Meet Our Local Growers – Emma Jackson, Cut Clover Flowers

I sometimes wonder if Erin Benzakein, the most famous farmer-florist in the nation and possibly the world, had any idea of the impact she would have on locally grown flowers when she founded Floret, her farm in Skagit Valley, Washington.  Erin’s blog, her training courses, her books, and, now her sale of seeds, has influenced and enticed many to dive into growing flowers for pleasure or profit or both.  When I asked Emma Jackson of Cut Clover Flowers in Clarksburg, Maryland, what prompted her to a career in flowers, she answered:  “Honestly?  Erin Benzakein.  It’s all her fault!”

 Notwithstanding Erin’s influence, a love of nature and family heritage each played a part in the birth of Cut Clover Flowers three years ago.  Emma told us, “I come by the flower bug honestly.  My great grandfather was a farmer florist in the 1930’s.  He was given a loan to build greenhouses by the Dupont family and made daily arrangements for their Nemours estate.  One of my favorite photos is one where he and my great grandmother are all dressed up and she has two giant Dahlias stuck in the front of her dress!”

One of Emma’s apt descriptions of her life is “farming while momming.  This year, Because of the pandemic, my childcare fluctuates-you never know when school will suddenly go virtual or preschool will be cancelled.  So I have to be very creative about the ways in which I take care of my family and get my work done.”  Emma says she is eager to expand her relationships with new florists and designers, even as she works to meet the needs of the former customers of Melane Hoffman at Hidden Ridge Flowers as Melane scales back.

Emma’s plan is to sell to florists, as well as bouquet subscriptions, and her crop plan includes what she calls “the weirdos” such as Love in a Puff and Jewels of Opar, which she believes designers are craving.   “I love interesting foliage and accent plants.  We are going to have a lot of different varieties of scented geranium this year.  We were also lucky to get Eucalyptus seed, as it was hard to find due to the fires in Australia last year,” she said.

Family tradition is perhaps why Emma finds flowers miraculous.  “I’ve always grown things but every year when I put a seed into dirt I think, no way is this going to work. No way is this going to turn into anything.  And it’s a miracle every time.  I love being outside in the dirt, in the sun.  I love my deepening relationship with nature and the changing of the seasons.  All of those experiences fill me with gratitude and awe in a way that nothing else can.”

Visit https://www.cutcloverflowers.com/ to find out more about availability, sign up for a bouquet subscription, or their June open farm day.

Thank you so much, Emma, for talking with IFDA.

I’ll be featuring different growers regularly here on the IFDA website.   In between, the Maryland Cut Flower Growers Association is a terrific resource for finding flowers in this area:  http://www.marylandgrownflowers.com/flowerfarms  Travelling to design for a destination wedding?  Find local farms all over the nation from the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers here:  https://localflowers.org/find-flowers/

Hope

Spring is fickle this season, showing off beautiful blooming trees, then retreating as temperatures fall and frost coats the greened grass and tentative growth on hydrangeas.  As I write, I am anxiously watching the forecast, wondering if I’ll need to cover my budding peonies and newly planted clarkia or whether they will survive just fine without assistance from me.

 And, of course, reading the news from Ukraine, thinking of how my very ordinary days would be utterly changed if I lived there has me and so much of the world hoping and praying for peace. 

 Flowers offer hope to us all, as they continue to grow no matter the weather or the world.  If the Clarkia doesn’t make it, I know the Sweet William will, and after that the Orlaya and peonies, and then in turn will give way to the summer blooms of zinnias and celosia and sunflowers. 

Sunflowers will be stars this summer, and are already cropping up on social media as countless people choose those bright blooms as a show of support for Ukraine.  Each golden circle seems now filled with hope for a more peaceful future.

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

Lilac, Deutzia, Bleeding Heart, Hellebores, Viburum, Lily of the Valley, sweet peas, stock, sweet William, Bupleurem, Peo-ny, Campanula, Baptisia, Mock Orange, Cornflower, Ranunculus. Also ask your local growers about dried flowers and wreaths – many dry their harvest!

Care Tips for Lily of the Valley (Convallaria majalis) – These delicate flowers add a heady fragrance to arrangements and bouquets. They can be stored in a cooler for a few days, and their vase life is typically five to seven days.

Meet Our Local Growers – Maya Kosok, Hillen Homestead

Photo by: Urban Row Photography

Ten years ago, Maya Kosok decided to combine her experience working in educational outreach for farms and her interest in urban agriculture and grow flowers. Today, Hillen Homestead comprises two city lots that total about half an acre in Northeast Baltimore. Maya supplies florists with field-grown blooms from March into November, as well as seasonal greens in December.

In talking with Maya, she brims over with enthusiasm for her business. “Flowers are beautiful, and I like working outside for sure, but, for me, it really is all about relationships,” she said. “I get to do it all in the context of other farmers and florists, at this point, working with people I’ve known for ten years sometimes. I have relationships with a lot of the neighbors near my garden sites. My cooler is across the street in a bakery. Some florists pick up right from my front porch.”

