December 2019 Newsletter
As we enter the last month of 2019, we are grateful for a successful year of preparing, planting, growing and harvesting. In November, activities on the farm transition away from harvesting and move to preparing for next year. Some of these activities include digging up dahlias, planting out anemones and ranunculus and covering our hardy annual beds with low tunnels. Additionally, we planted out 800 daffodils. This effort required digging a trench 8 inches deep, 4 feet wide and over 50 feet long. With the help of our tractor, we were able to accomplish this in a single day and more importantly without injury. We hope you enjoy reading more about our November happenings in this edition of our monthly newsletter.
~STILL WATERS FARM AND GARDENS
Field of Dahlias after hard freeze
Digging Up Dahlias
Dahlias are one of the more productive flowers we grow on our farm. We plant them as individual tubers in late April and they thrive throughout the heat of the summer boasting a beautiful array of shapes and colors. Once the first hard frost hits, usually around early November for us, the plants turn brown overnight. This is the sign that digging will soon begin. After digging up the tubers which have multiplied since April, we let the tubers dry out. Next the tubers are put in a crate, surrounded with vermiculite and stored in our cellar through the winter. In early spring, we will pull them out of the crates, dividing them as needed and begin pre-sprouting for planting in the field. Our dahlia dig this past month took about 2 days to complete and now all the tubers are resting comfortably for the winter.
Dahlia tubers after dug up and labeled
Pre-sprouting Ranunculus
Anemones and Ranunculus
Our earliest crop of the year happens in February when the Anemones are beginning to burst forth in all their splendor. Following closely behind the Anemones will be the emergence of Ranunculus. Both of these flowers are planted out in early November to be ready for their early spring appearances. Before planting them, we pre-sprout them through a process of soaking and then placing them in a soil mix for 10-14 days. After this time, we take the sprouting corms to the field and plant them in furrows. Next we cover them with leaves and install low tunnels to cover them when temperatures dip below freezing. For the Ranunculus which are more tender, we must use a second layer of frost cloth when temperatures fall into the 20’s.
Furrows being prepared before planting
Nashville, TN
Running a flower farm (or any other type of farm) has taught us that our day, week or month can be consumed with work on the farm. In November, we had the opportunity to get a few days away to attend the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers workshop in Nashville, Tennessee. The event was hosted by Green Door Gourmet, a local farm and educational venue in Nashville. Highlights from the event included several presentations of interesting topics and a farm tour. Not only was this a time of encouragement, but it provided a chance to meet with other flower farmers and share experiences.
Current Offerings – Fresh Foliages 🌿 and Dried Flowers
For December, we are offering 2 groups of products for sale:
· Fresh Foliages – Camelia, Magnolia, Nandina, Cedar Branches and Boxwood
· Dried Flowers – Larkspur, Strawflowers, Nigella Pods, Starflower Scabiosa, Gomphrena.
Also, if you have an upcoming Special Event (Birthday/Shower) or are looking for Wedding Flowers, we also offer floral design services.
**** 2020 Bouquet Subscriptions are now available ****
For more information about any of these items, please visit our online shop at www.stillwatersfarmandgardens.com.
Nandina Greenery
Dried Gomphrena
Our Story
STILL WATERS FARM AND GARDENS is a family run flower farm and floral design studio situated in the Mountain View community of Catawba County. Our farm offers seasonal specialty cut flowers 🌼, foliages 🌾 and edibles 🌿 to florists, restaurants and supermarkets. We also offer lovely garden style bouquets and arrangements using flowers and greenery carefully selected and harvested fresh from our fields. Our products are available for purchase at our seasonal roadside Farm Stand and online* at www.stillwatersfarmandgardens.com. Though we are growing all year round, our flowers and arrangements are offered beginning in early Spring and ending in late Fall.
Whether you are looking for a custom arrangement or several buckets of flowers, we look forward to serving your floral needs.
* – Available for delivery in Hickory, NC and surrounding areas