The Art of Dried Flowers: From Field to Fall Wreaths

As the seasons shift and the days grow shorter, our flowers take on new life. Throughout the growing season, we carefully harvest blooms at their peak—just as they reach the perfect growth stage. While many of these flowers find their way into arrangements and bouquets for weekly business needs, others embark on a different journey: drying.

Drying flowers is an age-old tradition, and over time, we’ve experimented with various methods. After much trial and error, our favorite approach remains simple and effective: hanging flowers upside down in a cool, dark space. This method not only preserves their beauty but also ensures they retain their vibrant colors and unique shapes. However, one crucial tip we've learned is to start with flowers in their prime condition. A bloom that’s past its peak will not yield a quality dried flower.

By carefully drying blooms all season long, we’ve built up a stunning collection of dried flowers in a variety of hues and textures. And as the frost approaches, these preserved beauties take center stage.

One of our favorite ways to showcase dried flowers is in fall wreaths. A couple of weeks ago, we hosted a fall wreath-making class in our processing shed. The space transformed into a buzzing creative workshop where attendees let their imaginations run wild. The results? Stunning, one-of-a-kind wreaths filled with the warmth and charm of autumn.

One woman who signed up for the class couldn’t make it in person, so she picked up the materials and created her wreath at home—a lovely reminder that creativity knows no bounds!

This year, we’re excited to share even more ways for you to enjoy dried flowers. For the first time, we’re offering dried flower bundles on our website, available for local pickup and delivery. Whether you want to craft a wreath, decorate pumpkins, create framed art, enhance gift wrapping, make potpourri or bath products, design holiday ornaments, or even incorporate them into a wedding, we’ve got you covered!

And if you love the look of dried flower wreaths but don’t have the time or inclination to make one, no problem—we have a selection of ready-made wreaths available for you to take home and enjoy.

Dried flowers are more than just a way to extend the life of blooms—they’re a celebration of nature’s cycles and the artistry it inspires. Whether adorning a front door, decorating a gift, or enhancing a festive centerpiece, these preserved blooms bring beauty and joy long after the growing season ends.

So, whether you’re looking to get creative or simply enjoy the beauty of dried flowers, we invite you to explore all the possibilities they offer.

Join Us at the Blythewood Farmers Market Holiday Artisan Market!

📅 Date: Saturday, November 23rd
🕙 Time: 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM

Kick off your holiday season with us at this annual community event! The Blythewood Farmers Market Holiday Artisan Market is the perfect place to start your holiday shopping with a variety of locally crafted gifts and décor.

Be sure to stop by our booth to say hello and explore our festive holiday botanicals, including paperwhites, amaryllis, dried arrangements and holiday greens bouquets—perfect for decorating your home or gifting to loved ones.

Enjoy live music and a variety of food trucks while you browse the market. It’s a fun and festive way to support local artisans and embrace the holiday spirit.

We can’t wait to see you there! 🎄✨

About our 2025 Subscriptions

For those of you who are familiar with out bouquet subscription service, the 2025 subscriptions are available to order here. Thank you all so much for allowing us to bring farm fresh flowers to you!

For those who may not be familiar with this service, here is the scoop:

Enjoy Fresh, Seasonal Blooms Delivered to Your Door!

Imagine having farm-fresh, hand-picked flowers brightening your home every week or bi-weekly throughout three seasons. With our flower subscription, you can enjoy the best of each harvest in beautifully crafted bouquets, delivered contact-free right to your doorstep!

A Perfect Gift

Looking for a thoughtful gift? Our flower subscriptions are a lovely, lasting way to show someone you care. Gift Subscription Order: Place the order and provide the recipient's name and address (within our service area). Let us know in the comments if you’ll be notifying them or if you’d like us to share the news with a special email announcement.

Seasonal Offerings

Early Spring Blooms

Our Early Spring offering includes an enchanting mix of tulips, anemones, ranunculus, hellebores, and hardy annuals like nigella, bachelor buttons, agrostemma, and orlaya. These vibrant blooms mark the start of the season, which begins on or near March 1 and runs through April 30. (Mother Nature has the final word on the start date!)

Spring to Summer Blooms

Our Spring to Summer offering transitions to a stunning array of heat-loving blooms, including lisianthus, sunflowers, zinnias, calla lilies, and more. This season begins on or after May 2 and extends through June.

Late Summer to Fall Blooms

Celebrate the changing season with our Late Summer to Fall offering, which brings you the vibrant colors of fall. This season’s bouquets feature dahlias, sunflowers, marigolds, and more, with late-season heirloom mums adding a pop of color and elegance to each arrangement. With a dahlia’s 4-5 day vase life, a weekly delivery will keep your home full of fresh beauty all season long. This season runs from mid-August to mid-October, with no deliveries on Labor Day weekend (August 29 and September 2).

 Subscription Options

Choose between Tuesday or Friday delivery, and select either a 4-week subscription (biweekly) or an 8-week subscription:

• 4 Weeks: $180

• 8 Weeks: $320

 Flexible Scheduling

Planning a vacation? No worries – we’re happy to adjust deliveries around your schedule, and customer satisfaction is guaranteed!

Service Availability
Our delivery area includes the following zip codes: 29201, 29204, 29205, 29206, 29209, 29016, 29045, 29169, 29223, and 29229.

Please note, subscriptions are limited and will close once we’re sold out for the season. We may also reserve the right to decline certain delivery locations.

