VALENTINE'S WEEK 3

BOUQUET INGREDIENTS

ranunculus, snapdragon, anemone, orlaya

I am always stunned by how quickly we go from hardly harvesting a thing to harvesting every day on the farm. This week we entered harvest mode in full force, almost four weeks earlier than we've ever had this quantity of blooms. Thanks to our leased high tunnel we were able to experiment with planting flowers other than bulbs in the fall for the first time last year. These overwintered flowers have been carefully tended (honestly, babied) since November, so it's nice to finally be able to let go of that anticipation. I don't want to say we saved the best for last because picking favorite flowers feels a bit like picking a favorite child, but the flowers in your bouquets this week are some of my favorites.

Ranunculus are sort of the queen of spring among flower farmers. They have a reputation for being difficult to grow because they require cool temperatures and will go dormant once temperatures are above 70 degrees. This means in Kansas springs, they usually only bloom for two or three weeks before the heat shuts them down, and they must be established early enough to beat that heat or they won't bloom at all. If you get this timing right, they really aren't too fussy and the extra care they require is worth it for their fabulous blooms.

Finally, we're quickly filling spots for our main season bouquet subscriptions. If you'd like to keep the flowers coming, you have a couple weeks or until we sell out to sign up! We are also new vendors at the Lawrence Farmers' Market that takes place downtown Saturday mornings -- we'd love to see you there! I hope you've enjoyed your blooms these past few weeks as much as we've enjoyed growing them for you.