Flower friends! I have so much to say, I just hope I can remember it all. Lots of announcements, so pay attention. Please.
This coming week will be the last week of the flower shed for the 2023 flower season. You people have knocked off my floral socks off with your dedication, understanding and support, especially these last few weeks with me because of my broken wing, and Steve being out of commission. Your generosity with your time to help out here at the farm and just moral support is keeping my head above water. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. It takes a village of flower lovers and others to get us through this.
As you can see, I still have flowers.
So even though I won’t have open shed days, I will take take orders for special orders until I really don’t have flowers. Mixing fresh with dried or just dried. I just need a few days notice to pull it together please. Please email me with your request. My goal of being able to do Christmas and dried wreaths is on hold until my wing is mended and our life isn’t quite so…chaotic.
That being said, after Tuesday I am going to start to cut back the dahlias. I think my wing is good enough if I take it slowly I can get the stalks cut down, bit by bit. My plan is for Saturday, weather permitting, to start lifting the tubers and getting them into the crates, then I can sort through them at a slower pace. Here is announcement #2. On Saturday, or Sunday if it is a rain day I am having a harvest party. Like what they do in Europe to harvest the grapes. I will supply a simple lunch and wine or beer to anyone that can come by to give a hand, arm and or back. Rain day will be Sunday. If you come for an hour, that is great, if you can come for longer that is great as well. The most important part is getting them lifted and in crates in an organized manor, and into the floral cave so I can deal with them when I can.
Meanwhile, cut back of the annual beds has commenced. The netting is laboriously removed, stems cut back to the ground, irrigation wrapped up…weed mat lifted and labeled, cover crops chopped and dropped…
The good news is…All of the tulips that I ordered, and didn’t order, that is another sentence, are safely tucked in their crates and in the bulb room.
The interesting news is, Thursday I received an email from my tulip supplier that more bulbs were on their way. Apparently they wanted to make up the numbers of what I didn’t get because of all the tulip problems. Announcement #3. So. I now have an extra 1000 tulips. I have already planted 125 of each of the 2 varities, will plant 125 each in the ground, which leaves me ….500 tulips available to you at cost. They are Strong Gold, which is a beautiful yellow, and Purple Raven, which looks like a deep pink by the photo. I am selling them in bags of 20, so when you plant them in the garden it looks like you did it on purpose rather than an oops. So, a bag of 20 tulip bulbs will be $8.00. If you are interested, send me an email and I will get them ready for you. These are beautiful bulbs by the way. I wish more of the crop they sent me looked that good but oh well.
I think that is the end of my important announcements. #1 Flower shed done for the year but bouquets on demand, #2 Help on Saturday or rain date Sunday with the dahlia digging and #3 Tulips bulbs for sale. I think that is it. Hopefully I haven’t forgotten anything.
So I leave you on this #windowframethursday image for those of you not on Instagram. I call it a study of purples.
So, until next week, may you think flowers, especially dahlias and tulips. Allie