Order now to secure your spot and enjoy the best flowers of each season, delivered right to you!

Best wishes for a happy and healthy holiday season,

Linda

Important Updates for the Holiday Season

The Bulb Shop Is Open!

We’re thrilled to announce that our bulb shop is officially open at www.purpletuteur.com! 🌷✨ Browse our curated selection of beautiful amaryllis, paperwhites, daffodils, tulips, and peonies, all chosen to bring vibrant color and fragrance to your home and garden this season. Whether you’re looking for holiday blooms or planning ahead for spring, we have something special for everyone. PLEASE NOTE: Local delivery and pick up only for these items. Deliveries are made on Tuesdays and Fridays. Deliveries will begin on 11/15, assuming everything in your order has arrived by then. (Everything is due in the week of 11/11). Farm pick up is available on the following dates from 10:30-12:30. November 20,23,27 and December 4,7,14. If these dates don’t work, please contact us and we will try to accommodate you.

For both pick up and delivery, we will notify you when your order is ready.

Come See Us at the Blythewood Farmers Market Holiday Market!

On another note, we unfortunately have to cancel our Holiday Open House due to a recent water pipe burst in the farmhouse. With repairs underway and water being turned off periodically, it’s best to hold off on hosting events at the farm for now. However, we will still offer pick-up for online orders—just plan accordingly around the bathroom limitations!

We’re excited to announce that we’ll be at the Blythewood Farmers Market Holiday Artisan Market on November 23rd from 10:00 am - 3:00 pm. instead. Come by and see us there to pick up some of your holiday favorites!

Visit www.purpletuteur.com now to explore our full collection and place your orders before they sell out.

Happy planting! 🌼

2025 Subscriptions

Our 2025 Subscriptions will be available for purchase starting 11/11/2024. Get your holiday gift shopping done or give yourself the gift of wellness with fresh flowers. Watch for our email update!

Thank you for all your support of our small farm. We are grateful and honored to serve you.

Best,

Linda

Winter Bulb Season is Here!

Hello Flower Friends,

I’m excited to bring you some wonderful news – our fall bulbs have arrived in the U.S., and many are already at the farm! While we’re updating the website and preparing for orders to go live by Wednesday, here’s a quick preview of what’s available and how to make the most of these beautiful blooms in the South.

Amaryllis

Amaryllis bulbs are a wintertime favorite, known for their stunning, trumpet-shaped blooms and bold colors that brighten up indoor spaces during the colder months. Our selection includes vibrant reds, delicate pinks, pure whites, and other striking hues. These low-maintenance bulbs are easy to grow indoors, bringing life and beauty to any room with minimal effort.

Early/ Holiday Bloomers

Amaryllis typically bloom 6-8 weeks after planting, making them a perfect choice for holiday décor or as a thoughtful gift. With blooms that can reach up to 10 inches across, each flower makes a big impact. Amaryllis are also long-lasting, with individual blooms lasting several weeks and bulbs often producing multiple flower stalks. For an extended display, stagger planting times to enjoy these gorgeous flowers all winter long.

 Paperwhites

We’re pleased to offer Paperwhite NIR, an especially fragrant variety perfect for brightening up indoor spaces. With elegant, pure white blooms, Paperwhite NIR grows quickly and requires no chilling period. As easy-to-grow indoor bulbs, they only need 3-4 weeks to bloom, filling your home with their signature sweet fragrance. Perfect for holiday decorating or as a thoughtful gift, these bulbs are a favorite for their simplicity and beauty.

Daffodils

We’re delighted to offer daffodils again with two varieties that flourish in Southern gardens:

• Bridal Crown – Known for its soft, creamy-white petals and yellow centers, Bridal Crown has a lovely, multi-layered bloom structure and a captivating fragrance. It’s a great choice for Southern gardeners looking for both beauty and scent.

• Peaches and Cream – With ivory white petals and delicate pale peach cups, Peaches and Cream is an enticing large-cupped daffodil. Its soft color palette blends effortlessly into any garden, making it ideal for spring displays. These easy-to-grow daffodils are excellent for naturalizing and make perfect cut flowers.

Tulips

Growing tulips in the South requires a bit of extra care, as our winters aren’t cold enough for the bulbs to thrive naturally. Our tulips have been pre-chilled to ensure they bloom beautifully in spring. Here are this season’s stunning options:

• Mango Charm – This warm-toned tulip has rich, sunset hues of orange with hints of pink, creating a tropical focal point in garden beds or pots. It’s perfect for adding a lively pop of color to cut arrangements.

• Negrita – A deep, velvety purple tulip, Negrita pairs beautifully with Mango Charm. Its moody, dramatic hue adds elegance and depth to any display, offering a modern, high-impact spring look.

Tip: Growing tulips in pots can give them an extra chill since above-ground temps are cooler than soil temperatures.

 Peonies

We’re delighted to offer an early-season herbaceous peony that thrive in warmer climates. Sunny Girl is a standout with its rare pastel yellow blooms, perfect for adding a cheerful touch to the garden and as a beautiful cut flower. Its large, eye-catching flowers are sure to be a favorite!

For more detailed growing tips on peonies in warmer climates, check out our blog post here.

Stay tuned as we prepare the website for orders, and feel free to reach out with any questions. Happy planting, and here’s to a gorgeous season of blooms! 🌷

Our Fall Bulb Sale Starts Today!

