Summer Goodies
Yay summer is here! Well at least it feels like it here. We have so much in store for this upcoming season and I can’t wait to start cutting and sharing all the beauties that are coming up. Alpine Blooms Farm started with a dream to mimic my grandparent’s garden in Belarus. I grew up with loads of cottage flowers like Zinnias and Cosmos as well as Roses and Peonies. Every summer my brother and I spent 3 months with my grandparents where we learned to care for land as well as enjoy all the fresh produce that land can offer us. As a kid I did not really think of flowers as useful apart from being pretty but if we think about it, flowers attract bees and in a small production system they are vital as bees then go and pollinate things like tomato plants and Blackcurrant bushes: these plants don’t have big attractive flowers and need that little bit of help to attract insects to themselves. Flowers can also act like an insect repellent: ever heard of planting marigolds in your veggie patch?
Alpine Blooms is a cut flower farm with a few veggies added just for us to enjoy. And in my case I am just planting the flowers that I have enjoyed as a kid. I can’t wait to see Phlox and big winter Asters come up and spread themselves out. I’ve got heaps of poppy seeds that were just scattered around and hopefully they will grow. I’m afraid that if I don’t control myself the plot will just turn into a big wild flower paddock (I’ll try and refrain from doing that). So what is on the cards for Summer months of Alpine Blooms?
We have the following beauties available for harvest very soon:
- Zinnias
- Dahlias (but only limited amount as they really did not like me putting them in the glasshouse during early spring)
- Cosmos (already flowering but still way too short, I shall keep pinching it till it is tall enough for everyone)
- Asters (they will come up a bit later in summer and I am super excited about them, they used to always be part of my bouquet for first day back at school)
- Amaranthus (these guys are doing well but are taking their time, I don’t think I will have them ready for another 2 months at least)
- Nigella (once again they are taking their time so not a 100% sure how long they will take)
- Calendula (already flowering and is doing great)
- Pansy (part of my eatable collection, go check them out @monkeyfarmnz )
- Cornflower (they are already flowering and are super pretty and a delicate little addition to any bouquets)
- Sage (I know not really a flower, more a herb but I have heaps of it and silvery foliage is very pretty)
- Daisy (I have two types, 1 is small short daisy that I mainly use as part of my eatable collection, 2 are massive cut flower daisies that are not only pretty but can make quite a statement)
- Snaps (flowering already and they are making me super happy. These guys are lasting for weeks in a vase and colours and smell are so so cool!)
- Achillia (I can’t tell you how excited I am to see first buds on this little plant! They are troopers, wintered over in the open air and managed to seed everywhere by themselves as well as producing buds already!)
- Babies Breath (these guys are not budding yet but they are certainly near)
- Sunflowers (what summer is complete without some sunflowers!)
- Lilies (They are a little bit disappointing this year, the oriental lilies did not do so well and are struggling in my soil, however Asiatic lilies are doing great and are almost ready to burst)
- Gladioli (They are all coming through and hopefully we will have some buds appear soon)
Plus so many more little bits and pieces all around the farm. It is really hard to describe how much joy it gives me to deliver buckets of flowers to people around Central Otago. It is so cool to see smiles and talk flowers to people who are passionate about horticulture. I know this year is our first year and we are still trying things out and making heaps of mistakes but I am hoping next year will bring loads more flowers and experience and will allow us to supply better blooms to wider Wanaka and Queenstown area.
