A Local Flower Grows, I Mean Goes, To Brooklyn

One of the exciting changes for Butternut Gardens this year will be a weekly trip to Brooklyn, NY to deliver directly to several studio designers, who are working with locally-grown blooms. Last year, when I participated in a Business of Flowers Workshop taught by Jennie Love and Ellen Frost of Local Color Flowers (Baltimore, MD), at Jennie Love's LoveNFresh Farm in Philadelphia, I met several floral designers from Brooklyn and Manhattan. One of these designers was Rachel Gordon of Taproot Flowers in Brooklyn. Rachel has been after me ever since to see if she could somehow work with flowers from Butternut Gardens. Rachel only works with flowers sourced locally from within a 200 mile radius. While USDA actually defines "local" as being within a 400 mile radius, Rachel and Taproot Flowers stands by her 200 mile definition. Ellen Frost is Rachel's number one role model, since over a decade ago Ellen started up Local Color Flowers using only locally-sourced flowers. Both Ellen and Rachel are extremely supportive of local farmers and local farming, and Jennie Love is a Farmer Florist extraordinaire. Thank you! 

Rachel, owing to an unwavering stance on sourcing local, has gathered together several Brooklyn designers and several farms, with hopes of making access to farm flowers more of the norm in Brooklyn. I am very happy to be a participating. Very exciting, also, is that Debra Prinzing, nationally-renowned proponent for Slow Flowers, i.e. locally grown flowers, recently did a podcast about the plans to bring Farm Flowers to Brooklyn. It aired on April 15th, and included a conversation between Debra and one of the Hudson Valley Farms - Tiny Hearts Farm- which will also do a Brooklyn flower run, a conversation between Debra and Rachel from Taproot Flowers, and also, quite nice of Debra, was inclusion of Butternut Gardens' planned foray into the Brooklyn market in the podcast's written notes, thus putting Connecticut flowers on the national flower map. 

Please listen to the Podcast, or at least read the podcast notes, since the podcast is lengthy (but interesting). You can read the notes and access the podcast here:  http://www.debraprinzing.com/2015/04/15/flowers-for-brooklyn-farmed-in-hudson-valley-with-tiny-hearts-farm-and-taproot-flowers-episode-189/

It is episode 189.

Pre-Season Chores

I can't believe how time flies, even in the winter. A lot takes place from December to March in the realm of a flower farmer.  I tell people I work full time during these few months and overtime everyday of the growing season itself.  It is true!

Spreadsheets rule my winter months as I fine tune my seeding and planting plans, decide how many and which varieties of lilies to plant during each week, when to start the calla lilies based on when I need their flowers for bouquets, which sunflowers to plant during each week, what color Celosia I want blooming earlier in the summer and what colors will work best later in the season, and make other growing decisions when I  have the luxury of a little time to think.  Winter is also the time to order supplies.

Spreadsheets rule my winter months!

The other end of the farmer florist spectrum requires winter work as well. Meeting brides, planning wedding flowers, visiting with wedding planners, and developing workshop plans all gets done at this time of year. It is such a wonderful time for dreaming about beautiful flowers and the results of all the work that goes into growing.

As March rolls around, many seeds are started, I am checking the anemone outside in the plastic low tunnels and hardy annuals like Bachelor's Button, Corn Cockle and Larkspur, to ensure they have safely overwintered.  I find myself  increasingly ready for the real year to begin. I always feel an odd mix of anticipation and uncertainty. Is it time yet, or not? When exactly will we experience our last frost? Is it yet safe to plant out some of the less hardy seedlings? Should I hold off on starting the heat-lovers? Sooner or later that starter's gun will sound, and I will happily be off the mark and on my way with this year's flowers. Happy First Day of Spring!

Lilies always popping at Butternut Gardens

Lilies and other June flowers at Butternut Gardens

Lilies are always popping at Butternut Gardens. Can't wait 'til June when all the lilies start. If you want to share in the beauty of flowers all season, why not choose one of my flower subscription services (limited to delivery in Southport, Fairfield, Westport, lower Weston). Then you could have flowers delivered right to your doorstep weekly, biweekly or monthly from Spring to Fall.

Spreading some more Spring Flower Fairy Dust

Pansies - harbingers of spring

In early spring everyone seems to jump on the bandwagon for pansies. You find them for sale everywhere - plant nurseries, grocery stores, building supply companies, farmers markets.  And, why not? They are so darn cheerful. Even though I do not grow them for cuts, it is very hard for me to resist putting a few in the window boxes sitting on my deck railings. So, here to spread some springtime cheer, are pansies. Enjoy!

Phlox - Soft, Fragrant and Beautiful

Phlox at Butternut Gardens

Garden Phlox is not only gorgeous, but also offers one of the nicest, softest scents of summer. A bouquet of phlox will quickly infuse your home with floral fragrance, and you won't regret it for a second! With blooms ranging from lavender to white, light pink to very deep pink, salmon and several bi-color varieties as well, Phlox offers a rich variety of blooms for floral designs and gardens alike. Phlox are long-blooming and have been a garden favorite for over a hundred years.  By growing a number of varieties, I am able to cut Phlox from mid- or late-June on and off through the Fall.

David's Lavender Phlox - one of the best for mildew-resistance

Fleur du Jour - Iris coming in May

Siberian Iris at Butternut Gardens

I love Iris and grow three major types - Dutch Iris, bearded or German Iris, and Siberian Iris. They are gorgeous additions to the late May and early June bouquets and arrangements. Some of the bearded Iris have absolutely amazing fragrance to boot.

Good news - we are inching closer to this year's Iris. - only 85 more days based on first cut date in 2014.

Also, anyone noticing how much more daylight we have these days? Maybe hard to tell with all the snow around here. In any event, we are less than 1 month away from the first day of Spring, or vernal equinox. Kick up your heels, folks!

Butternut Gardens in Reverie Gallery for Weddings

I am thrilled to announce Butternut Gardens has been selected for inclusion in Reverie Gallery, a totally awesome source for wedding inspiration and resources for your perfect wedding. Reverie is a new wedding blog "for the Savvy & Stylish Soon-To-Be-Wed" and is it ever a wonderful addition to the wedding world. Please go on over to http://reveriegallery.com/ for some utterly breathtaking wedding inspiration.  Butternut Gardens is joined by a number of skilled and talented vendors, and Reverie beautifully captures many different styles, so you are certain to pinpoint exactly what you want for your special wedding.

Winter Waiting

Caterpillar tunnels keeping things warm at Butternut Gardens

The caterpillar tunnels are holding up well

under all the snow. Hard to believe that my

biggest fear, when I put up the tunnels, was

that the plastic would blow off. Pretty safe to

say that, for the time being, the poly cover

isn't going anywhere. So, what's under cover?

Ranunculus and Anemone.

Coming soon! I wouldn't be surprised by an

early spring.