We are excited to bring you our selection of spring blooming Anemone and Ranunculus bulbs!

These are the same bulbs that we grow at the farm, so you can be assured that they are appropriate for our climate. Growing instructions are included with your order.

We can ship your bulb order anywhere in the United States.  We will start shipping orders in mid-October.  

Here is the link to our website. Happy shopping!

ANEMONE

These are longer stemmed varieties and make excellent cut flowers. They have stems of 10 - 12 inches vs. the landscape de Caan varieties with 6 inch stems that are widely available.

There are two blue varieties that are not yet posted for the sale. I am waiting for them to arrive before I add them to the store.

Growing instructions are included with your purchase. You can also check out our blog post on growing ranunculus and anemone here.

RANUNCULUS

These are longer stemmed varieties and make excellent cut flowers. They grow well in pots or in the ground. Growing instructions are included with your purchase. You can also check out our blog post on growing ranunculus and anemone here.

NARCISSUS / DAFFODILS

We are not planning to offer daffodils this year. We are looking for a new supplier.

PEONIES/AMARYLLIS/PAPERWHITES/TULIPS

The peonies, amaryllis and paperwhites are not available for this sale. We hope to have them later in the year. There has been serious flooding in Holland both this past summer and the summer before causing damage to some of these crops. This, combined with the longshoremen’s strike, will create shortages. Will we have all of these? We sure hope so!

Fall Bulb Sale Starts October 5th

Fall Bulb Sale Starts October 5th

We will have our ranunculus and anemone for sale on the website starting October 5th and through the month of October.  We have the favorites from years past and a few new ones. The breeders are doing some pretty amazing things and this is just the beginning. It’s a very exciting time for these flowers. We will be using them in our early spring subscriptions too, so if you are not a gardener, fear not, we will have some for you too!

 We can ship these bulbs/ corms and we will use the US Post Office to do the shipping. We will also have options for local pick-up and delivery in our standard delivery area. We are not including any other bulbs in this sale since the rest of the bulbs arrive later and could delay delivery.

If you need a refresher on how to grow these gorgeous spring blooms, this blog post outlines the process. Instructions are also included with orders. Quantities are limited, so order when you can!

https://www.purpletuteur.com/blog/2023/10/2/spring-blooming-bulbs-anemone-and-ranunculus

November/Holiday Bulb Sale

We will begin our holiday bulb sale in November. It will include amaryllis and paperwhites along with a few bareroot peonies! These items will be available for local delivery and pick up only. Since amaryllis are vulnerable to freezing, we don’t want to risk shipping them. We will send more information out on this closer to the start of the sale.

Nigella Seed Source In Columbia

Elaine K got in touch and said she found Nigella seed at Ace Hardware on Beltline, so if you want to give this flower a try, head on over to Ace. This is not a paid advertisement.

Growing Nigella

Growing Nigella (also known as Love-In-A-Mist)

It’s September and we are past the high heat. The dahlias are coming into their own, with daytime temperatures in the 80’s and nights in the 60’s. Francine is due to bring us some much-needed rain this weekend, which will help get the bloom cycle moving.

This time of year you can also prepare for early spring blooms by direct sowing seed for some cool season annuals. In our area, with our limited cold weather, fall sowing is the way we can provide the right conditions to flowers that prefer cool weather. One great example is Nigella.

Nigella is a favorite for sowing from seed in the garden. Its beautifully delicate flower comes and goes quickly. While cultivated, it has the look of a wild flower. It can be difficult to transport when in bloom. Growing it locally is the only practical way to have it available. Fortunately is is fairly easy to start from seed.

     Another great feature of Nigella is its seed pod. As the flowers fade, a seed pod takes its place. These are very long lasting and they can be used fresh in arrangements or dried for fall wreaths and arrangements. Once the pod has formed on the plant, simply cut the stem as you would a flower stem.

Fresh Nigella Pods

Dried Nigella Pods

 The blooms and the seed pods vary with the variety of nigella. This one is Nigella damascene. It comes in white, blue, purple and pink blooms.

You won’t see Nigella in garden centers. Growing it from seed can give you an abundant supply.  You can find many varieties on the internet. We like to shop at Johnny’s (https://www.johnnyseeds.com/flowers/nigella) and Baker Creek for our seeds. I am not aware of anyone in Columbia who sells this seed. If you have another seed company that you like to use, especially one in the area, please let me know and I will share it in the next newsletter.

Linda

P.S. We still have room in our Fall Wreath Making class on 9/26. We’ll have an abundant selection of dried flowers to choose from, including nigella pods. You can get all the details and sign up here https://www.purpletuteur.com/classes/fall-wreath-workshop . Come to the farm and experience the joy of specialty cut flowers.

More August Farm News

We are starting to see relief from the heat! With the temperatures getting into the 80’s during the day and the 60’s at night, our plants are waking up again.

The Late Summer to Fall subscriptions will be starting up in the next couple of weeks. We will be contacting subscribers for delivery start date confirmations in the near future. We expect the first delivery date to be August 30th ( for Friday deliveries) and September 3rd ( for Tuesday deliveries), assuming the weather stays on the current trajectory.

We’re off for a few more days for a wedding in Boulder. It is hard to get time away from the farm, so we are looking forward to it very much.

Next week we will be back at it until frost and beyond. Looking forward to making flowers available for your joy!

