Everlasting Flora

11/02/2024

Got a start digging up dahlia tubers today and thankfully everything looks healthy. Dirt was rinsed off of the tubers and they were loaded onto my truck in labeled crates. Next, they will be divided, labeled and stored in coolers in my basement. Dahlia tubers were planted last May as single tubers. Digging them up is like digging for treasures, as each singular tuber produces a clump with an average of 6-12 tubers (some varieties produce more than others). I keep some of the tubers to plant again next May, and will sell my extras in early Spring.

10/05/2024

Pictured are fresh flowers that were delivered today, along with a small percentage of dried flowers that will be available for purchase soon. In the next few weeks I will be cutting dahlia plants down so they will focus on tuber production instead of blooms, continuing to cut, hang to dry, and organize dried flowers for fall and winter workshops and crafts, collecting seeds to use next year (and possibly sell), and starting the process of preparing garden beds for the winter and next spring.

09/28/2024

09/28/2024

I have fresh and dried flowers. Come check us out! I’ll be here until 4 today only!

09/22/2024

I got to deliver flowers to a mom and dad tonight who named their new baby Dahlia. The moms sister, who I don’t know, placed the order on my website, abloomandaprayer.com
You can’t see them all but there’s about seven different dahlias in different colors and styles, along with other flowers and fillers.
I got to deliver them in person and meet both the parents and the precious little one. The new mom said her sister was out of town and couldn’t be there in person. I’m so glad I got to be a part of her special surprise.

09/15/2024

One of two birthday arrangements I made this week. This one was a gift for my bonus Mom, Tina Koch. I never got to celebrate her birthday last month, so today we went to the Dairy Queen and splurged on ice cream. Flowers, ice cream and quality time together. What a fun afternoon! I also delivered another pre-birthday bouquet to my daughter Katie who has a birthday Tuesday. Thank you to the following people who supported my flower business this week: Robyn Harrington, who bought a bouquet to fill an antique vase in her home, MacKenzie Conrad (she just got married) bought a bulk flower bucket for bud vases for her wedding, and Lori Stanton from Midwest Simple, bought flowers to use in wedding arrangements as well as to use in a styled promo shoot for her business. She has a floral design business and also rents wedding furniture, backdrops and accessories.
It’s been a fun, busy and blessed week. Frost will hit in 2-3 weeks and the fresh flower season will be over. I was a bit emotional yesterday… surrounded by so much beauty in my flower field and knowing it’ll all be over soon. If you want flowers, please message, call or text… 712-253-5598. Please allow 2 days notice if possible.

09/14/2024

A few pictures a D.I.Y. Bride sent me tonight. She purchased a bulk flower bucket of flowers from me and created her own table arrangements using her own vases. I tried to give her an assortment of greenery, fillers and focal flowers in her color palette. Another florist, who purchased some flowers from me, made the bridal and bridesmaid bouquets, boutonnières and corsages. I hope I get to see a few pictures! It’s so exciting to see it all come together into something beautiful. Sometimes brides don’t share any pictures with me, so these pictures she sent makes me so happy.
I congratulated her on her wedding tomorrow and wished her a lifetime of love and happiness. This is what it’s all about for me and why I do what I do… spreading joy through flowers.

08/29/2024

I started a new job this week and I am TIRED!! It’s only Wednesday, and so far this week I
-Cleaned at my laundromat job (usually once a week)
-Training all week 8-4:30 for my new job
-Delivered $40 in dried flowers,
-And, I cut, delivered and sold $100 in flowers to a local floral designer.
Tonight I was contacted by another florist for flowers she needs tomorrow, but I have training 8-4:30… so I lost that sale. It will be really challenging the next few months. Starting next week I will work 8-2, and then will have evenings, weekends and summers free, so that’ll work out great for flower farming.
My new job is as a food aide working with preschool Headstart kids at a local elementary school. I’ll be working in the classroom and assisting teachers as needed also.
If you need flowers, give me a few days notice if possible. All deliveries (unless otherwise arranged), will go out Tuesdays and Fridays 3-4:30 pm. You can message me here or call/text 712-253-5598.

08/23/2024

Have flowers… delivery available! A friend took this picture at an intersection today. My car was loaded with flowers. I need to order a business magnet for my car, and it needs washed. 😊

08/23/2024

ISG, Inc. had their grand opening and ribbon cutting this afternoon at ISG, Inc. in Dakota Dunes. My flowers were used on all the tables, by the beverages, at the head of the charcuterie table and at the entrance. It was a well attended, top notch event. It was fun to see and hear comments about the flowers. When I left staff was deciding which ones they liked the best and got to take them home if they wanted. There was staff there from Sioux Falls, Des Moines, Minneapolis and Dakota Dunes, so flowers were leaving by car, and also on a private work plane.
Number one favorite choice seemed to be the really bright bold colors, second choice (but it almost tied for favorites), was the arrangements with magenta. Third favorite was peach and salmon combinations. The gal pictured with the flowers had a hard time deciding, but chose the one with peach and salmon one to take home. The person who hired me found my business on the Siouxland Chamber of Commerce website. I just joined two months ago and already I’ve booked a small wedding for next year and got hired for flowers for this event. Sweet!

08/21/2024

Before I make every arrangement, I build the structure with greenery. I love greenery, sometimes more than the flowers, and it’s usually hidden. Here I have a hairy ball (yes, that’s its name), mountain mint, baptisia foliage, dusty miller and hops vines. I grow hops for the great vines and beautiful pods, that turn from green to a light brown in the fall. The mountain mint and the hops smells so good! Also, I have a hydrangea. It’s not greenery but it’s part of the structure of the arrangement, and all the other stems will go in between.
So… now to add the rest. I’ll post a picture when I’m done. I don’t usually like working with bright color palettes, but it was what was requested. And the colors I’m about to use are really bright!

08/21/2024

Two arrangements done… seven more to go. Every single one of these flowers (and greenery) was grown by me. It’s so much fun mixing and matching all the colors to “create” visually pleasing arrangements. This is an area I’m still learning in…what flowers and foliage go together. The first one I did was mostly magenta and plum, with a little pink. The second one has mostly rusty orange, brown, golden yellow and purple colors. The only thing the person requested was bright color tones. Is there a color combination you love? Please tell me. I have about every color right now, from pastel shades to bright to jewel tones to dark.