If 2020 taught me anything, it is that the outdoors provide. When stores, cafes, restaurants, gyms, and community centers closed last spring, the outdoors stayed open. When I couldn’t venture afar to explore, I found new ways to explore in my own backyard. It turns out, I wasn’t alone. Nurseries and commercial greenhouses sold out in record time. Seeds flew off the shelves of garden centers. Potting soil became a highly sought after commodity. A shift took place. The collective appetite became insatiably hungry for all things outdoors.
 

The Problem:

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Many cut flowers (flowers that are specifically bred for their ability to be cut and hold up in a vase) are native to more tropical environments and as such, they have a long window of growth before they bloom. Although once established, they do grow well in our northern climate, this long growth period necessitates the plants to be started indoors, preferably under grow lights or in a climate controlled greenhouse, if they have any hope of putting on blooms before our early frost settles in. This limits the average home gardener as to what they can grow. Often the next best solution is looking to a commercial greenhouse for seedling starts. Greenhouses dominate in the world of bedding and house plants, however, their cut flower selection is limited and demands this year will be likely be very high as we have seen in the past 2 years.

Common seeds can be found at local garden centers, but again, their cut flower offerings are limited and the seed packs normally contain 50-100 seeds (if not 500!) per package which can often feel wasteful as most home gardeners are not set up to grow such high quantities of a single variety.

The Solution: Become a Grow Together Member with Meadow Farm Florals

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As a GT member, we will receive the following:

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• A planter’s package in May containing approximately 30 of our favourite, hard to source cut flower varieties, potted and ready to transplant. This package will include perennials, biennials, and annuals. Additionally, the package will include one pre-sprouted dahlia. This is a tuber that, if done so properly, can be dug up in the fall and stored to be replanted the following spring. This dahlia will multiply each year that it is grown.

• Direct sow seeds. These are seeds that either resent being transplanted, have a quick maturation date, or both. As a result, these varieties prefer to be sown directly into the ground. The seed packets will contain just the right amount for your home sized cut flower garden.

• A printed booklet with all the growing, transplant, seed sowing, harvesting and post-harvest tips that you will need for the varieties your receive in your GT package.

• Direct access to Meadow Farm Florals and the rest of the GT growing community via a What’s App private chat group from May Long Weekend until the end of the growing season. This is where the magic will happen. This group will be extremely beneficial not only for your learning but also for community building. We will send out frequent tips, info, pictures, videos and check in’s - e.g. “Have you pinched your snapdragons yet? If not, this is the week to do so and here is how!”.

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Most importantly, what flowers might you expect to receive?

 

Depending on seed supply and germination rates some of the plants you might expect to receive in your package are as follows:

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• Delphinium

• 1 pre-sprouted Dahlia

• Double Click Cosmos

• Foxglove

• Snapdragons

• Scabiosa

• Strawflower

• Amaranthus

• False Queen Anne’s Lace

• Giant Marigolds

• Zinnias

• Rudbeckia

• King Size Aster

• Sunflowers

• Bachelor’s Buttons

• Nicotiana

• Bupleurum

• Heirloom Calendula

• Annual Forget-Me-Not’s