Best,

Linda

Easing into Fall

We’ve enjoyed some time off in July, alternating days of rest with days of planting for fall. We’ve had nearly 12 inches of rain on the farm in July – a welcome change from June. It is especially helpful for the new plantings. We’re looking forward to the days ahead with cooler temperatures and an abundance of flowers.  For fall, we’ve been planting dahlias, zinnias, celosia, yarrow, snapdragons, callas, sunflowers and heirloom chrysanthemums.

Fall Wreath Workshops

Now that August has arrived, we are opening registration for our fall wreath workshops. Grab a friend and join us for a fun workshop at Purple Tuteur Farm. In this 2-hour session, we will talk about the basics of drying flowers and we will help you build your own custom dried flower wreath. If you would like to do this class for your private group of 8 or more, please send your request to purpletuteur@gmail.com and we will try to accommodate! Here’s the link: https://www.purpletuteur.com/classes

Fall Subscriptions

Our next subscription season will begin in late August. If you have signed up, we will be getting in touch closer to the first delivery day to verify schedules. We still have a few spots open if you are interested. Sign up here: https://www.purpletuteur.com/wwwpurpletuteurcom/new-products-1/fresh-cut-flower-bouquet-drop-off-service/late-summer-to-fall

We hope that you are enjoying the last days before school starts!

Best,

Linda

June on The Farm

June was filled with activity at the farm. Thanks to all who came out for the Ag+Art Tour. We had over 300 visitors and our artisans had so much interesting work to share.  We enjoyed seeing old friends and made some new ones too.

Photo: Karl Lindquist

We also held our Growing Dahlias class.  We enjoyed a very enthusiastic group of gardeners wanting to hone their skills. I feel confident that they will be growing beautiful dahlias in their gardens.

It does my heart good to have fellow flower lovers at the farm. It is always great to see the enthusiasm people have for what we do.

Dahlia Linda’s Baby

We also had plenty of bed prep and planting work to have blooms for late summer and fall. We’ve added some new beds so that we can have more flowers available. We’ve planted quite a few more heirloom chrysanthemums this year and another 250 dahlia tubers. We do a second planting in almost every bed each year so that we can have flowers over 3 seasons.

There is still room in our Late Summer to Fall subscription, so if you want to have flowers at home or at your office weekly or bi-weekly in September and October, you can sign up here.

Schedule Change

       We’ve decided not to hold the “Summer Garden” classes in July and August. The extra warm temperatures are not conducive to making this a pleasant experience for everyone. We will see how things look in September.

Here’s hoping that you are enjoying your summer. Happy 4th!,

Best,

Linda

It's Ag and Art Weekend and Our Dahlia Growing Workshop is Coming Up Too

AG and ART weekend has arrived!

The Ag and Art Tour of Richland County is this weekend. We are a host farm and are looking forward to having visitors out between 9 am and 4 pm on Saturday and Sunday. I will be doing guided tours at 11 am and 2 pm each day. You are also free to stroll through the flower field on your own.

This year we will have a few plants and some dahlia tubers for sale along with our market bouquets.

Market Bouquets                          $20

Dahlia Tubers                                $10

Brown Eyed Susans                       $5

Agastache                                      $5

Lemon Basil                                  $2.50

There are also some very interesting artisans coming out to show their talents. They will also have items available for sale, so be sure to leave room in your vehicle for take home items!

It looks like we will have great weather this weekend, so we hope you can find the time to come by!

Growing Dahlias – On Farm workshop

Registration for this class is now open on our website.

If you want to add something to your garden that produces an abundance of flowers, consider dahlias. Now is a great time to get them started in the Midlands. Come learn what is involved in growing your own during our on-farm class.

Class is held from 10 am - 12 noon on either Wednesday June 19th or Saturday June 22nd

Choose the date that you want to attend when you sign up. Registration deadline is June 15th.

The training begins with a presentation, followed by a walkthrough of the dahlia beds on the farm, including a demonstration of some of the growing techniques that will make your dahlias produce their best blooms.

What we will cover :

Dahlia classifications and Variety selection considerations, Growing conditions, Planting, Tending, Common Pests and Diseases, Harvesting, and After Season Care

Here’s what you’ll take home:

A handout of the material covered

Two dahlia tubers from our farm stock to plant in your own garden

Maximum attendees per class is 10.  Students must be 18 years or older to participate. No refunds after registering, but transfers of your seat to a friend are encouraged if you cannot attend.

We reserve the right to reschedule or cancel in case of severe weather or illness. Students will get as much advanced notice as possible. Refunds will be issued if Purple Tuteur Farm decides to cancel a class.

 That about wraps it up for today. Flowers are a joy in our lives. We thank you for supporting our efforts to get them out to the community.

Best,

Linda

April On The Farm

We have been delivering our subscriptions for 5 weeks now and people who are unfamiliar with our services are always surprised to hear that we have flowers this early. Most of what is blooming now and in the next month or so is prepared in the fall. It is a more challenging way to grow, especially when we have late frosts or freezes, but worth it for the early blooms.  There have been years when we lost crops to the late cold. We always plant extra in anticipation of a weather event.

This year, we have had a mild winter, meaning we haven’t had any severe cold snaps that can kill our crops.  4/15 is considered our last frost date. These dates are determined by historical records kept by NOAA (The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). NOAA uses 30 years of historical data to project the last frost date in the spring and the first frost date in the fall. There is more to it, but not for today. We are just celebrating the fact that the forecast looks great for this week and frosty weather appears to be over!

