This spring was a beautiful blur. We were drowning in peonies, harvesting from the 90+ plants in the field twice a day. The baptisia were in full bloom, and the yarrow patch was off to a great start. We did a special promotion for Mother's Day with Madeleine Bakery&Bistro, and soon after that our CSA bouquets were starting to go out the door. Flowers for everyone! Finally! This is what we were planning and waiting for all winter long.
Just a week ago, we were lamenting that "we didn't have enough flowers." The peonies were all done, and we were watching all the buds in the field like hawks, wanting to dive in every time we saw a hint of color. We had lots of little things-- fun accents and textural grasses. But between peonies and dahlias, we were worried about making it work. We have been at three separate markets every weekend, and our CSA bouquets have carried on as well... we were panicked, but we made it work.
This week, however, we are back to swimming in flowers! All our annuals planted in the field are starting to bloom. We have over 200 snapdragon plants starting to bloom. They are glorious! The zinnias and cosmos are trying to bloom, but we keep pinching buds to let the plants grow taller. Even the dahlias have buds!
One of our new favorites this year is Cerinthe major. The stems are very long, and well worth the extra step for conditioning. Do you know that some cut flowers need to be seared (either with a flame or a dip in boiling water) to ensure longer vase life? We just learned this year!
The flowers are very delicate, but the way the bracts turn purple-y blue and droop is so charming, and adds so much to a bouquet. We can't wait to see them with our Queen Lime Orange zinnias and Brown Sugar dahlias.
Now for some more news: we have just launched a calendar on our website so you can see where to find us all summer long! We're doing a special pop-up Mini Sale at Commonplace Coffee in Point Breeze on July 4, setting up around 8 and staying 'til we sell out of flowers. We're so happy to be back at that spot, and we hope to see you there!
As for farmer's markets, we will be regular vendors at the East Liberty Market on Mondays from 3-7, and at the Squirrel Hill Market on most Sundays this summer from 9-1. We're trying out the Wilkinsburg Farmer's Market during July, which is on Thursdays from 4-7. We are also going to try the Mt Lebanon Farmer's Market for August-October! Definitely a busy busy summer, and lots of chances for you to come say hello to us :) We can't wait to see you!
And finally, some more pictures of flowers, our home garden, and the farm :)
Thanks for checking in! Have a great summer :)
Olivia + Maddy