Fox Flowers on Fetters

08/03/2023

Last call for bouquets this week! Pick up Thursday or Friday morning. Lots of beautiful blooms right now. 😉

08/01/2023

Dara and ammi seed heads .. kinda weird or kinda awesome?

07/31/2023

Just a reminder that I will be away for most of the month of August. Difficult timing for a flower farmer but we’ve been planning a trip with our son for a while now, and they’re only little for a little while!

September will be one seriously busy month.

*PS I’ll still be here all this week for you bouquets needs!*

07/30/2023

Viva Magenta is the Pantone color of the year for 2023. (Very .. coincidence? 🤔)
It definitely adds a little color punch to your garden, I do find it quite interesting mixed with orange and purples. I haven’t seen it used in weddings yet, might bring back some bridesmaid dress nightmares for a few people of a certain age! 😂 But brights are definitely making their reappearance in floral trends.
What do you think?

07/25/2023

Would love to see this!

07/24/2023

Congratulations K&R 💕

Thank you for allowing me to be part of your special day! What a beautiful wedding party.

07/21/2023

Fox Flowers on Fetters

Thank you to all my supporters! Sometimes it’s tough but you just have to keep on keeping on!

By the way.. Dahlia Ridge goes above and beyond as a business owner!

Thanks Curly Girl Gardening for sharing this! 👌🏻

If you're a small business owner or support small business, please re-post this your feed with your business name.

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FB.com/DahliaRidgeFarm || FB.com/CommunityBlooms.ca

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The unfortunate truth of owning and running a business.
Running a business is really hard.

What they don’t tell you is that it can cause severe stress and anxiety, and drains you mentally to the point of depression in even the most laid-back people.

People will talk about you, compare you to others, use you, they will view you as a service and not a person anymore.

Friends and family will expect discounts and people will value you and your hard work less than a big chain store.

You have to worry about if you forget to email/message someone back, are they going to think it was on purpose? Did you disappoint them? Will they hold that against you? When in reality you just can’t get to everyone’s messages and emails.

Starting up and running a successful business puts incredible strain on personal lives and relationships, many of which fail because there is just often no work-life balance.

You need to be the director, the worker, the admin, the marketing team, the accountant, the cleaner..... All while being a puppy parent, a husband or a wife, family support, friend...

There’s a reason you don’t see many people succeed in small businesses after 5-10 years. If they are successful they are overwhelmed.

It takes a toll. It’s freaking exhausting. Especially the past couple of years when so much has been out of our control.
Here’s a small reminder that we are just normal people with hectic lives.

Be kind, be patient, support small businesses and hopefully more of us will stick around!

And know that 2022 prices are not 2023 prices.

Please support small business!

Thank you!

07/20/2023

Dahlia perfection 🥰

07/19/2023

Drieds for grad! A different take on the corsage and boutonnière. 😍 I loved making these. What do you think?

07/18/2023

A bright and cheery pick me up bouquet! Available 🙂 PM to claim.

07/16/2023

New to me dahlia this year, Innocence. Isn’t she lovely?

07/15/2023

The Williams Lake Garden Tour committee is busy planning the 2024 Arts and Gardens Tour.

If you would like to nominate a garden or volunteer your own, we would love to hear from you! We are looking for gardens in the downtown area, available in July 2024.

Email me a brief description and a few photos to [email protected]

Let’s make this the best tour yet!

07/15/2023

SOLD

07/15/2023

Bouquets available today!
If you can’t enjoy the flowers outside 💨 .. at least you can bring some indoors.

Straight bunch of creamy white sunflowers (because they are just so beautiful on their own): $25

Or this pink and purple beauty with dahlias, snapdragons and lilies 🥰 $30

Pick up 176 Fetters dr.

07/14/2023

I have flowers that need picking and bouquets that need making… but this smoke 😷… it’s getting to me. Really getting thick out there today.

07/13/2023

Still in vacay mode and not ready for the real world.

07/06/2023

😯😯😯

07/05/2023

Who needs an extra special bouquet today? I’ve the very first sunflowers of the year.. and they are spectacular 😉

07/01/2023

If you’re not out camping this weekend and you need something pretty.. shoot me a message 😜

Happy long weekend!

🇨🇦

06/27/2023

Not so patiently waiting for the summer blooms to kick in. I will miss the vibrant spring palette though.

06/21/2023

Thunderstorms heading this way.. pray for the hostas 🤲😉

06/17/2023

Happy Friday! It’s been an incredibly busy week. I wish everyone the best in their celebrations this weekend.
My household has been fighting what feels like the black plague all week so bed sounds lovely right about now.

Tomorrow is a new day 😊

06/15/2023

It’s so true and so easy! Soon you will be up to your ears in dahlias and so will all your friends and family.

06/14/2023

Wow I need to make one of those tumblers! (I shake shake shake with a couple plant trays now.)
Great compost set up.

06/06/2023

Plots available at the community garden!

We still have a few empty plots. This is last call for anyone who would like to join us for this garden season! Please message us here or email [email protected]

06/04/2023

06/01/2023

Garden club meeting tonight! Learn all about growing your own food.

I’ll be there with some plants for the share table.

See you then 😀

05/31/2023

If you think your garden is a little messy and weedy right now, that’s okay. Now you can say it’s trendy.

