Month: February 2024

I can not believe that this is the last Sunday of February, where the heck has the time gone? Probably with the snow. Boof, gone. Not that I am a great snow lover, but the gardens certainly do enjoy the protection of a good layer of snow. For example, the in-ground tulips are now open beds. Not good. The bed of chrysanthemums that I am trying to winter over are also now totally open. Not good, especially since they are on the edge of hardiness, a real steep edge. I need to get some cover on them sometime this week in case we get some more deep freezes. I wonder if bubble wrap on top of the beds would help? Hmmm.

Inside, spring is going full force. Tulip crates are going bonkers! I have tulips in storage everywhere! These are last Thursday’s haul getting ready for tulip Friday.

This week’s tulips are going to be more Columbus, Bell Song which is a pale pink with a white fringe, Flaming Flag and I think Dallas along with some stragglers from last week. They will all make a stunning bouquet.

The dirty room is full to the brim. On Tuesday I am planning to get the ranunculus transplanted into the crates and get them into the greenhouse, that will open up some space. I am also going to send out the perennial seedlings which will also open up a lot of space. Phew. I know that I will have to cover and uncover them each day when the nights get below freezing which it will because it will still be February and March, but a flower grower will do what a flower grower has to do. Hopefully by the next big seeding, which will be mid March, I will have space to put things.

You you may not know that back in the olden days when I was in Uni I studied both floriculture and landscaping. One of the things that got me into forcing tulips and other spring bulbs is because we used to force them at Woodmans in the cold frames back behind the sweet pea house. In my job in CT, we also forced bulbs for the Easter season. So after taking the course on tulips, my mind got to wandering and remembering and this is what I have managed.

So my goal for next spring is to also offer posy bunches of little flowers for “I am thinking of you gifts”. I mean you can give tulips as well, but these are charming I think. I am excited anyway.

I have been trying to send out the newsletter each Thursday so you all know that the flower shed is open and the hours. Unfortunately, I haven’t figured it all out yet, but fortunately 41 of you did get it. I am working on it and I do apologize but pay attention to this blog and to #flowersatlottarock for my missives on when I will have flowers.

THE FLOWER SHED WILL BE OPEN ON FRIDAYS FROM 10-2!

I leave you with this photo I just took of the flowers on the shelf. A bunch of mismatched tulips that were not good enough for you my flower lovers and a tiny bouquet of the little narcissus with forced forsythia and a sprig of my blooming witch hazel.

Until next week. I dream of flowers, do you? Allie

I made it through Valentine’s Day and I want to thank all of you who reached out to get flowers for their darlings. And thank you to you who came out for the first meager tulip offerings. Now things are ramping up and this week we will have four varieties to choose from; Apricot Beauty that loves to sway to the music, Mystic Van Eijk, Tom Puce and the beautiful Columbus.

I am mixing them up this year since all the cooling weeks have been finished, I am pulling what I think will go well together. It is all very exciting, and you will be happily surprised as well.

Meanwhile, beyond tulips, yes there is such a thing beyond tulips. Who ‘da thought? Anyway, things are getting crowded in the dirty room. Upwards of 12 crates plus of tulips, then the seed starting shelves are getting full, more seeds to start soon…every flower grower plays Tetris this time of year, moving, moving, moving crates, seed flats, moving everything so it all fits into often a too small a space.

But, the ranunculus and anemone are sprouting…

Soon these will be moving out into the greenhouse into crates along with the anemones and that gives me a few more shelves, then the perennials will be able to move out into the greenhouse like the lavenders

So the lavenders, delphiniums, echinacea, columbine, and the rest will move out into the greenhouse. Then, I will have more space for the next up seedlings. Soon, by mid March the high tunnel will be planted and space will really be limited. Tetris, a lovely game to be sure. it is keeping me fit.

Speaking of fit. I am working very hard at it. I keep doing my exercises, and then I overdo it, cause that is what I do apparently.