Because Hillen Homestead has no buildings or structures, everything is field grown, with an emphasis on annuals, although they grow peonies, other perennials, and woodies such as Ninebark, too. Maya said that, in the early days, “I rented shared space in a greenhouse, but then I had two babies, and I started buying plugs from Sharps and have never looked back. I focus on season extension with row cover and variety, but it is so much warmer in the city, that I can sell from mid-March to early November.”

Although she has occasionally participated in markets through the Farm Alliance of Baltimore, and she offers a four-week tulip subscription, Maya’s primary customer is designers. When asked, Maya instantly noted that communication is critical to a successful relationship between farmer and florist. “If you think something is off, the minute you know, tell,” she advises. If I know I will be short on something, I let them know ASAP as I don’t want them to be in a bind. I check in over the winter to talk about how the relationship worked, are there any updates, etc., so I can be forward thinking, and not just putting out fires.”

From her perspective, Maya believes that florists and designers can prioritize each other. “Early on, I didn’t necessarily have a huge bounty every week, but I was new, and people were working with me. “ Maya noted that, often, florists are looking for huge growers and growers want to land the biggest florists, but that it can benefit smaller businesses both to work together. “Be willing to take a chance on someone who is also newer, and help shape their business.”

Trusting growers to know their product also came up in our conversation. “Some of the florists who got my best stuff last year were the ones who said, ‘this is my color palette this week, I’ll take $300 from you.’ I send them a draft order, and they can still make changes, but that has been amazing.” With supply shortages last year, certain flowers were in demand, she says, but, “we have stuff that looks even better than what is in demand. For people who aren’t designing to a specific recipe, if you build in flexibility, you can really get the best product.”

So, how can you access the best product? Fill out the inquiry form at https://www.hillenhomestead.com/florists.html “People often find me via Instagram and reach out that way. I don’t really say no to anyone, but if someone is asking for the first time for burgundy dahlias the first week of October, that will be tough. The more consistently you are able to order, the higher priority you get.”

“All of my DC sales I do cooperatively with Two Boots Farm, so we can cover each other and offer a bigger variety – we complement each other, as she is Carroll County which is colder, so that extends the growing season for our customers. We send one availability list that has stuff from us both. We do twice-a-week deliveries to DC, April through October.”

Thank you so much, Maya, for talking with IFDA.

I’ll be featuring different growers regularly here on the IFDA website. In between, the Maryland Cut Flower Growers Association is a terrific resource for finding flowers in this area: http://www.marylandgrownflowers.com/flowerfarms. Travelling to design for a destination wedding? Find local farms all over the nation from the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers here: https://localflowers.org/find-flowers

Photo by: Urban Row Photography

Awakenings

The last Friday of February brought the most beautiful ice storm. Everything – trees, grass, fences, railings, cars – was coated in ice that shone like polished silver in the dawn’s early light. Later that morning, rain fell, and the temperature rose, so that by the time I walked the gardens, you wouldn’t have known there had been ice at all. The ground that had been frozen, and, just a week before, covered in snow, was muddy, and the first early spring weeds were blooming.

Which is to say that while it looked like all was cold and frozen these last months, the earth was silently preparing for its annual spring awakening. What we couldn’t see was happening all the same, and, at the first opportunity, plants burst forth.

Awakenings are often like that. We think nothing is happening, we are frustrated when nothing seems to be changing – and then one day, change is here.

We see this often in the flower world. Seeds that take forever to germinate, brides that take forever to book, a silent ordering system until suddenly we spot green in the soil or bookings overflow. What do we do when we are awaiting these changes?

We organize. We plan. We learn. We connect. We prepare so we can ride the wave of abundance when it arrives. Often a wild ride to be sure, but always worth the wait.

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

Daffodils, Forsythia, Freesia, Hyacinth, Paperwhite Narcissus, Pussy Willow, Quince, Succulents, and Tulips. Also ask your local growers about dried flowers and wreaths – many dry their harvest!

Care Tips for Daffodils – Narcissus pseudonarcissus - Daffodils define cheerful! Whether yellow, white, orange, or pink, the many forms and colorations are uplifting in early spring. When cut in the “gooseneck” stage, they can be stored dry in the cooler or in buckets of water. If flowers are to be placed with other types, place just the daffodils in water for at least six hours first so the sap can leek out. Don’t get the stems again before designing with other flowers. Vase life is three to six days.

Monocacy Valley Flower Cooperative

Playing Wordle every day and a weekly Scrabble game with my husband has me googling  words frequently this winter.  One I was just checking the definition of is burgeon, which perfectly describes the locally grown flowers movement in our region.  The number of specialty growers has been rapidly increasing, so much that flower availability is flourishing in local markets year-round.  