Colibri Poppies

I got a question about the poppies in the subscription bouquets, so others may also be wondering too.

These are a type of Icelandic poppy, bred in Italy. We use a pastel mix for our early spring bouquets. It does come in a few brighter colors too. They need cold weather to grow, so we will probably only have them for another couple of weeks. You can see them in a few forms in our subscription bouquets. The flower forms in a pod and when it is ready to bloom, the pod cracks and falls off. We generally put them in bouquets at the cracked pod stage or when they have just opened.

Subscription Flowers for May and June

We’re just a couple of weeks away from wrapping this subscription season up. Then we’re on to the Spring to Early Summer season, which starts in early May. There is still time to sign up if you want to give this a try or add another season to your home deliveries. These also make great gifts, so if you are stumped for a Mother’s Day gift, a subscription could be the answer you are looking for. To find out more and to sign up, follow this link to our website.

https://www.purpletuteur.com/subscription-information

Ag and Art

Thank you for being part of our community. I hope you have marked June 8th and 9th on your calendars to come see the farm. That is the Richland County Ag&Art Tour weekend and we are a host farm for the event. The event is free to the public and lots of fun. We would love to see you! Hours are 9 am to 4 pm both days. More information here : https://www.agandarttour.com/richland

Best,

Linda

March 2024 on the Farm – “In like a lion, out like a lamb”

March is the most precarious month of the year at the flower farm. The days are getting longer, flowers planted in the fall are starting to grow again and temperatures fluctuate between 32 to 80. Weather watching is critical to protecting the plants until the temperatures smooth out in April.

This year, our winter has been relatively mild. We have not experienced the kind of cold snaps that can wipe out early spring crops. So tender young growth can be seen on most of the crops. This past week, we had temperatures up to 80, unusually high for this time of year. We had to cover our cool season plants with shade cloth so they don’t get the idea it is time for them to go dormant. Monday night, we are supposed to have a low of 32 degrees, which is cold enough to damage new growth if left unprotected. So, on Monday, the shade cloth comes off and the frost cloth goes back on. This is the dance of early season flower farming.  It is a challenge, but one I wouldn’t trade for anything. We need these spring flowers to kick our endorphins back into gear after the long nights and short days of winter!

Despite the challenges of March weather, we’re enjoying good harvests so far. Early Spring subscriptions have started up and are filled with tulips, daffodils, anemone, hellebore, hyacinth, amaryllis and poppies. Next week, ranunculus will also be included.  

Next Up, Peonies!

 Looking out a few weeks, the next big crop is peonies. Some are just coming out of the ground, but Coral Sunset is up and in bud! The coral peonies are the earliest to bloom on our farm.

Coral Sunset and Kansas are two varieties that are three years old now, so this is the first year we can cut any blooms from them. Peony roots need two full years of no blooms in order to establish a healthy root system that can support a plant that can live 30 years or more. Even this year, the quantities will be small. We will not cut all of the blooms produced. Instead, we will deadhead about half of them so continue to get large root systems established. Peonies are a long game plant. Their rewards increase over time.

Spring Gardening?

Are you sprucing up your spring garden? We have a lot of Muscari ready to go. Grown in sterile soil, these can be used indoors or outside. $2/ 2inch pot of three bulbs. Fun to add these to pots or in the front of the garden border. They come back every year and are one of the earliest bloomers. Contact us if you would like some. Farm pickup can be scheduled or if you have a flower subscription, we can drop these off at your door with your next delivery.

Looking for Inspiration?

The Art Blossoms Event at the Columbia Museum of Art is a community event full of flowers. This year the event is being held March 21-24.  Garden Clubs from around the state are assigned an art work and they create an arrangement inspired by the work. Creativity at its best. General admission is $10 and so worth it! There are lots of other special events that you can sign up for too.

We wish you a flower-filled spring,

Linda

Bulb Forcing Class Update

Hi All,

Spring is another week closer! Flowers are beginning to show up on the farm, and the weather this week looks fabulous.  We’re excited to get the season off the ground.

Class Update

The class on Forcing Bulbs for Winter Blooms has been rescheduled to Saturday March 9th from 10 am until noon. I appreciate everyone’s patience with the date change since I got sick and things had to move. In this class, we do a deep dive into how to prepare your bulbs for early bloom, covering those that have to be chilled and amaryllis and paperwhites, which do not. Then you will have access to prepared bulbs that we have been cooling since November to make your own bulb garden to take home.  Grab a friend and join us! We’d love to have you. Light refreshments will be served.

For the details and to sign up, follow this link:

https://www.purpletuteur.com/classes/growing-bulbs-indoors-for-winter-blooms-workshop

That’s it for now.

Best,

Linda

Heirloom Chrysanthemums

Farm Update

Things are beginning to shape up at the farm for spring. We continue to see good progress with most of the early flowers. We’re busy getting seeds started and ordering what we need to get through the season. We got some new tables for the processing shed just in time for our new Forcing Bulb class. This time of year, we hold the classes indoors.

We’re using these rainy days to get caught up on lots of planning. It is exciting to look out through the year and organize our growing plans to make sure we have flowers blooming every week.

And I have been wanting to tell you about the Heirloom Mums for awhile and am just now getting it down in the blog. So, I hope you enjoy and also hope you have a very happy Valentine’s Day! We don’t have flowers this week, but a subscription or a bulb class seat might be the ticket. Godspeed.

