farm and get a floral fix. The flower shed is open on Fridays from 9-2 and on Tuesdays from 2-5. I always enjoy seeing you, and it gives me a chance to stand up and stretch. If you have seen me garden, you will get it.

I leave you with a missive outside a flower shop in the UK. Thank you KD. I think that the sign is just so true.

Until next week. Allie

It is Sunday afternoon and I am sitting on the screen porch writing this flower missive. It is something I enjoy doing, letting you all know what is happening on the farm. It is an exciting placer to be, especially at this time of year, and I love sharing it. That, and it is a great way of taking notes for me, something that I am dreadful at, farm notes, but this way we can all be happy.

My most exciting news has nothing to do with flowers, I know, shock, horrors, but yesterday we got 1.6″ of rain, and my 1500gal rain tank has about 500gal of water in it. Our newly installed gutters are working just fine. Now when I need to get water out to those far flung places that I never thought I would plant, I fill up the little bowser and drive out to the new spaces and water. This will make life so much easier. I just have to hook up the pump and away I go.

In answer to your burning question, yes, I still have tulips, all shapes and colors await you. I have a few handfuls of narcissus left, and the anemone and ranunculus are budding and showing color, so soon, like Friday, maybe even Tuesday, I will have a lovely assortment of flowers to go with those most amazing tulips.

Not only are the anemone and ranunculus showing bud, but the Icelandic poppies are budding up as well!

I bet you couldn’t think it could be any more exciting, but wait, there’s more! the early peonies are starting to show color. They could be a few weeks out yet, but who knows. It certainly is something to look forward to for sure.

This week coming up is going to be crazy. This is about the time I plant out all the summer annuals and the dahlias, which I have yet to divide. I have to keep an eye in the forecast though. The nights are still cool, and at this point I don’t want to loose the seedlings by jumping the gun. If I have to wait another week, I will. Also the dahlias’ soil should be around 60 degrees and I haven’t taken its temperature yet….So many things to do, so little time to do it in, but I am told, Patience is a gardening virtue.

So I spaced last week’s flower arrangement, so I will leave you this instead.

Until next week, may we all have “Plants in our Souls”. Allie

The gardens are ramping up and only half are planted. The high tunnel is going gang busters and miracles of miracles the anemone are starting to bud up! I had written them off in my head thinking “oh well, thee is always next year” but lo and behold, I will have two for show and tell on Tuesday. By Friday, I might even have a bunch to sell. Amazing. The next most amazing thing happening at the farm is that I also have a ranunculus bud, and that crop I had really written off, but surprises do happen Allie. No photos, you have to come see them for yourself!

Did I say that you have to come Tuesday to see the flowers yourself? That is right. I’m beginning open flower shed on Tuesdays now, from 2-6. I will have plenty of flowers now to support two open days a week. What that also means is no more flowers at Cranberry Meadow Farm. It worked out really well for the winter months when many of you didn’t want to drive to Hancock, and I only had tulips to offer, and only four varieties a week to that, but now there is so much more to offer. So, thank you very much Carolyn for allowing this to happen, and hopefully we will be able to do it again next late winter early spring.

You might be asking what is happening on the farm now in mid May. Well, so glad you asked. The tulips are completely harvested!

That doesn’t mean the end of the tulips by any stretch of the imagination. No, they are all safely tucked in the cooler, away from the vagaries of the weather. They will be processed just before you get them so they will be fresh.

The beauty about this system is I can process the day before an open flower shed day what I think I will sell, and you will have the perfect tulip. Imagine, tulips neat, tulips with the cool flowers that are coming on, tulips with peonies, oh my goodness. I will be honest though, six months of tulips for this flower grower might be a bit much. I am looking forward to new flowers, and they are coming. Soon. Promise.

So if you haven’t been to the flower shed because of distance, here is a look at what I had for sale this week.

I will leave you now but with a few reminders. Tuesday flower shed hours start this week. Shed is open from 2-6, and on Fridays from 9-2 and flowers will now only be available here at the farm.

As usual, I leave you with this weeks arrangement. I had fun with this one. Crabapple, lilac, purple and pink tulips, storm damaged magnolia (yes, I still have some for arrangements), leujocium, narcissus and bleeding heart.

Have I every said how much I love flowers? I love flowers and the joy that they bring.

Until next week. Allie

Spring is upon us. After weeks of cold, raw and damp days I think the tide has turned and we are in for great things to come. Finally, but honestly it has been so worth the wait. The narcissus are abundant, the tulips are knocking my socks off with their colors and shapes and even just a handful of flowers make a stunning posey or bouquet. The peonies are rocketing skywards, the lilacs are starting to bloom as well as the other flowering shrubs and the farm can’t be more beautiful right now.

So let’s start with tulips. The harvest has begun and I’m gathering bucket loads and storing them in the cooler to keep them perfect for you. Just look at these beauties.

Today I harvested a single lipstick pink that has fringed edges. Pair that with lilacs, or the narcissus with the pink center, oh my goodness, it doesn’t take much to have a stunning posey or an arrangement to give as a gift.

I have been crazy busy planting in the gardens. Almost all of the cool seedlings are in and, for the most part, are looking good. I might have to replant the snapdragons, maybe I was a bit over anxious, but everything else is in as well as all of the plants I had ordered during the winter. The roses are planted, the chrysanthemums are potted up to get established before they go in the ground and the hellebores are planted. The cool flowers in the tunnel have had the netting put over them so they grow straight and tall. In fact when you look at the garden the entire right side, or rather 90% of the right side is planted. I still have the dahlias to divide, pricking out the seedlings, mulching what isn’t in weed mat, getting chips in the pathways…you know, normal stuff.

So here is a test to see how well you know your flowers. Do you know what flower this is?

I know, it’s not in focus. Is it a rose, a ranunculus, a peony or a tulip? Answer at the end.

This Friday will be the last Friday that flowers will be sent down to Cranberry Meadow. I know that it has been great for me and that you wonderful flower people didn’t have to navigate the roads to come to Hancock to get flowers, but the flower selection is getting really good now, I can offer far more than just tulips. So. After Friday you will have to come to the farm. The good news is then the following week I will be beginning Tuesdays again. Pay attention to the newsletter for more updates. Besides I have really missed not seeing those of you who have been picking up at Cranberry Meadow.

What else? Ah Yes. I will be open on Mother’s Day. Stay tuned, I will give you the hours by Friday. I will have bunches and if I must say so, some beautiful bouquets.

So I think that is about it for now. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for loving my flowers as much as I do. Oh. The answer to the question. It is a tulip, but I know you got that correct.

Until next week, may you dream flowers. Allie