Looks like dahlia season has come to a close for the year. The light frost last week damaged them a bit, but the buds were ok. Then this week we had a couple of night in the mid-30's that really stalled them.
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We have milder weather on the forecast but the combination of ever shorter days with no sunshine, rain everyday for the next 10 days, will finish them.
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But no worries, the seasonal changes just bring on new flowers and foliage to enjoy. We will be sourcing from other local growers that have hoop and greenhouses that can provide harvests in our off season (Nov to March).
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xoxo Alicia
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#urbanflowerfarmer #sustainableflowerfarming #notillflowerfarming #farmingflowers #fieldtovaseflorist #fieldtovaseflowers #fieldtovase #pnwflorist #regenerativeagriculture #flowerfarming #notillfarming #urbanflowerfarm #flowergrower #pnwflowers #flowerfarmer #grownnotflown #slowflowers #localflowers #seedstarting #dahlias #seattleflorist #seasonalflowers #pnwflorist #startingseeds #flowerfarm #localandseasonalflowers #sustainableflowers #raisedbeds #raisedbedgardening #gardentips
'Beaucon' dahlia pictured here was the first variety to start blooming this year...just a couple of weeks ago.
So many people are absolutely dahlia obsessed and have long love affairs with the flower. But as you might have heard me say, I have mixed feelings about dahlias. They are a bit high maintenance for me.
I think they work great for weddings and other events where your flowers only have to look pristine for a day. But their vase life is 3-5 days, especially these larger dahlias that fade quickly.
It makes it difficult to add to arrangements when I know that many of the flowers I grow will get 7-10 days in the vase with no problem or fuss.
Don't get me wrong they are beautiful and I love to see them posted on everyone's IG feeds this time of the year. And the range of colors and sizes is fantastic.
But we just haven't yet found our groove. I keep trying though.
xoxo
Alicia
#dahliasofinstagram #localflowers #grownnotflown #locallygrownflowers #dahlias #growflowersnotlawns
'Beaucon' dahlia pictured here was the first variety to start blooming this year...just a couple of weeks ago.โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ
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So many people are absolutely dahlia obsessed and have long love affairs with the flower. But as you might have heard me say, I have mixed feelings about dahlias. They are a bit high maintenance for me.โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ
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I think they work great for weddings and other events where your flowers only have to look pristine for a day. But their vase life is 3-5 days, especially these larger dahlias that fade quickly. โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ
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It makes it difficult to add to arrangements when I know that many of the flowers I grow will get 7-10 days in the vase with no problem or fuss. โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ
โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ
Don't get me wrong they are beautiful and I love to see them posted on everyone's IG feeds this time of the year. And the range of colors and sizes is fantastic. โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ
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But we just haven't yet found our groove. I keep trying though. โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ
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xoxo โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ
Aliciaโ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ
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#dahliasofinstagram #localflowers #grownnotflown #locallygrownflowers #dahlias #growflowersnotlawns
I read an article yesterday about the press conference just held by the Southern African Faith Communitiesโ Environment Institute (SAFCEI) urging the world to "stop promoting failing and harmful high-input Green Revolution programs, such as the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA)." โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ
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The AGRA is part of an effort being led by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ
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At the conference, presenters emphasized the need for the @gatesfoundation and other donors to break with the current agriculture agenda and instead invest in more regenerative, agroecological approaches.โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ
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โFarmers have become wary of programs that promote monoculture and chemical-intensive farming. They have lost control of their seeds. Now, they say they are being held hostage on their own farms,โ says Celestine Otieno, a permaculture farmer from Kenya. โIs this food security or food slavery?โโ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ
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This got me thinking about all the consolidation and increasing control of seed companies. Seeds used to be open source & shared, with farmers collecting seed from the best performing plants and saving them for next year's crops. โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ
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The federal govt once heavily invested in research to develop new seeds for the farmers. Now this has been largely privatized for profit.โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ
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Seed saving in Big Ag is no longer legal because of patented genetically enhanced seed that farmers have to buy in each year along with the corresponding herbicides and pesticides.โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ
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Not sure where I was going with this post, but just thought I might share a bit of what's on my mind and my general alarm and disgust at seeing what once was a public good turned