Linda

Heirloom Chrysanthemums

Heirloom Chrysanthemum Saga No Yuki

In recent years there has been a growing interest in heirloom chrysanthemums. We’re not talking about potted mums that you can find in the fall at every garden center, but rather the more unique, tall, older varieties that have been passed down through generations. These plants pre-date modern hybridization techniques and are the result of natural selection and the passage of time.

Heirloom chrysanthemums have not been especially popular in traditional floristry trends. There was a time when a few varieties were overused and dyed shocking colors. Mums fell out of favor. Many of these beautiful flowers are no longer widely grown.  

Fortunately, lots of varieties have been maintained by Chrysanthemum Societies, where plants are grown for show competitions. There is also a company called King’s Mums in Minnesota that has sold a diverse selection of heirloom mums with a wide variety of shapes and colors for many years. Awareness of these heirloom varieties, now grown by local flower farms, has resulted in renewed demand for these flowers.

One reason for their resurgence is their unique bloom time. Heirloom chrysanthemums bloom in late fall, often the last thing to bloom before winter sets in. They need to be protected from hard frost but can withstand the light frosts that we usually get around Halloween. Small flower farms use them for season extension benefits, a late crop to harvest and sell before winter sets in. They make wonderful Thanksgiving arrangements.

Heirloom mums are also an incredibly long-lasting cut flower. It is not unusual for them to have more than two weeks of vase life.

Since these plants are the result of natural selection, there are no patents on them. They can be freely reproduced.  Chrysanthemums grow easily from rooted cuttings so this is the most common way to pass them along. Harmony Harvest farm in Weyers Cave Virginia is one of the farms that is taking the lead on expanding chrysanthemum production. They were written up in Southern Living for their efforts. In 2022, a collector of heirloom chrysanthemums passed away and the grower’s wife donated the entire inventory to Harmony Harvest.

Last year I grew 4 varieties as a trial and I am also convinced that the world needs to experience more of these flowers! They are categorized by their shape and by bloom time. There are early, mid and late blooming varieties. The actual time may vary based on where you are located.

Here in the Columbia area, I only grew the late varieties, which started blooming the last week in October. Early bloomers could start in the first week of October, and mid-season bloomers may start in the middle of the month. We are growing across all bloom times this year. If all goes well, some of these will be included in our fall bouquet subscriptions.  

We will also have a special offering in mid-November, just in time for Thanksgiving. More to come on that.

Crimson Tide

Kermit

Growing

If you are a grower and interested in trying these beauties in your garden, you can order chrysanthemum cuttings in the spring. Harmony Harvest (https://www.hhfshop.com), Three Porch Farm (https://3porchfarm.com/) in Comer Georgia and Clara Joyce Flowers (https://www.clarajoyceflowers.com/mum-cuttings) in Illinois are three of the bigger farms that sell them.

Would You Like to Visit The Farm This Year? Here’s How

We would love to see you at the farm for one of our scheduled classes or events. We will open up registration approximately 30 days before the class is held.

We’re kicking the year off with a new class on Forcing Bulbs and registration is now open! Here are the specifics.

Growing Bulbs Indoors For Winter Blooms – On Farm Workshop

Friday February 23 - 10 am to noon

If you like to keep flowers in your house, winter can be a challenge. It is too cold for cutting much from the garden. Fortunately, there is a wonderful alternative available by forcing bulbs. The world of bulbs offers a great variety of shapes and colors to delight you at home before spring arrives.

 Once you have learned how to make this happen, you can unleash your creativity to create interesting pots of one or many varieties at home. Indoor bulb gardens bloom and trigger our endorphins at their very sight. Who doesn’t need a lift when the nights are still so long and the temperatures are low?

Come and join us for this workshop on how to prepare bulbs for indoor blooms. Forcing is a method of growing plants that makes or forces them to flower at a different time than they would under normal conditions. We will review the timetables for forcing various bulbs, discuss potting mixes, and storage options.  

Select from the bulbs we have prepared and pot up your own bulb garden to take home. Selection choices include early Narcissus, Hyacinth and Iris.  When the bulbs have bloomed out, plant them in your garden for blooms next year.

Workshop is limited to 7 people.

Sign up on our website at this link: https://www.purpletuteur.com/classes/growing-bulbs-indoors-for-winter-blooms-workshop

Current Classand event Schedule

We’ve added a new page to the website that shows the schedule for the year as it stands today. We will update it from time to time as the year unfolds and as a newsletter subscriber, you will be the first to know!

See the full schedule here: https://www.purpletuteur.com/aboutourclasses

Bouquet Subscriptions

Our bouquet subscription season kicks off in March. We have a few openings left for the Early Spring Season (March/April). If you would like to sign up or learn more, here is the link: https://www.purpletuteur.com/subscription-information

Spring is coming and there is so much to look forward to!

Best,

Linda

Happy New Year, Flower Friends!

We have been enjoying our extended hiatus from work this holiday season. We were blessed to spend time with our families and many friends over the past few weeks. I hope you have also enjoyed time with friends and family.  Read on for updates on what we’re up to.

Subscriptions

The website is open for those who would like to sign up for farm-fresh flowers delivered to your door. Subscriptions also make a great gift. Treat yourself or a loved one for Valentines Day.  This service is available in the following zip codes: 29201, 29204, 29205,29206,29209, 29016, 29045, 29169, 29223, 29229.  Sign up here https://www.purpletuteur.com/subscription-information  from your laptop or PC (ordering from your phone does not work and I am still researching this).

