Our 2025 Bouquet Subscriptions: Fresh Flowers Delivered to Your Door
Looking to brighten your week? Our farm-fresh bouquet subscription delivers vibrant, seasonal blooms right to your doorstep. Choose from weekly or bi-weekly deliveries throughout the season, and enjoy the beauty of locally grown, handpicked flowers. Select Tuesday or Friday as your preferred delivery day, and receive a thoughtfully curated bouquet featuring the best of our harvest.
How It Works We make it easy and contactless: simply leave a vase or a bucket of fresh water outside, and we’ll take care of the rest, delivering your flowers right to your door. Each bouquet is unique, as we choose the best available flowers for the season, so you can look forward to something new with every delivery.
Perfect for Gifting Looking for the ideal gift? A bouquet subscription is a thoughtful and ongoing present. When you order as a gift, just provide the recipient's name and delivery address within our service area. Let us know in the comments if you'd like us to announce your gift via email, or if you'd prefer to let the recipient know personally.
Flexible Scheduling Worried about missing a delivery while on vacation? No problem! We can easily reschedule your deliveries to accommodate your schedule. Your satisfaction is our priority, and we guarantee it!
Service Areas We offer delivery to the following zip codes: 29201, 29204, 29205, 29206, 29209, 29016, 29045, 29169, 29223, 29229.
Are You in the Ridgeway Area?
We’re thrilled to announce a new partnership with The Molly Creek Company! As a small farm, we’ve had some limitations on where we can deliver, but thanks to this collaboration, we’re excited to expand our reach. Starting with our 2025 subscriptions, you can now sign up for a Friday bouquet subscription and pick up your flowers at The Molly Creek Company.
Molly Creek Company will be opening in January 2025 at 1051 Hwy 21 South in Ridgeway, 29130, just 5 miles north of Blythewood. They’ll be open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 am to 6 pm, giving you plenty of time to visit before we begin deliveries in March!
While you’re there, be sure to explore a fantastic selection of locally made products, including food, art, refinished furniture, and the amazing Molly Creek soaps. Don’t forget to follow @MollyCreekCompany2025 on Instagram for updates on their progress as they prepare to open!
Limited Availability Our subscriptions are available in limited quantities and may sell out for the season. Be sure to place your order soon before they're gone. We also reserve the right to limit deliveries to certain areas.
Click the link for more information and to sign up : Subscription Information
Last Call for Holiday Bulbs!
We still have a few amaryllis and paperwhites available for you on our website. Our last pick up date is Friday, 12/14. Our final delivery date is Tuesday, 12/19/24.
Thank you so much to all of you who have supported our farm in some way this year. We are grateful for your interest in our flowers. We look forward to more flower fun in 2025!
Wishing you a happy holiday season,
Linda
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
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! 🌷
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.
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
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:
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.
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
October on the Farm - Dahlias and Mums
Farm Update
Happy Halloween!
Farmers are surprisingly busy in the fall. Seasons converge. We’re busy wrapping up the fall harvest, getting the beds prepared and planted for spring, getting the spring bulb sales delivered and preparing for our holiday offerings too.
Temperatures are forecasted to be in the low 30’s at night this week, which is pretty much a guarantee that the dahlias and the rest of the summer annuals will be done. This is the average first frost date for our area, so statistically speaking, we are on our normal schedule.
Here are a few highlights from our fall season.
Dahlias
The dahlias were a lot of fun to grow this year, and we hope that you enjoyed some of them. We doubled the number of tubers we planted and grew several new (to us) varieties along with some old favorites. It is always fun to find something new and beautiful, that does well in our warm climate. Here are some of our favorites for the year.
Clockwise from top left: Totally Tangerine, Mr. Franz, Genova, Labyrinth Two Tone
Totally Tangerine is an anemone form dahlia. The plant is small, so good for a pot. It produces a large number of 2 inch blooms.
Mr. Franz is a waterlily form. The blooms are 4-6 inches and the petals are peach and yellow.
Genova is a small ball form dahlia. The plant produces many flowers. The size makes them easy to use in arrangements.
