Our season of local grown, flowers in the Northeast is nearing full force, so my daily flower offerings will now be dominated by these beauties until late October or so. As an eco-florist, I am a proponent of US and local grown everything so often curiously, asked where in fact are they grown and how far they traveled before resting with you at your table.
Most of my local, in season, stock is from a 60 mile, tri-state radius, but over the weekend I treated myself to visit a local flower grower just 20 miles from my shop. This one, a small cottage farm tucked away over a hill, and through the trees to a hidden plot of land. Operated by a solopreneur who was immediately apparent to put his heart and soul in every row. It was obvious the love affair with his flower children as all small farmers and growers of anything have. To these shepherds of the field it never seems to be about just the money, but yet about the passion. There are many of these little farms with their glorious show of row upon row of happy flowers sharing space with bees and groundhogs; no chemicals or pesticides here, just a perfect world.
A Wild & Magical Place
A cut flower farm is nothing like a landscaped garden; think wild and free with the scent of yarrow & lavender intoxicating you as the bright, black eyed ‘Suzie’s’ dance around your legs like fairies. I cower to the tall trumpet lilies as they seem to stare protectively at eye level as I tiptoe down each row. I play with bees and caress the petals as I try to pick which to take as they all fight and flirt for my attention whispering “take me! take me! I am for sure the loveliest of the field”.
Choosing The Flowers-Oh Dear
In the end, these charming, gardens draw you in to their fanciful world and you are actually loathe to disrupt it so I walk around and around multiple times saying hello to everyone once, twice, and thrice. I of course can barely choose and end up cutting a few of this and those then leave it to the shepherd to pick according to my color requests or varieties I can’t live without.
An All Around Positive
Buying local is rewarding for all concerned exceptionally so for the environment. The farmer is validated his efforts, Nature is saved from chemicals, I am design inspired will all the unique varieties, and you receive twice the longevity of the imported, facsimile, flowers. No land or creature was harmed, no plastic packaging, no energy to fly it, and no shopping out the area that supports you.
A day at the local flower farm is an easy and mindlful, delight for anyone to reconnect . No matter what part of the country you live or the world; you have a season of flowers and I encourage you not to miss it. Go wander in your local flower farm. For me it is an escape back to my natural world of things and invigorates my spirit and reminds my calling; that which can be lost with flowers just coming in day to day from a delivery truck. We are all connected with the natural world and we so often lose touch until you go back to that mountain, lake, park, or just a little hidden flower farm….and then you realize that you have been gone way too long.
Take some time to smell the flowers, Lynn 🙂