On The Farm

We had a big push in early November to get all our early spring flowers planted before the real cold set in. They have gotten off to a great start. During January and February, we monitor them and make sure that they are healthy and protected from extreme weather.  Most everything is covered with frost cloth and the cloth is held down with sandbags. The sandbags help to keep the covers on when the winds are high.

Pansies are blooming, but not yet tall enough to cut and use in bouquets. They cheer us while we are working in the high tunnel.

Icelandic Poppies in pastel colors will be the first blooms ready to use.

Winter Projects

Over the winter, we get projects done that we don’t have time for when the field is actively blooming. First up this year, the septic system has to be replaced.  The work begins next week.. Not the most fun thing to spend money on, but critical. We were lucky that it reached its limit during November, when things were slowing down.

Planning

Every year, we also use January as a planning month. We review the successes and failures of our previous growing year and then move forward with a plan for summer and fall. (Spring is already planted, and we do something similar in July for the early spring).  Seeds are being started and plants are being ordered.

Some of the new things that we are planning:

1.       A new class about growing bulbs in winter for indoor blooms. This will include lessons on how to force bulbs, followed by a hands-on workshop to build your own bulb garden to take home.  I am just finalizing the information and will set the date soon. It will be in February or March, while outside blooms are limited and we can all use the lift that flowers give us.

2.       A new section of beds will be added to the field so that we can expand our dahlia production.  We tried lots of new varieties in 2023 and we will be increasing production of those that did well.

3.       A Thanksgiving bouquet offering, consisting primarily of heirloom mums. I was so thrilled to experience these beautiful flowers for the first time this year. We want you to experience the joy too. We will have a more comprehensive blog post on growing these flowers in the near future.

Ag and Art 2024

We will be on the Ag and Art Tour again this year. June 8-9, so mark your calendars and come on out to our open house. There are new hours this year.  Sites will be open Saturday, June 8 from 9 am – 4 pm and Sunday, June 9 from 9 am – 4 pm.

We are looking for artisans to participate on our farm. If you are an artisan or craftsperson (or know someone) with a business license and insurance, you can sign up at https://www.agandarttour.com  The deadline for Artisans will be April 15. 

New this year, the Richland County group will be holding a Farm to Table Dinner Fundraiser on April 27. More to come on this.

Anyone who wants to sponsor the tour or the dinner can also register at https://www.agandarttour.com  There is a lot of local exposure for the cost.  

That wraps it up for this first newsletter of 2024. Just a few more cold days before warm weather returns for a while next week! Winter is not over, but we welcome the balmier days.

Stay warm,

Linda

Bouquet Subscriptions for 2024

The 2024 subscription shop is open

Have farm-fresh cut flower bouquets delivered to your door weekly, or bi-weekly. Choose from three seasons or sign up for all three!

Early Spring – March and April deliveries

Spring to Summer – May and June deliveries (No deliveries June 7th or 11th – come see us during the Richland county Ag+Art Tour on Saturday June 8th)

Late Summer to Fall – Mid- August to mid-October (No deliveries August 30th or September 3rd, Labor Day Weekend)

We use a contactless delivery approach. Please leave a vase or a bucket of fresh water out for us and we will leave your flowers there for you. Flowers vary with each delivery. We pick the best of the harvest to include in your bouquets.

Subscriptions also make a great gift. We offer two ways to give a gift subscription:

1. Order the subscription directly. When ordering as a gift, simply provide the delivery name and address within our service area that you want us to use. In the comments, please let us know if you will let the recipient know or if you would like us to announce your gift via email.

2. Order an e-gift card. This allows the recipient to decide on the details when they use the gift card to purchase a subscription. Gift cards are good for the year of purchase only.

We can schedule deliveries around vacations-no problem. Customer satisfaction is fully guaranteed. 

This service is available in the following zip codes: 29201, 29204, 29205,29206,29209, 29016, 29045, 29169, 29223, 29229

A limited number of subscriptions are available. Subscriptions are closed when sold-out for the season.  

Holiday Bulbs and Greens - Last Call!

Many thanks to those of you who came out to our open house last weekend. It was fun to meet some of our followers face to face for the first time and to see old friends too.

If you couldn’t make it, we will be at the Christkindl Market at Doko Meadows on Saturday, December 9th with amaryllis, paperwhites and greenery bouquets. This is a really big market with lots of local makers. Don’t miss it!

Christkindl Market

Saturday, December 9, 2023

10:00am-7:00pm

Doko Meadows Park, 171 Langford Rd, Blythewood, SC 29016, USA

Join us for our 2nd Annual Christkindl Market in conjunction with the Blythewood Chamber of Commerce!
Live Nativity Scene
Arts & Crafts Vendors
Seasonal Baked Goods
Gluhwein and Beirgarten
Food Trucks
Santa Land

That’s it for now! We hope that you are blessed with a joyful holiday season. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Linda

Our Holiday Open House is Tomorrow!

The time has come for our last event of the year! We have a lot to help you with your holiday decorating and for gift giving to the flower lovers and the gardeners in your life.  Everything is set up on a covered porch or in our processing shed, so we’ll be there rain or shine.  Saturday, December 2 from 10:30 – 2:30.

