Spring officially begins tomorrow, and I am already swimming in tulips. I think next year, I will need to offer tulip bouquets in March. Because I have so much product right now and no sales outlets, I did one of the most nerve-wracking things I’ve ever done… cold-calling florists. I loaded up two full buckets of tulips and drove to a florist shop, hoping they might be interested in purchasing some locally grown flowers. They were very kind and gushed over the flowers, but they were overrun with tulips. They suggested another florist just down the road. At the second shop, I carried in my two buckets of tulips. The staff took the buckets and sat them on their counter. They also gushed over the flowers but said that the person who makes purchasing decisions wasn’t in yet. They asked for my card and said they’d be in touch. They made no move to give back the flowers, and I didn’t know if it was proper protocol to ask for them, so I figured someone would look them over and contact me with their decision of whether or not to buy from me. I don’t put my cellphone on business cards, but they had my email. I waited two days. On Friday morning I called. I gave them my number for future reference. They didn’t mention my flowers and I felt super awkward asking, “So, are you going to buy the flowers or not?” Instead, they said they’d add my number to my business card and that was the end of the conversation. I know that growers sometimes drop off samples with florists, but I thought giving away $200 of product was excessive! I posted about this in a Facebook group of flower farmers asking how to approach florists in the future. I got some great feedback, so I think I’ll be better equipped for my next encounter. I’ve also applied for an account with Rooted Farmers. This is a website that connects local growers with local florists. My application is still being processed. Farmers upload their inventory and prices and florists can shop from the website. It’s less money than selling flowers retail, but it would also be less work for me. Instead of spending lots of time creating bouquets, I’d sell flowers by the bunch. This would be a great sales outlet for me during those months that I don’t have the farmers market. 

It’s still too early to plant summer crops, so I’m spending most of my time creating a more efficient workspace. I can’t tell you how much time I waste looking for tools or clearing the clutter from my tables before I can begin a task. Last year, I was rushing to get things done before heading off to work, and then I was gardening in those hours after I got home until it was too dark to see. I was so tired at the end of the day, I had no energy left to put things away and tidy my space. I have to make better choices this year because time is money. I read Lennie Larkin’s book Flower Farming for Profit while I was in Mexico and geeked out over the many ways to become a more efficient business. It helps that I LOVE to organize. If you show me office supplies and storage systems, you are speaking my love language. I don’t know how successful I’ll be at selling flowers, but I am determined to look good trying. 

In addition to prepping my space, I’ve planted some cold-hardy plants (stock and delphinium) and I’ll be starting round #2 of seeds this week. This time around, I’ll start basil, zinnias, and even a few sunflowers. My propagation racks are quickly filling up with baby plants. I’m also trying my hand at dahlia cuttings. I’ve potted up some of my tubers and put them in a warm spot to get them sprouting. I’ll cut those little sprouts off and hopefully get them to root into new plants. I’ve never had time to play with this method of propagation. I can’t wait to see what happens.

Here is my St. Patrick’s Day-inspired Flower Power Friday arrangement. I hope all of you get to spend some time this week celebrating the rebirth of plants and listening to the birds’ cheerful songs. Spring is finally here and there is much rejoicing!