Resilience

My Instagram feed has been filling with “Top Nine” posts, hard on the heels of posts offering bouquet subscriptions amidst the last winter offerings of paper whites, potted Amaryllis bulbs, fresh evergreens, and beautifully died flowers and foliage.  December is a usually a month of both celebration and reckoning, and while the first was more muted this year, the second seems even more vibrant as we all look back and try to make sense of 2020.  Here are three key takeaways: 

Buying local matters. Small businesses have been promoting shopping locally and buying locally for years, but it took on additional urgency in COVID times.  When the world shut down in spring, flower markets dependent on imports shut down, too – causing many florists to turn to farmers in their own communities for product.  That, in turn, helped those farmers stay in business.  May these new relationships continue to blossom.

Small is beautiful. Engaged couples who had spent months planning for large weddings filled with family and friends had to completely regroup.  Some opted to change their wedding date until 2021, some eloped, some hosted small, intimate weddings with or without plans for a large party next year.  What we learned is that small weddings, whether at home, in a public park, or at a private venue are lovely and deeply meaningful – made even more so by use of flowers grown and designed locally. I think any of who know or worked with wedding couples experienced this, and we will continue to see “minimonies” in future.

Flowers still soothe and celebrate. With so much shut down, people opted for flowers to brighten their homes and their moods, to thank medical personnel, first responders, and others in the thick of coping and caring for those most affected by COVID, and to offer congratulations for births, birthdays, and weddings and to extend sympathy and comfort.  From contactless delivery or pickup, to weekly subscriptions and farmer’s markets, to virtual classes, farmers and florists forged new ways of working together.

We all learned how to pivot, to be nimble, to try new ways of promoting flowers to meet demand despite shut-downs and quarantines.  None of us would have asked for such lessons a year ago, would we?  And yet, now those ideas and connections and changes are part of us, part of our resilience, like new roots and branches that will help us continue to bloom.  Happy New Year!  May we all have a kinder 2021.

What’s Available Locally in December: This list is by no means comprehensive, just a sampling of what growers in our area may have this month.  

Eucalyptus, ilex, paperwhite narcissus, evergreens, and wreaths, swags, and garlands.  Also ask your local growers about dried flowers and wreaths – many dry their harvest!

Care tips for Amaryllis (Hippeastrum): Amaryllis are commonly seen in December, but their wide range of colors make them a luxurious choice at many other times of the year. Cut when the buds are puffy and showing color for the longest vase life. Add preservative to the water, as that will extend vase life from two or three days to seven to ten days.

A Welcoming Community

As the seasons turn, as buds form and bloom and petals ripen and fall, we learn the lessons of letting go.  Many farmers in the area grow only in the field, which means the first freeze ends their season for many flowers and foliage.  It is good to check with several growers, though, as temperatures can vary considerably, even within the same county.  For instance, I am writing this on Veteran’s Day, yet there has still not been a freeze here.

The first lesson of letting go is that the flowers of tomorrow begin today.  My marigolds are gorgeous now, but soon I need to pull them to make way for the tulip bulbs ordered a few months back that arrived this week.  Just as florists must plan their calendars in advance, checking flower prices to prepare an proposal, ordering vases and other hard goods, scheduling weddings and events, so, too, must growers think ahead, pre-sprouting ranunculus now for early spring blooms, seeding hardy annuals such as snapdragons and sweet william in August for September and October planting, forcing amaryllis and paperwhite narcissi bulbs for holiday sales.  

What does that mean, for you, the floral designer?  It means that if you are booking weddings or other events in a specific color palette in 2021, let your growers know so they can add flowers in those colors to their planting plan.  Let them know, too, if you have more than one customer asking for the same colors in the same time-period – they may want to increase planting of those colors.  If there is a flower or foliage that you are hoping to use in August that you always purchase in June, check in now and let them know your needs so they can either succession plant, if that is possible, or let you know it’s not and suggest an alternative.

Time spent familiarizing yourself with what is available and getting to know your local growers is time well spent.  How can you do this?  There are three key ways that are easy to do, even during a pandemic.