I did get the newsletter out on the new platform. Sadly only to 41 of you. I think I fixed the issue, we won’t know until Friday coming up. So, if you don’t get the newsletter because I still haven’t figured it out, here are this week’s details. **The flower shed will be open from 10 to sold out. (sell out happened by 11:00 last week, this week and going forward there will be more tulips available). I have an orthopedics appointment at 10:15, but should be back by 11:00 fingers crossed. But do not fret! Steve will be the Satyr…(according to Siri, that is the male equivalent of a fairy), to assist you. (Steve corrects this with fairy, Satyrs are associated with Bacchus, the Greek god of drink and licentious behavior. Fairy is non gendered as in one of the Fae, Ireland’s gift to folklore.

I leave you now so you can mark your calendars for tulip pick up. I hope to see many of you on Friday. I will leave you with this image.

Until next week. I dream of flowers. Do you? Allie

Are you ready? I’ve got tulips and, they will be available to all on Friday Feb 16! I am telling you now to mark your calendars because if I can’t remember how to send out the new newsletter, or I mess up, you have been forewarned. The time will be from 10:00 till 2:00, here at the farm but honestly I don’t think they will last that long. The varieties will be, drum roll please, Apricot Beauty, Tom Puce and Mystic Van Eijk. All beautiful. if you want my opinion.

I have a lot of transplanting to do this week. All of the perennial seedlings have germinated and put out their true leaves, or enough of them to do it anyway. Many of the cool annuals have germinated and are off the heat. Things are heating up!

The ranunculus and anemones have been soaked and are now trying to sprout before they get transplanted in the soon to be empty bulb crates, then they will go into the greenhouse. I am hauling tulips crates in to grow them, and back out to hold them until Friday. I certainly am getting my upper arm workout, that is for sure.

So tulips now should be pretty consistent. There are still at least 25 crates left to come into the dirty room, it looks like a bunch more but since I haven’t counted them I would say 25 crates, four crates per week… yeah, plenty of tulips to be had.

So, just a reminder, Tulips here at the farm on Friday the 16th from 10-2:00. If you want a bunch of locally grown flowers for your valentine, shoot me an email and I will have them ready for you.

I leave you with last week’s #windowframethursday of Apricot Beauty in bud and full.

Until next week, enjoy Tuesdays snow, and think flowers! Allie. I dream of flowers, do you?

With great Phew, I can say that not only does the first batch of tulips have flower buds to be seen, but, I’ve got flowers! I harvested two this morning, probably another half dozen tomorrow, so on and so forth. Soon, there will be plenty of tulips for all, and I will share. Promise.

Tomorrow the next four crates get pulled into the dirty room, getting mighty crowded in there, I also have a big seeding to do for the cool annuals, and I need to get the ranunculus and anemones soaked and sprouted. My ‘free?’ time is getting less and less. I love it though.

It certainly has been so nice to see the sun shine these last two days and it is supposed to be lovely through the week. I think we deserve a stretch of nice weather. A temperature alarm goes off in the dirty room around 10:30 these mornings so the door gets open for four inches for the day, trying to keep the room temp around 65 degrees. We shut it down around 4:00, and yes, the house does get quite refreshing, but it works. Air change is good for our health, that and exercise, which I am getting plenty of these days.

As soon as I have enough tulips to share, in two weeks?, I will let you know, and I will let you know where I will be having them. Just at the farm? Peterborough Farmers Market? Flag Leaf Bakery if they will have me again? Still trying to figure out those logistics, as well as the newsletter, but hopefully, by the time I have enough tulips to go around, I will have that figured out as well.

Each week is getting more and more exciting, but since I have no other news right now, I will leave you with last week’s #windowframethursday. A lone sprig of witch hazel in a bottle. Jujst the color I needed while it was still gloomy out and it was the only flowers I had.

Until next week, start dreaming flowers, because I certainly am. Allie