I’ll be featuring different growers regularly here on the IFDA website.   In between, the Maryland Cut Flower Growers Association is a terrific resource for finding flowers in this area:  http://www.marylandgrownflowers.com/flowerfarms  Traveling to design for a destination wedding?  Find local farms all over the nation from the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers here:  https://localflowers.org/find-flowers/

It isn’t just individual growers that are increasing in number, but also cooperatives, both formal and informal.  This first grower’s profile will feature the first cooperative in this area in recent years, Monocacy Valley Flower Cooperative.  Four years ago, prompted by their love of flowers and their desire to share that beauty with others, six growers from three Maryland counties banded together so that they could offer a broader range of flowers and foliage on a more consistent basis to designers, streamlining the ordering and pick-up process.   

Each of the growers has been growing for six to 12 years professionally, and each brought prior experience and education to the cooperative.  For instance, the part-time administrator, Lydia Printz, has a degree in Agriculture from the University of Maryland, and Jackie Coldsmith of Tierra Blooms ran an organic vegetable farm before venturing in to cut flowers.   Those years of study and experience have helped them navigate the many challenges of farming and still offer high quality product to their customers.  Additionally, they are able to grow flowers and foliage for nine or more months of the year, as each has either a heated greenhouse, an unheated hoop house, a low tunnel, or some combination of these.

Melane Kinney Hoffmann of Hidden Ridge Farm and a Past President of the Maryland Cut Flower Growers Association shared with me that the members prioritize talking with designers to better meet their needs.  

“The single most valuable thing that designers could do to make the process go better is to give us very early notice of what they want for large events so that we can custom grow it,” Melane said. For example, if a designer will need 300 stems of white cosmos or 200 stems of coral fountain amaranth for a September  wedding, or 400 white ranunculus for a May wedding, if they let us know in time to get the seed, plugs, tubers or corms we can grow it, manage it, and save it for the occasion. If plans change, there is no obligation to buy; we can still sell it to someone else. But if you don’t ask for it in time for us to grow it especially for you, there’s a chance we won’t have it.”

So, how do you find out what products Monocacy Valley has available?  Request to be added to their Wednesday availability list, which goes out weekly from Mid-March to Mid-November.  Visit www.monocacyvalleyflowercoop.com to complete the contact form.

Melane described what each of the talented growers in the cooperative enjoy about their work. 

“First, how cool is it to produce fields of colorful beauty and elegant stems of spectacular flowers, all from a tiny seed or humble cutting or wrinkled tuber? That brings a daily feeling of satisfaction and pride. Second, we love the sense of community and connection with others in the field, from growers and designers to customers and suppliers,” she said

Thank you to the growers of Monocacy Valley Flower Cooperative for talking with us.  The members include:

• Belle Blooms Farm, Morgan Wilson Patterson, Adamstown, MD, Frederick County

• Cut Flowers by Clear Ridge, Jessica Todd, Union Bridge, MD, Carroll County

• Hidden Ridge Farm, Melane Kinney Hoffmann, Clarksburg, MD, Montgomery County

• M & M Plants, Madgie and Mark McGaughan, Dickerson, MD, Montgomery County

• The Petal Patch Flower Farm, Julianne DuFour, Walkersville, MD, Frederick County

• Tierra Blooms, Jackie Coldsmith, Taneytown, MD, Carroll County

Resolutions

A fresh start awaits us each morning, but somehow, the turn of the calendar to a new month or year gets the limelight.  Beginnings prompt many of us to consider what we want to change, either by improvement or elimination or both.  What could be improved or eliminated with locally grown flowers?

Communication is often mentioned as causing challenges between growers and designers.  This could be improved by eliminating vagueness on both parts.  If a grower isn’t sure they will have what is ordered, speak up sooner rather than later!  It doesn’t help the designer if they learn last minute that something hasn’t come on as fast as expected, or was hit with pest damage unexpectedly, or demolished by hail.  Tell them early and often what is going on, offer alternatives, and apologize.  With global supply-chain issues from the pandemic still disrupting so much, this will be especially important this year.

Designers, too, could be clearer about their needs.  If a customer cancels, or changes their vision after you have ordered from the grower, let them know right away.  If the product is still in the field, they can sell to someone else.  If it has been harvested, they may still be able to sell elsewhere, but that is tougher, depending on the perishability of the item.  If you are hedging your bets by contacting more than one grower, let them know that, too.  Many growers collaborate to fill large orders, and knowing who else is in the mix makes it easier for growers to work together to meet the needs of florists.

Something else that can improve relationships between growers and designers is patience.  It takes time for designers to trust new growers, and it takes time for growers to understand the needs of their floral customers.  Delivering as ordered, as well as offering consistent, clear communication, especially when things aren’t going quite as wished, builds a lasting foundation of trust.

Make that your resolution every day, and we can all have more time to celebrate the beauty that brings us together.

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

Forsythia, Hyacinth, Paperwhite Narcissus, Pussy Willow, Quince, and Tulips.  Also ask your local growers about dried flowers and wreaths – many dry their harvest!

Care Tips for Chaenomeles, Flowering Quince – These lovely branches can be forced into bloom by placing stems in water in light in warm temperatures.  The expected vase life is about a week, sometimes as long as ten days.  Look for these from December to March.