“ Had you asked me five eld ago , I never would have imagined we would be owners of a cut flower farm , ” say Melissa Brown , who runsBee Merry Farmin Washington ’s Skagit Valley alongside her married man , Jeff , who ’s also a hobby beekeeper .
The ascendant of Bee Merry Farm come about through requirement . After moving to a new attribute that let in 4 of its 5 acres zoned for agriculture , Brown knew they would need to work the land to maintain its zoning . So she engraft 10 initial dahlia plants that soon bloomed to over 100 in their first time of year .
“ essentially , what started as a by-line became something to help retain our farmland zoning , which ended up becoming something I utterly love , ” chew over Brown .
take a moment out from the blossom fields , we spoke to Brown about the benefits of her Edwin Herbert Land ’s soil and the enduring appeal of dahlia . We also dumbfound into the potential of flowers as an aesthetic electrical outlet .
The Skagit Valley Soil
A post shared by Melissa Brown | Bee Merry Farm ( @beemerryfarm )
“ We are really golden to live in the heart of Skagit Valley ’s farmland , which has some of the secure soil due to a long history of flooding and nutritious - full-bodied soils being deposited along the vale level , ” says Brown . “ With dikes now preventing that type of flooding , we get to glean the benefit of rattling soil with minimum worry about flooding — at least most of the fourth dimension ! ”
Brown also say that beyond adding compost , she does n’t involve to muck about with the soil too much to successfully grow her blooms .
Give It Up for Dahlias
Brown suggest that the late rise in popularity of Dahlia pinnata is due to a number of factors , include “ social culture medium , an increase interest in garden during the pandemic , and a rise in small farm sell dahlias . ”
The abundant nature of dahlias has also helped their grounds . “ They grow bloom all summer long and multiply tubers that can be split and shared , ” tell Brown . “ It ’s rewarding , and a piece addictive , to grow them – with a small bit of caution , they will blossom their heart out and then give you more Tuber so you’re able to do it all over again the following time of year . ”
The Benefits of Small-Scale Flower Growing
“ Over the last few seasons , the interest in procuring dahlia tuber has reached an almost free-enterprise point , ” explains Brown , as she considers the need for dahlias . “ regrettably , many of the Dahlia pinnata sell in fully grown - box stores are automobile - reap , imported and often diseased ( commonly with summit or leafy crust , neither of which is curable ) . ”
By comparison , Brown says , smaller farms are able-bodied to “ take quantity to ensure their plants are salubrious , which typically mean they are tended by hand . ”
She adds that this extra level of care and attention means it can take a farseeing time to progress up enough ancestry to meet the demand of buyers . “ This is why , when dahlia tuber sales go live on a vendor ’s website , they are often sold out within minutes . Coveted varieties are often sold out within seconds . There just is n’t enough to go around right now—[but ] a corporate desire to grow more flowers is a beautiful trouble to have . ”
Read more : Ready to depart a cut - flower farm business ?
A World Beyond Dahlias
While dahlia play a crucial part at Bee Merry Farm , some of their supporting bloom are just as center - catch and beneficial .
“ by from dahlias , other heyday I love to get include sweet peas , cosmos , zinnias and nasturtiums , ” say Brown . “ It take me a few days to get the bent of growing sweet pea plant , but their nostalgic scent is well deserving the endeavor of determine their ways . ”
“ Cosmos and old maid flower are incredibly easy to grow and come in a assortment of colors , ” she add . “ Cosmos in especial add a nice notion to flowered arrangement . As for Nasturtium , I develop them simply because I commemorate my mom growing them when I was a child . I was so fascinated by their leaves in particular . ”
Flowers as an Artistic Outlet
“ One of the most surprising realisation I ’ve made is that flowers can be an incredible artistic electric outlet , ” says Brown , who equilibrise her flower raise with a role as a instructor . “ They are a beautiful medium for explore texture and colors . ”
Brown explain she ’s fond of creating efflorescence artistry through flatlays , which depict her flower from straight above ( and are on a regular basis posted on herInstagram account ) . “ I started produce flatlays as a style to say good day to flush — experimenting with played out blooms before they shoot the compost pile — as well as to give them permanence through photography . ”
After read Susan Cain ’s bookBittersweetlast summer , Brown append that she learned how “ some mass are more pertinent to experience intense smell of hungriness , being deeply prompt by things that are fleeting in life . ”
It ’s a philosophy Brown has successfully translated to her own flower farming and artistic inclinations . “ Accepting that the cyclical nature of growing peak is both bitter and gratifying has made the process of creating flatlays a meaningful electric outlet for me . ”
