What's Saving My Bacon

The short answer is: weeds and spring bulbs.

Remember how I didn't decide to start a flower farm / florist business until the end of January?

What that means is I missed out on my chance for certain spring bulbs that bloom early.

Things like anemones and ranunculus, or even snowdrops.

Be that as it may, it's all those bulbs I planted last fall that are going to get me through these early months of bouquet making.

My vendor booth officially opens May 1! 

That's when I'll start doing online marketing on Facebook and such, as well.

I went around and counted what was blooming right now or almost blooming, because I have this perpetual fear that I will not have enough of anything to sell.

I counted approximately 100 daffodils (1/3-1/2 of them minis) and 86 tulips, if the deer don't eat any more of them. So that's enough to get me through a week or two--unless demand is far greater than I expect. Without the daffodils and tulips I planted last fall, I would have nothing right now!

I've also got alliums, a few more tulips, and Dutch irises to look forward to within the next month.

The violas and pansies I planted last fall have also wintered over.

I may be digging them up in a couple of weeks for a Mother's Day idea I have.

For filler, I have been foraging. :) 

In other words, collecting weeds.

None of our trees have leafed out yet, and again, cultivated filler is not to be had this year.

However, there is a really pretty-looking feathery green weed that grows in abundance around here.

I've used it in 2 different arrangements now and gotten compliments on it both times! 

Hee hee. Love that. 

Also, it holds up in the vase for something like 2 weeks! That's hard to beat.

The extra good thing about weeds is that nobody minds if you pull them up or cut them.

There's a particularly nice patch of the feathery ones right across the street from our house, next to a horse pasture. I suspect I will be using them as long as I can this spring!

There are some other pretty ones in the "wild" part of our backyard that have tiny white flowers at the very ends, that I think would make great filler as well.

For other vase fillers, I have had to change my mindset.

I was pruning my lilac bush the other day (not the hard prune that it really needs, but more taking off the 3 D's: dead, damaged, diseased), when I realized that many of the branches I was taking off had really interesting structural shapes with just a tuft of leaves on the end.

I went and got a container to put them in and saved them for arrangements.

Just this morning, in fact, I used some of them in an arrangement I did for a "Women in Business" luncheon. I must say, the lilac branches, the feathery weeds, another weed with tiny purple flowers, and a selection of my prettiest daffodils were quite lovely. I will post a picture once I get it. (I forgot to take one, so someone else took one on her phone and is sending it to me.)

Yes, my house has containers full of branches and weeds sprouting up in the most unlikely places.

Meanwhile, I am sowing seeds, (and *cough* buying dahlias *cough*, ) in hopes of having more traditional flowers to offer as well.

* * * * *

As I look around my yard, I take a deep breath and smile.

The lilac bush is full of buds.

The rose bushes all are starting to sprout.

Peonies are leafing out.

And there always the weeds to fill things out if needed. :)

It's going to be okay.

There will be enough.