Location

If you haven’t been to the farm before, the address is 787 Langford Road in Blythewood. If you use google maps to get the directions, there is an error in the last step. It tells you to turn onto Arnell Court. We are actually the driveway next to Arnell Court. If you are facing the farm, we’re the driveway on the left. 

Bulbs

We have lots of things to choose from! We have amaryllis bulbs ranging in price from $14 to $24. This year we have potted up some of them to get them growing for you. They are $5 more than the bare bulb. We showed the colors in our last post, so I won’t repeat that here.

If you like to get creative, here is some inspiration from @karenlidbeck on Instagram. In this post, she walks through how to make this winter arrangement featuring her amaryllis bulb. So fun! Karen is a stylist for some of the home magazines, including Better Homes and Gardens. She is full of great ideas.

We also have 5 packs of paperwhites, and you could do something similar with those!

The daffodils ready to go in these fun gift packs for $10. Instructions are included.

Our amaryllis bulbs are bagged with growing instructions.

Bulb Gardens

Of course, if you don’t enjoy the arranging or don’t have a minute to spare, we have some bulbs potted up in decorative containers and some bulb gardens ready to go.  Prices range from $10 to $90, so we have something for everyone

Greenery

We will have our greenery bouquets again this year at $22.  We also have some holiday bouquets that include our heirloom mums for$45 in a sleeve and $60 in this birch bark vase.  (We grew our first mums this year, and after the holidays I promise to tell you more!).

Our Holiday Shop Special - 3 stems of beautiful magnolia for $10, while supplies last!

Greenery bouquets are $22

Mum arrangement in this birch bark vase $60

2024 Subscriptions

We will be offering our bouquet subscriptions again next year. We update the website for ordering subscriptions and subscription gift cards by December 5th.  Stay tuned!

This has been a full and challenging year for us and we could not do it without all of you. We are honored to be able to serve our community by bringing the joy and beauty of flowers to your door.

Best wishes for a happy holiday season!

Linda

Our Holiday Shop

Hi All,

We have a lot in store for you this holiday season! From bulbs to greens to bulb gardens, we have tried to incorporate all of your requests into our new holiday season offerings. Everything will be available starting on December 1. You may go ahead and order on the website to reserve your purchases. This year, we are offering delivery in our standard delivery area for $12.  Delivery zip codes are the same as the ones we use for our bouquet subscriptions: 29201, 29204, 29205,29206,29209, 29016, 29045, 29169, 29223, 29229. Select from “shipping” and “pick-up” options at checkout.

While we did offer shipping for our spring bulbs (and will offer shipping again for our summer bulbs), we are not going to ship during the holiday season.  Amaryllis are cold sensitive and since we are just getting started with shipping, we don’t want to risk having bulbs arrive damaged or frozen. Hopefully we will be able to do this next year. For now, help us find homes for all these beautiful bulbs in the Columbia area!

Read on to learn what is coming available.

Amaryllis Bulbs

Here is our selection of bulbs. When you get on the website, you will notice that the prices vary. This has to do with the size of the bulb. A 28-30 cm bulb is a standard size and will have one stem (possibly two) with multiple blooms on it. 30-32 cm bulbs have 2 stems with multiple blooms.  This year we have included some of the largest bulbs available, size 36-38cm. These can have 3 or 4 stems and are a show of their own.  Naturally, larger bulbs are more expensive since they take longer to grow. Prices range from $16-$27 per bulb.

When selecting your bulbs, consider how you want to display them. The container size and the visual effect can mean that you want several smaller bulbs or a large one.

Not every bulb shown here will bloom in time for Christmas. We will have a few that do, but many will take time to grow into their magnificence so that you can enjoy them during the winter days to come.

If you have any questions about any of these varieties, feel free to email me or come to our open house on December 2nd and let us help you.

Paperwhite Bulbs

We offer lightly scented paperwhites. The variety is ‘Nazareth’, also sometimes called ‘Nir’.  See photo below, left, for the bloom. These bulbs are the largest available at 17-18 cm.  The photo below on the right compares a standard daffodil bulb and the paperwhite. This means that they send up multiple flowering stems in a single bulb. Another great show.  I am very excited to have them for you.

Priced at 5 bulb pack for $12.

Greenery Bouquets

We will also be offering our greenery bouquets again this year. Even if you have an artificial tree, like we do, its great to have the scent of winter greenery in the house. These can also be used for porch pots and swags outside. Deck the halls! These are $25

Potted Bulbs and Gift Kits

We have items potted up and ready to give or to use to decorate your home. Complete forcing kits are available for those who are travelling during the holidays and need to start theirs growing on their own schedule.

Holiday Open House

On Saturday, December 2nd, we will have our holiday open house. In addition to the items mentioned above, we will have bulbs potted up for gift giving and/or to decorate your home.  Here are a few examples of what we will have, and another update will come out closer to the event.

Our Paperwhite Santa Tin (left) is a great gift for book club, teaches, church groups or others. $12 each. If you are ordering a number of these, please allow one week for delivery.

An amaryllis bulb planted in a birch pot, ready for its new home. $32 and up, depending on the bulb.

The website shop will be available by Wednesday 11/8 at noon.

We are looking forward to the excitement of the holidays and more time with friends and loved ones. We are working diligently this week, with lots of help, to get the majority of our spring planting done. Then we take a break through Thanksgiving. Horray!

We are so thankful for each of you who have supported our farm in some way. We appreciate your business and the honored to serve our community.

Wishing You Joy,

Linda