Morning mists, summer momentum
Hello!
This week we celebrated 250 years, made it to the top 16 in the World Cup, and kept on harvesting beautiful sunflowers. The weather eventually made a small but welcome shift; the heat dome moved on, and we have been blessed with beautiful morning mists and some cooler, wetter air.
Out in the fields, it still feels pretty darn hot. Heat rashes notwithstanding, the promise of flowers prevails and hundreds of summer seedlings and four-score dahlias are in the ground.
Those fancy dahlia seeds I pulled over to the side of the road last fall to order are now officially on their way to bouquets. Named “Floret Petite,” the seedlings are anything but diminutive. In fact, they are looking quite robust this week, having formed their own tubers and vigorous new branches where I had pinched them back a little while ago.
The sunflowers and rudbeckia are going strong too. And harvests of lavender and snapdragons are imminent. Penstemon and delphinium stopped waiting out the heat and are now displaying lovely new flowers. They look especially beautiful together, one from the prairie, the other from cottage gardens, both making themselves at home in Canaan Valley.
Along the nearby woodsy trails, as Daisy’s walks bookend our days, there are pockets of sweet, unctuous, jasmine-y fragrance. The milkweed is in bloom. The dense, ball-shaped clusters of pale pink, star-shaped flowers fascinate me. I try each year to catch the moment when those globes of flowers, which remind me of both okra and lotus, become crisp paisley-shaped pods. It requires daily visits and observation. Daisy doesn’t seem to mind.
As we move into the heart of summer, I’m reflecting on something I’ve heard from many of you: how to make it easier for local flowers to become part of your life here.
One idea I’m testing in July is a subscription – let’s call it a Season Pass. I want to create a way for people who love local flowers to be able to have them around more often, without the hustle of having to catch every market, pop-up, or latest post at just the right moment.
To get started, I’m keeping it small. This is so I can learn what works best — prices, timing, pickup/delivery options, reminders, bouquet choices, and the overall rhythm. If this appeals to you, could work with your July plans, and you’re open to sharing feedback as it takes shape, I’d love to hear from you.
Just reply to this email with SEASON PASS, and I’ll be back in touch with more details. Or, if the idea appeals but the timing is tricky, that would be helpful to know, too.
Thanks, as always, for your support!
Let there be flowers!
Lizz
PS - Points of Sale this week are:
• Friday - Sunday, bud vases at Blackwater Galley in Thomas, 7 am - 2 pm (delicious breakfasts and baked goods!)
• Friday evenings - Mondays, bouquets at Stumptown Ales, Davis
• Fridays, 4:30 - 7:30 pm, Davis Farmers and Artisans Market, next to Davis Riverside Park, across from Shop’n’Save supermarket
• Saturdays, Canaan Valley Pop-Up, 9 am - noon, on Route 32/Appalachian Highway (by the Canaan Valley Garage)
• For custom orders or just because – contact me! hello@canaanvalleyflowerco.com