Labyrinth Two Tone is a lavender and white dinnerplate dahlia. They are typically smaller than a dinnerplate in our summer heat. This makes them good for arranging. This is a recent release from the same breeder that brought us the Labyrinth dahlia.
This last one is called Babylon Bronze. It does well in our heat. As the season’s days got shorter, it grew much larger and had petals that were more yellow than bronze. These are hard to use in bouquets or arrangements, so I took them home! A few blooms for the farmer to enjoy at the end of the season.
We’re trying to keep a few dahlias going in the hoop house, so we’ll see how that works out.
We will be selling dahlia tubers in early 2024. This will give us room in the field to add a few new ones and expand the quantities of the ones that do well in our climate.
Heirloom Mums
This year we are also growing heirloom mums for the first time. They generally bloom after the dahlias and their blooms are triggered by shorter days. Heirloom mums come in many shapes and sizes. We’ve just started with three to see how they do. So far, so good. This one is called Crimson Tide. More updates will be coming on these interesting flowers.
Heirloom mum Crimson Tide
Spring Blooming Bulbs
Thank you for those who have ordered their bulbs. We are getting things delivered/ready for farm pick up as the bulbs arrive from Holland. Shipping from Holland is a long and complex process, so the providers are not the best at keeping a predictable schedule. We have everything now except for the tulips. They are supposed to arrive next week, so we will get them to everyone as soon as we can.
The most important thing to remember is that we have the luxury of planting all of these now through January in our glorious climate. Just keep the bulbs cool and dry until you are ready to get them into the ground.
Holiday Shop
This year we will have bulbs, bulb gardens and greens bouquets available for purchase on the website and at our holiday open house at the farm on December 2nd.
In addition to a large variety of amaryllis in various sizes, we will have extra-large paperwhites. These are 17cm, which means that they are some of the largest available. Larger bulbs provide larger and more flowers. Here is a photo showing a standard daffodil bulb next to one of the paperwhite bulbs.
More information to come in our next email update.
Standard Cum Laude daffodil on the left, our extra large paperwhite
The Thrill of Fall
We’re so happy to see fall arrive! Fall is a very busy season at the farm. Our efforts now are for the current season and for our early spring season too. Thanks to the cooler temperatures, we are able to work longer hours and get more done than we can in summer.
Here’s what’s happening at the farm this season:
Fall Wreath Workshop
We kicked off the season with our Fall Wreath Workshop. We really enjoyed having everyone at the farm and many beautiful wreaths were created. We look forward to doing this again next year.
We’ve made up a few extras for those who would like one but don’t like the DIY process or couldn’t make the class. Contact us for the specifics. We only have a few, including the one shown above. https://www.purpletuteur.com/contact-us-1
Dahlias!
The dahlias are in their glory days. Dahlias are at their best when the nights are cool and the days are below 90F. They are starting to get very happy in their environment, which makes them more productive. They will continue to bloom until first frost (usually around Halloween), when they fold like a deck of cards.
We are growing some in our hoophouse this year so we are hopeful that we may have a few of them with us a little longer than first frost.
We use these flowers in our subscription bouquets and they also go to florists and event planners in town. If you are interested in these for your own event or home décor, contact us through our website and we will try to accommodate your needs. https://www.purpletuteur.com/contact-us-1
Spring Bulb Sale
Our bulb shop is live on our website. First, thank you to all who have already purchased spring bulbs. We are sold out of some things already. We will be sending out a series of blog posts on how to grow the bulbs we are offering. We started with tulips in the last post. Anemone, ranunculus and daffodils are to come. Link to bulb shop is https://www.purpletuteur.com/spring-bulbs
Mums
We are growing heirloom mums this year for the first time. Mums don’t produce flower buds until the days are less than 12 hours long. Hello fall, we’re here. Tiny buds are forming now and we’re so excited. Mums are a very long-lasting cut flower, which is great since they are the last to bloom until spring. We hope to have some on our holiday bouquets this year. Speaking of which…
The Holidays are Coming!
We are here to help you deck the halls and locate the perfect specialty gift for your flower-loving friends and family.