05/27/2023

Winter Kill!
By now many gardeners have noticed an unusual amount of winter kill in their trees and shrubs. The cause of this could be one or more of 4 things.
1. Our unusual warm October last fall may have delayed dormancy or triggered new growth or bud swelling that was susceptible to the first hard frosts in November.
2. The record low temperatures before Christmas may have been more than the plants are designed for. Number 1 is more likely because many species native to the area were also effected.
3. In the case of evergreens that were under snow, foliage suffered becuase of the unusual long snow cover period, The snow came in early November and stayed till mid April in many circumstances. The enviroment under snow is a perfect environment for many fungal diseases.
4. The bright cold days may have caused frost cracks especially on maples, or sunscald on evergreens. On bright cold days the tree truck can warm up dramatically in the sun, when the sun goes down or a cloud moves infront of the sun the temperature drops dramatically which causes the split. On evergreens the sun is intensified by the reflection of the sun and it simply burns the foliage. Alberta Spruce are always susceptible to this and this year they got hit very hard.

What to do. In the case of trees before you cut them down or pull them out be sure they are actual dead. Quite often there will be a second set of dormant bud's that may leaf out as late as August. We have noticed several trees starting to leaf out now that at first glance looked dead. Also if the roots are healthy and there is any foliage at all the plant may be capable of pushing a lot of new growth from any living points and eventually make a full recovery.

In the case of evergreens a good hard pruning may be in order to provide light and air to bud's under the dead foliage. Large older junipers may be best cut nearly to the ground, you may get fairly rapid growth if not you can use the stump to pull the roots out.

Trunk protectors can be used on all younger deciduous trees and on Maples until the trunk is to thick to use them, these protect the trees from rodents and southwest injury.

The picture attached is a Red Oak on the lawn of the nursery that was planted approximately 30 years ago as an experiment. At that time it didn't seem like a tree likely to survive. As mentioned we also have large native maples that look the same so not likely the lack of hardiness more the lack of being fully dormant.

Co founder of Richbar Nursery Peter Josephy was a big proponent of heavy applications of potash watered in in late August, for any plants that may be marginal in this area. The potash helps make plant cells more resilient and likely would help encourage dormancy.

05/25/2023

I’ll be away for the weekend. Hoping I don’t miss out on any ranunculus! Peonies are close and the mock orange is too. Lots of pretty things coming soon.

05/20/2023

A little more flower spam 😆. ‘cause they don’t last forever.

05/20/2023

It’s a beautiful day to stop and smell the flowers! And ignore the weeds that I haven’t gotten to yet.

05/19/2023

It’s Chelsea Time!!

The Flower Show Season is well underway, and next week we’re heading to London for the highlight of the horticultural calendar - the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2023! Follow the action here or over on Instagram and on BBC iPlayer all next week commencing 6pm Sunday 21 May on BBC One 🙂🌺🌿

05/19/2023

Thank you Dahlia May Flower Farm for some great info on caring for your cut flowers. 😀

How long should your fresh cut flowers last for?

It’s one of our most frequently asked questions, and for good reason. Flowers are such a joy to receive, and we know you want to make the most of your time with them.

Let’s chat about what we can expect from our fresh cut flowers, and how to maximize their lifespan, and they joy you receive from them.

There isn’t a set amount of days that we can suggest your fresh cut flowers will last, because their lifespan depends on three factors:

1️⃣ Environment

Your fresh cut flowers will need to be enjoyed in a cool place, away from direct sunlight. Keep your blooms away from sunny windows and bright light, and keep them cool if you can.

Flowers placed in a bright sunny window, or in a warm room, may last 3 days, where the same bouquet might last 7 days if kept in a cooler room (60-70 degrees), away from any direct sunlight.

While flowers DO need sunlight when they are growing, once they are cut the opposite is true, and your blooms will want to be kept away from sunlight and warm windows.

2️⃣ The types of flowers you have.

Every bloom has a different lifespan. Lilacs are ephemeral beauties, and despite best care they rarely last more than 3 days. Tulips may last 5-7 days, while ranunculus often lasts 10-14 days. Many traditional and common imported flowers (such as carnations) may last two weeks or more, where locally grown specialty crops may last 5-7 days. Spring flowers such as tulips are often shorter lived than summer blooms such as sunflowers.

Whenever we think about vase life, we do need to take into account that each variety has its own lifespan.

3️⃣ How they are cared for.

Your fresh cut flowers, just like people, need to have their needs met to shine.

So, how do you need their needs?

✂️ Trim the ends of your blooms BEFORE you put them into a vase, using sharp garden shears or a non-serrated paring knife. You’ll want to continue to give your blooms a fresh cut every 2 days.

🚰 Give your blooms fresh water every 2 days, recutting the stems when you change the water. Do not use water from a water softener for cut flowers. Water softeners remove minerals from the water, which can be harmful to the flowers. The minerals in the water are essential for the flowers to absorb nutrients and stay hydrated. Using water from a water softener can cause the flowers to wilt, and to die quickly. It’s best to use fresh, clean, and room temperature water for cut flowers. If possible, use distilled or filtered water to avoid any impurities that may harm the flowers.

☁️ Keep your blooms away from sunny windows, and place them in a cool room at night if possible.

🥀 If your flowers are wilting, this means that they are not drinking their water. Give the stems a fresh cut, with a sharp pair or garden shears, or a non serrated paring knife (not scissors), and place the flowers in fresh clean water.

💐 Remember, Double tulips and parrot tulips are especially unique, and these varieties all naturally bend and weave, naturally bending over with time. Tulips continue to grow up to 1” per day even AFTER they have been cut and put in a vase. It’s totally normal to see your tulips continue to grow each day, often bending and moving towards the light. This is not a sign of them wilting, rather it’s these blooms following their own beautiful paths as they age.

With optimal care, most cut flowers typically last 5-6 days. The ephemeral nature of cut flowers is exactly what makes them so special. They mark moments in time, and capture joy in a way only something so fleeting can.

Tag someone in the comments who might find this information helpful, and please let us know if you have any questions 👇🏻