Copper Ridge Roost and Roots

03/24/2026

We are not hatching chicks this year, but we do have hatching eggs available if interested. We do still have full hatching set up available for rental as well.
Hatching eggs are pure welsummer as well as black copper maran, speckled Sussex, and olive egger crossed with Welsummer.
I *may* be able to be convinced to hatch for you if preordered.

03/08/2026

Our beloved namesake Copper crossed the rainbow bridge a few weeks ago quietly in his sleep. We intentionally included his name in our homestead as a way to carry him forward. At almost 12 years old, we knew this day probably wasn’t too far off, but we definitely thought we had a bit longer.
I never could have imagined a house with 5 kids, 3 cats, and we-lost-count chickens would feel so quiet and empty.
Hug your fur babies extra tight. It goes by way too fast ❤️

01/25/2026

Who else is dreaming of warmer days as we get nailed by this winter storm?!?

Believe it or not, today I divided my last clump of tubers after finally finishing digging last weekend. Better (really really) late than never! I truly was not sure if I was going to get them all up this year and have been so so lucky the weather held out for me. I got it done just in the nick of time!

To celebrate let’s play the final number guessing game again! Guess the total number of tubers I ended up with after dividing in the comments between now and Monday evening at 6pm. Winner will receive a bundle of 10-12 tubers in the Spring (local pick up or shipping are both options).

My records weren’t great this year but here are some sort-of stats to help:
- We planted somewhere around 250 tubers
- We lost more this year than ever to rot, suspected disease, voles, and honestly general neglect 🥴 - I planted 160 different varieties and stored only 114 😢
- While in previous years I have tried to save as many tubers as possible, I was much more selective this year for the sake of time, energy, and space
- The number of tubers per variety varied from 1 to 38, with the mean, median, and mode all falling between 5 and 7.

Pictured is Valley Porcupine

12/21/2025

**TUBER PRE-SALE FUNDRAISER**

I dont usually do presales but one of our beloved cats is on a fun multi-day vacation at the emergency vet. Pay now, pick up/ship in the Spring. If you require shipping it is extra - I utilize priority mail flat rate boxes and will use the smallest size possible for your order.

I am not done dividing yet so for now I am offering random bundles of 7 tubers for $50 or 15 tubers for $100. I have varieties that retail from $5-$30+ per tuber and will ensure bundles contain a mixture of these values.

Comment or message to purchase.

“This is the solstice, the still point of the sun, its cusp and midnight, the year’s threshold and unlocking, where the past lets go of and becomes the future; the place of caught breath.” - Margaret Atwood ❄️

Happy Winter Solstice, a gentle reminder that the darkest days never last forever ❤️

09/28/2025

08/11/2025

Allll the pretty flowers.
Not much arranging is happening over here this year. Actually not much of anything. But I'm determined to at least catalog the dahlias in photos.

07/24/2025

So many pretties!
The first really big chop of the year is headed to help celebrate a wedding tomorrow ❤️

07/06/2025

*New this year*

Mixed cherry/grape tomato pints for $5.

Available for preorder! Also will post whenever I have a pack up for grabs.

These will be a mix of whatever is harvested at the time but possible varieties include:
Sweetheart cherry
Sweet 100
Barry’s Crazy
Champagne Bubbles
Prairie Fire (my all time favorite)
Sunrise Bumblebee
Blush
Yellow Pear
Dark Muscat Orange
Black Cherry
Amy’s Sugar Gem

We recycle over here so these will be packaged in reused produce containers. Below is an example of what you would receive. (This pint is not available.)

06/15/2025

The first dahlia of the year: Sweet Suzanne ❤️

If you look closely you can see an ant and a million aphids. These two little creatures have a symbiotic and mutualistic relationship. The ants move the aphids around to ideal locations and protect them from predators while the aphids feed on the sap of plants and produce honeydew, which is a food source for ants. This behavior is referred to as “aphid farming” - with the ants being the farmers. They can even “milk” the aphids to help them secret more honeydew.

Why do we care, beyond the fact that it’s really cool? As a no spray property, a large portion of our pest control practice is the use of beneficial bugs. When I notice a lot of aphids I place an order for ladybugs, lacewing larvae, and minute pirate bugs. However, if I have ants farming the aphids, the ants will actually attack and often kill those beneficials. So, I have to treat the ants first. I personally use borax bait - which is not organic but is incredibly targeted to ants. It does not harm other bugs unless they ingest it and they aren’t typically attracted to it, or if they consume the ants that have ingested it - which would primarily be beetles that are also problematic here (two for one 🎉 ). It does not harm the soil microbes unless it spills into the soil, and I take extra care to ensure it doesn’t. Because of all these things, I have decided it’s okay for our property. Regardless of how you choose to do it, getting rid of the ants before releasing bugs that target aphids is essential!

P.S. Hi! I’m still here. It’s been an extra challenging year for us in many ways and I’m unsure of how present I will be able to be in this space or what I will have available in terms of flowers/bouquets this year. But I’m trying to just be okay with whatever happens organically. ❤️ Thanks for hanging in there with us!

05/01/2025

We are growing something extra special in our strawberry patch! This was immediately covered back up and left alone after taking a quick video. I accidentally discovered the nest while attempting to amend the soil which is not acidic enough for the berries this year! However, I will now not be touching this bed for several weeks!

04/29/2025

Lots of plants to unload at a bargain. Happy to make some mega deals if you are purchasing a lot.

Prices:
Tomato plants $2
Basil $2
Individual labeled dahlia tubers $3
Mystery dahlia tubers $2
Dahlia bundles $50
Potted dahlias $5

Available:

Tomatoes - easily a foot or taller with some already blooming, will give you a huge jumpstart on getting fruit!
Prairie fire 2
Blush 3
Beefsteak white 1
Champagnes bubbles 1
Amy’s sugar gem 4
Rose 2
Golden jubilee 1
Heirloom Roma 2
Ukrainian purple 1
Dark muscat orange 2
Brandywine pink 1
Wisconsin 55 2
Green doctors 1
Mountain princess 1
Barry’s crazy 3
Striped Roma 3
Opalka 1
Sweetheart cherry 1

Basil - could use another week or so of growth before transplanting. Multiple plants per cup.
Dark opal basil 3
Siam queen 3
Cinnamon basil 6
Thai basil 2

Individually packaged Dahlias -
A la mode 2
Alloway candy 4
Coralie 2
Cornel bronze 1
French cancan 1
Gerrie hoek 1
Henriette 2
Honeymoon 6
Ice tea 2
Just peachy 1
Karmel Korn 2
Late 1
Mm buttercream 2
Nadia Ruth 3
Salmon runner 2
Sonic bloom 6
Sterling silver 1
Terracotta 2
Touché 2

Mystery dahlias - 6

Potted dahlias - already sprouted with decent amount of growth will give a jump start on getting blooms
Creamy 1

Dahlia bundles - 18 tubers packaged in gallon ziplocks, tubers have started sprouting and rooting so may be a bit of a tangled mess but will grow fine

Bundle A -
Karmel korn 2
Just peachy 2
Mm buttercream
Creamy
Ice tea
Silver years
A la mode
Henriette 2
Belle of barmera 2
Salmon runner
Joewy Nicky
Rockstar 2
Sterling silver

Bundle B -
Henriette 2
Just peachy 2
Jowey Nicky 2
David Howard
Ice tea
Karmel Korn
Salmon runner
Creamy 2
Rockstar 2
Sonic bloom 2
Silver Years
Sterling silver

You can reference previous posts for pictures and info on dahlia varieties but note that not all listed in original post are available