As in years past, we will have paperwhites and amaryllis bulbs for sale. We will also have some potted up and ready to go along with our holiday bouquets and wreaths. Everything will be available to pre-order from the website. We will offer local delivery and farm pick up for these. Shipping will not be available.
Save The Date! We will have our Holiday Open House this year on Saturday December 2. More details to come!
We are ever grateful to be able to bring you these products and services. Thank you for your support. Happy Fall!
Linda
August Farm Update
Catching Up!
We’ve enjoyed some time off over the past few weeks! If you follow us on Instagram @purpletuteur, you may have seen some of the photos/reels of our trip to Santa Fe to celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary. Time does fly! We enjoyed it all and I am blessed to have a great team at the farm that is able to keep things going without me. I am about caught up on things now…
Back on the Farm
As cooler temperatures approach, we are so ready to start up dahlia season! We planted out our tubers in June and they are just beginning to bloom. We’ve added several new (to us) varieties that we look forward to seeing and sharing along with some of the favorites from past seasons.
Fall Subscriptions Start Next Week
Next week we start up the fall subscription season. The season is sold out. Thanks to all of you that signed up. We are looking forward to getting farm-fresh flowers to your door soon.
Upcoming Events
Fall Bulb Sale
For the gardeners in the group, we will have the spring bulb shop offerings online by September 16th. This year we will be offering farm pick up and shipping! Orders will be filled and sent mid to late October. For those who want to pick up, we will have a few dates and times to choose from.
For those who are local, we will have a few garden plants available too. We are not able to ship these at this time.
Fall Wreath Workshop – Wednesday September 20th, 10 am to noon
Join us for a fun “get ready for fall” workshop at Purple Tuteur Farm. Learn how to build your own dried flower wreath. We’ll be using a grapevine wreath and beautifully dried flowers from Purple Tuteur Farm. Take yours home and hang it on a door or in a window, just in time for fall festivities. Sign up on the website https://www.purpletuteur.com/classes
We are forever grateful for your interest and your support of our small farm. Thank you for all you do.
Cooler weather is on the way!
Linda
Dahlia Workshop Fun
Photo: Karen Bickley
Friends old and new gathered for our first dahlia workshops this past week. Enthusiastic growers came out to learn more about these beautiful flowers. Some even learned that they were neighbors with a shared interest.
We started with a review of key concepts – from selection to end of season care and everything in between. With all topics in the handout, students had a reference to take home.
After discussing the concepts, we went into the field to get a look at the dahlias growing there. Concepts were reinforced with demonstrations and hands on practice.
Demonstrations included cutting the blooms and bagging the buds to protect them from insects without using insecticides. Photo: Karen Bickley
Everyone got hands-on experience pinching and disbudding. Photo: Karen Bickley
After the lessons, each student selected two tubers to take home and grow in their garden. I am looking forward to seeing the results.
Watch our newsletter for announcements of other on-farm classes later in the year.
We will be closed the week of July 4th so we can spend some time with friends and family. Have a safe and happy holiday.
Linda
Announcing our Growing Dahlias On-Farm Workshop
Dahlias are one of the fall’s best flowers and now is the time to get them growing 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 21st or Saturday June 24th
Choose the date that you want to attend when you sign up on our website.
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
· Variety selection considerations
· Growing conditions
· Planting
· Tending
· Common Pests and Diseases
· Harvesting
· 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.
For more information and to register for the class, Class Registration
On the Farm - This is Columbine
As the weather is warming, we are beginning to see a shift in what is growing at the farm. The ranunculus and anemone are slowing down but the hardy annuals and the biennials are picking up steam. Next up is Columbine.
Columbine (Aquilegia spp) is technically a perennial but it is a short lived one, so we treat it more like a biennial. Biennials are a group of flowering plants that have a two-year life cycle. The first year, they develop their vegetative growth. The second year they produce flowers.
This bed of Columbine was planted two years ago. The green growth was very lush the first year. The second year, it produced minimal flowers on very healthy plants. This year, the third year, the stems are coming on strong, so we expect to see a good flush of blooms this year.
With the time involved to grow this and our shorter and shorter attention spans, I would not be surprised if you have never seen it. It is a really unique flower with its sculptural blooms. The bloom reminds me of a bird’s head.
