10 years in flowers celebration highlights

Our 10 years in flowers celebration all summer was up and down, round and round during the worst weather flower season we’ve ever had. Alaskans are kiddingly calling it “8 days of Summer’.

May we had wind, June hardly ever saw 50 degrees. August and September, rain, cold and more rain. We only had a handful of temps in the 70’s. Then early hard frost. I’m calling it the summer I lived in rubber boots which did my ankles no favor. I’m so thankful at least our two dinner tours the sun came out which was so nice. 

But hey, I’ll take a mild sunny October any day. It totally made for easy farm clean up and fall tulip planting. During which I had strep throat that turned into a wicked upper respiratory infection that is finally clearing up weeks later.

Snow came to stay the first week of November, I now have a small snowman family, including a cat and a dog along the deck railing.

The main highlight as it is every year continues to stand out. And that is our beautiful amazing flower lovers and customers. You really keep me going that is for sure. And also like every year we had sold out events and a full flower subscription program before even one flower seed hit the potting soil or one bloom bloomed. 

All in all as I gather up the dirty rain gear, gloves and wool socks of the season to put them in the wash. The highlights can’t be denied.

For this and for so much more I’m thankful, in awe as usual, proud and delighted to share them with you now.

The beginning of 2023 brought Disneyland and being stuck in Santa Barbara due to what CNN called a “bomb cyclone” with more rain than I’ve ever seen at one time in all my life. Also setting what became as I already stated, the rainy cold weather theme for the majority of 2023 flower season. But enough of that. 

For my birthday in February I received an original from Alaska Artist Danica Saunders. She sent me a gorgeous watercolor painting she created using a photograph of one of my fall dahlia arrangements. She even painted the packaging she sent me that I now use as a folder on my desk.

The sunset backcountry 4×4 trip into Arches National Park as part of our yearly vacation was stunning. To see the wilderness of the red rock desert with hardly another person in sight was extra special. 

In June I did finally get a blip of summer at the Slow Flowers Summit in Seattle at the Belleview Botanical Gardens. I loved the dinner and garden tour of the Mercer Island Funny Farm. It started with drinks and a huge grazing table. Which inspired the one we ordered from AK Grazing Company for our Flower Farm Lunch Tour. 

Another high point of the summit was that myself and 4 other floral professionals created an entrance installation in the red, white and blue color pallet which I wrote about over on our blog.

The farm is located on the Alaska State Fair intake road to parking. On the weekends the traffic is crazy especially if the weather is nice. You already know 2023 was a terrible weather summer. It just so happened this year both Saturdays of the fair either rained out, aka no traffic, which means no customers for us or had the most amazing weather the traffic was backed for 5 miles.

Both scenarios made for only a handful of customers wanting to buy flowers. The one sunny day at peak dahlia season we only had like 3 customers all day.

I loaded up the flowers to take to the cooler, snapped a picture and ranted about it on social media.  Unfortunately, I was so caught up in the moment I don’t have a picture of the two cars full of women who came to buy flowers out of the back of the truck.

What was so cool is they loaded their cars with neighbors and friends to come purchase flowers after they saw my rant on social media. Thank you so much if this was you! As well if you were one of the customers who went to the fair and came back after your day at the fair for your flower fix. Having awesome customers makes what we do that much sweeter.

This was I think day 6 of summer, lol. We lucked out because the day after it poured buckets from the sky.

When I decided to stop attending the farmers market to run the On-Farm Flower Shop I knew I wanted to hold 1 hour walking tours in hopes of sharing the uniqueness of what we do here through floraltourism. It turned out to be a fun and special experience for all. I thoroughly enjoy the more kicked back tours during our gorgeous long Alaska summer evenings. We’ll be adding a day time option in 2024 as well. 

Slow Flowers & Farm Girl Visit The Farm

Talk about a highlight….I did feature these two flower queens on our blog. 

Then an email came in September telling me I was chosen to speak at the Northwest Home & Garden Festival in Seattle. I have to say I’m OVER THE MOON EXCITED !!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I have been dreaming of being up on their stage ever since the first time I attended the show many years ago.

I’ll be speaking at 4pm February 17!!! Seattle here I come armed with everything I know about growing dahlias!!!!!!!!!! 

I was asked at the end of 2022 to become a director of the Alaska Farm Bureau Floriculture Committee Representing the Mat-Su Chapter. I declined at that point. The opportunity came back around at this years Farm & Food Festival. I said, Yes! The robust floral culture industry here in Alaska up until a few years ago mostly consisted of peony farms. Now specialty cut-flower farms are popping up in back yards and acreage across Alaska despite our cold climate.

With my unique perspective and background of both flowers and food my hopes are to advocate issues that affect the floral industry with borough and state agriculture staff and legislative delegates. While at the same time help develop policy recommendations, as well as coordinate educational opportunities to help the floriculture producers of Alaska.

Thank you for taking the time for a stroll through our 10 years in flowers celebration highlights.

Its definitely a year I’ll never forget.