First, visit websites. Many growers such as Cut Flowers by Clear Ridge www.cutflowersbyclearridge.com list what they offer on their website.  Some, such as www.helensgarden.net list by season.  Some, such as www.twobootsfarm.com, ask you to sign up for their e-mail list or availability list, the best way to see, week-by-week, what is locally available to you.

Second, follow growers on social media, such as Facebook and Instagram.  A great way to educate yourself as to what is available when is to scroll through prior posts and see what different farmers in your area posted in the different months and seasons.  Often, they will comment if a particular flower is flowering earlier or later than is typical, so you can familiarize yourself with bloom cycles.

Third, shop at farmer’s markets, introduce yourself, and ask questions.  While many markets have ended their season, we are fortunate to also have year-round markets in our area.  You can find information about their locations, hours, and vendors here:  

https://www.freshfarm.org/markets

https://mda.maryland.gov/maryland_products/Documents/2020-Maryland-Farmers-Market-Directory.pdf

https://northernvirginiamag.com/guides/farmers-markets/

Our region is rich with growers, and you will find them a welcoming community inviting all who love flowers to belong.  

What’s Available Locally in November:  This list is by no means comprehensive, just a sampling of what growers in our area may have this month.  

Callicarpa, dusty miller, eucalyptus, ilex, scented geraniums, heirloom mums, looseneck goosestrife, ninebark, paperwhite narcissus, eucalyptus, evergreens, and wreaths.  Also ask your local growers about dried flowers and wreaths – many dry their harvest!

Care tips for ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius):  Ninebark offers beautiful, arching foliage that, when cut in late summer and fall, has outstanding vase life, typically ten or more days. Floral preservatives extend vase life for most varieties.

Comfort And Joy

I still hesitate. Even after growing flowers for six years, even knowing and seeing with my own eyes that if I cut deeply on certain flowers, if I disbud, the next ones produced will have longer, stronger stems and bigger, more beautiful blooms - it is hard to sacrifice the buds before me for those that are still to come.

The hesitation gets a little worse once Fall arrives, as cold and frost and freezing temperatures will surely follow - but when? in two weeks? Three? Four? Will it be a killing frost? Will the blooming dahlias and zinnias and so many other annuals turn black but the plants survive to throw off more blooms?

Such is the life of a flower farmer as the season turns. We check the weather often, we harvest a little earlier, and we temper our promises to designers, reminding them that Mother Nature always bats last.

What does that mean for you, the floral designer? It means ordering early, letting your supplier know particulars - does it have to be burgandy, or can it be plum, too? And, since frost sometimes affects one section, but leaves another untouched, can a substitute be made? Maybe zinnias can sub for dahlias, or verbena for ageratum. It may mean ordering earlier than you normally would., especially for flowers that hold well. It means understanding that weather is way outside anyone’s control, so a backup plan is beneficial.. It means having several growers that could supply you, as a killing frost that one may not be for another.

Here in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia, we have an abundance of local growers. At least once a week I discover a new grower on social media, prompting me to marvel all over again at how the locally grown movement has, well - grown over the last five years. How to find them? Here are three resources.

The MD Dept of Agriculture sponsors the MD Cut Flower Growers Association. Visit the website to find flowers by county, along with country information. David Brunton of Right Field Flower Farm is our webmaster, and thanks to him, expect to see new content on this site, including lists of what the various farmers offer for sale. Visit http://www.marylandgrownflowers.com.

The Association of Speciality Cut Flower Growers is the national association for professional growers, offering a wealth of training to all members. For florists, as well as the general public, they have a website to connect growers to florists and the general public. Visit the site, enter a city and state, and a map pops up showing where the flower farmers are in that location. Visit: http://localflowers.org

Last, email FindFlowers@googlegrowers.com. This email goes to all the growers who participate in the Maryland Cut Flower Growers Association, including many in Virginia, DC and even Pennsylvania Be specific - what flower, what color, how many stems, stem length, what date you need them, and where you are located. You are sure to hear from one or more if they have what you need.

And remember - many mums keep producing into Novementer, and we do have growers who grown in hoop houses and greenhouses, so product continues to be available year round. Look to local so your designs can continue bringing comfort and joy, even in this challenging time.