We grow a long-stemmed variety that is suitable for cut flowers called McKana Giants Mix. It includes a mix of colors including blue, red and yellow. It can be grown from seed but we buy plugs (small started plants) to save time. I don’t recommend this for beginners since it doesn’t give the encouragement of fast blooms. For those who are seasoned gardeners, you may want to give it a try.
Happy Spring,
Linda
P.S. If you are ready to get your hands in the dirt, we have a few more beautiful lily bulbs available. Thanks to all who have already ordered. http://www.purpletuteur.com
Here Comes Spring!
With the unusually warm weather we’ve been having, some flowers started to bloom earlier than normal, giving us a welcome jumpstart into spring. We started our Early Spring subscription deliveries the last week of February which is a week ahead of plan. Mother Nature has her reasons.
We’re busy getting the last of our winter projects done so that as the volume of flowers increases, we can stay focused on getting the flowers out of the field and into your hands.
This winter we did a lot of maintenance on the raised beds, added a new peony bed (more on that in a future post) and prepared some new beds for new plantings. We divided our Tuberose and dahlia tubers. We expect to have some of these tubers available in our summer bulb sale, a new offering for us. Date is still tbd, but we will mention it in this newsletter first.
On the farm Tulips, Poppies, Anemone, Ranunculus, Hellebore, Delphinium and Narcissus are in bloom. The hardy annuals are also on the verge. The peonies won’t be far behind!
If you didn’t get signed up for our Early Spring subscription, we still have space available in our Spring to Summer and Summer to Fall offerings. You can sign up on our website. If you don’t like the internet world and would rather not order that way, contact me and we will work it out.
Amaryllis Care
Not sure what to do with your Amaryllis after it has bloomed? Keep it going with light watering until September. Check out this blog post for what to do to get it to bloom again. https://www.purpletuteur.com/blog/2021/9/10/want-your-amaryllis-to-bloom-for-the-holidays-easy-as-123
Anemones and Ranunculus Harvesting Tips
For those growing anemone and/or ranunculus corms, if you got them planted by November, you should be seeing growth now. (If you didn’t get them in the ground, you can keep them in the paper bag on a closet shelf until next November. They will hold if they are kept dry and cool.
Anemones tend to come up first. The first stems are short and they get longer with each cutting. The flowers open during the day and close at night. They need to do this a few times before they are ready to harvest. The best time to cut them is when the collar, which is just below the bloom, moves about an inch away from the bloom.
Ranunculus also start a bit short and get taller as the season progresses. They should be harvested (ideally) when the bud is colored and soft as a marshmallow.
That’s it for now! We continue to be grateful to all of you for your support of our small farm. We couldn’t do it without you. We look forward to bringing you bundles of joy (the kind that don’t need college tuition) through out the year. Many many thanks.
Update on Our Fall Plantings
I am happy to report that the fall plantings are coming along very well. Everything has recovered from the December deep freeze and we’re seeing the first buds and blooms on the earliest varieties. March is only 34 days away and by then we should be cutting ranunculus, tulips, narcissus, poppies and anemone for our early spring bouquets.
Here are a few examples of how things look now and how they will look soon (based on last year’s activity). I hope this brightens your day! Linda
The anemones have started to bloom! They start with very short stems but after cutting a couple of times they get long enough to use in bouquets. The left photo is from last week. The other two are from last year, after they get further along.
This is a poppy in bud in our hoop house this year (left). Poppies are one of the earliest things to bloom at the farm. We grow an Italian variety that has extra-long stems and larger flowers. We plant pastel colors that we like to have in Spring.
Our crate-grown tulips are really coming along. Most of these will bloom in March but some in April too. The one shown is Apricot Impression from last year. It is among the first to bloom. We’re growing some new varieties this year, so I don’t have pictures of everything.
The delphinium is also coming along well. The left photo is the hoop house this January. The two on the right are from last year and show where we are headed! This usually starts to bloom in the second half of March.
