Spring Flowers; Our varieties and how we harvest and care for them.
There is something really special about spring flowers. I don’t know if it's the ruffled romance of them, the surprising scent, the long, cold, incredibly drab winter that makes them extra special, or the fact that once they are gone, you don’t see them for another year. Maybe it’s the combination of it all that makes them the best. Spring flowers also tend to last a really long time (when harvested properly) and you get to watch them go from a tight bud to a huge sprawling colorful burst of beauty. As a flower grower, some of these spring flowers are really easy to grow and some are incredibly finicky; and they tend to be quite an investment on both the back end and the front end. Regardless, they are totally worth it!
The first spring flowers to bloom here on our farm are daffodils (typically mid April); specifically the Apricot Whirl variety. These daffodils smell incredibly sweet and they are the most interesting apricot color. We grow around eight varieties of fancy daffodils mainly in apricots, whites, creams, and pinks. They bloom for a long window of time, which is really nice. They coincide with tulip season and flowering branch and pussy willow season as well. There is nothing better than that combination on a chilly spring day! From the farmer florist perspective, there are a few details to note about daffs; as a grower, they are awesome because they are bulbs that last season after season and produce more and more flowers each year. Harvesting daffodils happens by pulling the stems at soil level and popping the stem off the bulb. Daff flowers are harvested typically in the ‘gooseneck stage’ for the longest vase life. Daff flowers at this stage don’t look like much, but you just wait; fancy daffs are one of the most amazing spring flowers there are. Once they start popping, I’m out there harvesting 2-3 times per day. The other interesting fact is that daffodils can leak a sticky sap that is toxic to other flowers; however once they hydrate for a few hours on their own, it’s totally safe to mix them with other flowers. It’s best to not recut the stems of daffodils once you receive them in a bouquet.
Here in zone 5b, Tulips tend to start blooming late April and early to mid May. We typically plant early, mid, and late blooming tulips to spread out bloom times. A lot of people are a little horrified to hear that cut flower growers pull the whole tulip bulb while harvesting and toss it in the compost. We do this happens for a few reasons; first of all, stem length matters A LOT to cut flower growers. Oftentimes to get the stem length we need, we have to use the ENTIRE plant, even the part that is buried in the ground. The second reason is that tulips need their foliage to stay on the plant until they die back to send energy back down to the bulb. When we take the whole stem, there are no leaves left on the stem or bulb and they won’t bloom again. One of the reasons your spring flower bouquets may be a bit more costly than summer flowers, is for this reason, each bulb we purchase only gives us one stem ever; it's costly but so worth it. We also try to grow some really interesting varieties, not the ones you see in the grocery store. Parrot, fringe, and double blooming tulips are all some of the gorgeous varieties we grow. We harvest tulips at the ‘cracked bud’ stage meaning when the buds just barely start to crack open and show color. When harvesting at this stage, with their bulb fully intact; tulips can be stored dry in the cooler for quite a long time!
Third on our list are ranunculus (and anemone). These flowers are SO gorgeous and long lasting, but major pains in my book (I should also mention that all my flowers are field grown out in the elements and not in a greenhouse). There are a handful of ways to grow ranunculus, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. I typically pre-sprout the corms in a cool dark place and plant out March 1st under frost cloth; this year, with our snowy March weather, I am putting larger plants in the ground at a bit later than usual. These beauties only do well if we have a long cool spring. Early and frequent spring heat waves fizzle out the plants before they even get off to producing many blooms. When cut and treated properly, ranunculus can last almost two weeks in a vase. They are an expensive flower, but very worth it because of the incredible beauty and longevity of the blooms. They are the PERFECT flower for bridal bouquets as well; they radiate romance!
Last on the list, and what seem to be everyone’s favorite, are peonies! This year our peony plants are turning four years old, which means they are producing like crazy and well established. Peonies are one of the most sought after, most expensive, and most beautiful flowers in the floral industry. For a flower grower, large quantities of peony roots are a big investment and require a lot of patience (and a lot of weeding). But once they get going, they are great producers. I know many of you have noticed ants all over your peonies and might even think there is a problem. Ants are actually a good thing! They eat the sweet sugar peony buds secrete all the while keeping the bad bugs away; this means more perfect blooms for us. Harvesting peonies happens in a closed bud stage when a bit of petal starts to lift. When harvested properly, you’ll be able to see the full flower open and change each day. These beautiful flowers will make their way into so many bridal bouquets and spring subscriptions this June, and I can’t wait.
Spring flowers are right around the corner and I think they will be here even sooner than they were last year due to a mild winter. I have daffodils with large tall buds on them as we speak. Spring flowers make great gifts for you, your friends, family and teachers….and make the best Mother’s Day gift too. Stay tuned to social media and the newsletter to see when these babies will be available for ordering!!
Happy Spring,
Dana