The campanula looks great this year. It likes cold weather. This one will bloom in April, and what a show! The left photo is this year. The 2 blooms photos are from last year. Campanula is best grown under cover. The bell shaped flowers capture all the rain and it can be damaging to the blooms.
Come on Spring!
Our Holiday Open House is Tomorrow!
We are so excited to welcome you to the farm for our Holiday Open House tomorrow, December 1, from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm! We will have our paperwhite and amaryllis bulbs for sale as well as forcing kits, which include the bulb and a nursery pot and soil. The forcing kits make great gifts for those who have a busy travel schedule over the holidays. The bulb will stay fairly dormant until it is planted and water is added. I will be closing the online store today and will open it back up on Friday, after the open house is over. We don’t want to oversell and risk disappointment!
At the open house, we will have a selection of potted up bulb gardens for easy holiday preparation or gift giving. Along with amaryllis and paperwhites, these can include some succulents and angel wing begonia so that you have something to keep your “need for green” going through the winter. We can also help you fill your own container, if you have something special that you use for the holidays.
We are also making greenery bouquets. I love doing these for the holidays. Since most of us use artificial trees these days, a vase of fresh greenery can be just the thing to get the holiday scent going at home. Some also use the greens around the house to enhance their other decorations.
Mary Ann Adams from One Hubcap Farm will also be there with her gorgeous wreaths! She will have a variety of sizes available. She can also take orders for later pick-up if you don’t find what you are looking for.
Tina Hall-Franklin from T2K Java will also be there with her hot cocoa and coffee to keep us warmer. She also sells her coffee beans. Tina has a portable pop-up shop so think of her for your events too!
The weather will be a little cooler tomorrow so you may want to wear an extra layer! More like the holiday weather I grew up with so happy for a little chill this time of year. We will be on the front porch of the processing shed, so covered but outside.
We hope to see you there!
Linda
Fall Bulbs Make Spring Blooms
Our Fall Bulb Shop is Live
We know that some of you flower lovers are gardeners too. We are happy to bring some harder to find and high-quality bulbs to our community so that you can share in the joy of growing these beauties. Here are things that you can order from our website:
Anemone
Narcissus
Ranunculus
We also have Amaryllis and Paperwhites available on the Bulb Shop again this year.
If you don’t have much gardening experience, I highly recommend trying Amaryllis or Paperwhites for the holidays. They are one of the easiest things to grow and can be grown indoors so that they bloom in December or January when it is harder to get outside.
I really enjoy seeing the photos that people send me of their bulbs in bloom. They bring such joy and there is such excitement for those who are trying for the first time. Here are a few examples:
Beginner Judy H.
Beginner Lynn E.
Seasoned Grower Karen T.
Seasoned Grower Susie
Seasoned Grower Becky H.
On the Farm
The dahlias have been good this year. We tried a few new varieties which we liked and will use again. You will probably recognize these if you had a fall bouquet subscription. They will continue to bloom until the first frost, which is usually around Halloween here in the Midlands.
Hamari Gold
American Dawn
French Can Can
Subscription season is over for this year. Thanks to all of you who participated! We’re already busy getting plants and bulbs in the ground for next spring’s subscriptions.
Next year, we will be expanding our subscription delivery area to include zip code 29169. Deliveries typically start by the first week in March, weather permitting.
Snapdragon Seedlings
These are snapdragon seedlings that we will plant in the next week or two for spring blooming. It is fun to refresh the fields and look forward to the next season of flowers.
Happy Fall,
Linda
Happy Fall! Updates From The Farm
We are enjoying the start of cooler weather and hope that you are too! Here are a few updates that we wanted to share.
Amanda McNulty and I Talk Cut Flowers on Making it Grow
It was such a pleasure to be able to meet one of my gardening heroes and talk cut flowers with her. This being my first time on a TV set, I really didn’t know what to expect. Amanda and the crew made it very easy. Once we had mics on, I couldn’t move around, which is a challenge for me, but she kept me focused on her and the topic at hand.
The set is so comfortable and I felt right at home. After we finished, I dumped some water into the sink that you can see in the background. Oops! There is no plumbing there. There was a mad dash to wipe it up. A learning experience for sure.
The segment will be aired on Tuesday, September 27 at 7:00 pm on SCETV.
Fall Bulb Sale
We are excited to bring you specialty bulbs for your garden and home again this year! You can order anemone, ranunculus, a few specialty daffodils, amaryllis and paperwhites from the website starting about October 15th. There are still supply chain delivery delayss so we will announce again when e have the bulbs.
Bouquet Subscriptions Wrap For 2022
Our subscription season is coming to a close for the year. I want to thank each of you who participates in this service. It does my heart good to bring you flowers and I enjoy your feedback. We will start deliveries back up next March and from now until then we will be prepping the soil, sowing seed, planting bulbs and protecting the plants from the weather as best we can.
Here’s to a lovely holiday season!
Linda
Perennial Phlox
Does your garden have too much sun for Hydrangeas? You may want to try perennial Phlox, Phlox Paniculata. The bloom has a shape that is similar to a hydrangea. They bloom this time of year and are available in a variety of colors. Be sure to select one that is resistant to powdery mildew and you are good to go!
These plants grow tall, with 2 – 4 foot stems, so find a spot in the back of your sunny bed. If you cut them to bring inside, cut the stem near the base of the plant. Often, a second smaller flush will come up before the season ends. As with many perennials, they die back to the ground over the winter. Green shoots start up early in spring.
If you have a bouquet subscription with us, you will see Phlox in the next bouquet. We grow David’s Lavender. In the garden the bloom is pink. When we put it into the cooler it turns purple. When it warms back up, it turns pink again. No other varieties have this chameleon-like characteristic.
Do you grow perennial Phlox in your garden? What is your favorite variety?
Other News:
Thanks to all of you who came to the farm for the Ag+Art Tour. We had between 250 and 300 visitors this year. We appreciate being able to share what we do and what the artisans do during this event.
I will be spending a few days in Massachusetts for the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Grower’s annual conference in early August. This is the first gathering in 3 years, due to Covid. I am looking forward to being face to face with like-minded growers who I usually communicate with over the phone or on social media. I am looking forward to a farm tour too! Five Forks Farm, in Upton Mass will open their farm to Association Members for a tour. You can learn a little bit about them and their story in the last printed issue of Martha Stewart Living. Check it out here
https://www.marthastewart.com/8257345/fivefork-farms-flower-tour
Our summer bouquet season is coming to an end soon. We are offering a fall season of 6 weekly bouquets starting in late August and ending in early-mid October. We would love to deliver our fall bouquets to your door! You can learn more and sign up on our website: https://www.purpletuteur.com/subscription-information
Wishing you much joy in the abundance of summer!
Linda
The Kousa Dogwood
Our cousin Susie brought us a Kousa Dogwood the year our mothers passed away. She told us that it would be in bloom on Mother’s Day and I looked forward to seeing it flower. The year was 2006.
The young sapling came in a nursery pot and was about 3 feet tall. This was a good size to plant, as I could dig a reasonably small hole and get it settled in.
I found a spot in our back yard, in partial shade, where it could be somewhat protected and got it planted. After giving it a deep watering, I made a mental note to check on it again periodically, but especially on Mother’s Day.
The next year, the tree had grown but there was not much flowering. It needed more time to get to its mature state and flower. In the following years, we saw just a few blooms.
Last fall, we had some aging pines cut down. They were at risk of falling on our house or on our neighbor’s place. This past winter, we had high winds and lots of cold and several other shrubs fell in the same area. This all happened near the dogwood, which remained unaffected.
We have a hole in the landscape now that needs to be filled. I am excited to be able to select some new trees and shrubs for the ‘privacy fence’ between us and the neighbors. I am looking at flowering shrubs like Weigela, Viburnum and Cotinus. This, however, is not the most exciting thing.
The Kousa is blooming! It has bloomed this year like it never has before. Letting more light in made it explode with graceful white flowers. These proper growing conditions should allow it to get taller and stronger going forward. It is thriving and in full bloom this Mother’s Day week. The happy memories of our mothers and times spent in their loving care are represented in each and every bloom.
Wishing you all a Happy Mother’s Day. Whether they are here or are gone, may the light of their love be with you.