The dog days of summer are here and you may be wondering how to protect your precious farmer's market flowers from blasting summer heat!
As any flower lover will know, most flowers will last longer in cool temperatures. Here at our farm, we store all our flowers in a 40 degree walk-in cooler after harvesting to maintain the highest quality until they are sold to our customers!
But how do you protect your flowers at the market and on the way home?
Here are a few tips and tricks for the best longevity and enjoyment!
- Shop early: Everyone knows early birds get the worm, but early shoppers also get the widest variety of flowers to choose from! Add to that the fact that temperatures are cooler in the morning, so by shopping early you will be shuttling your flowers home in cooler weather. Win win!
- Find Quality Flowers: This might sound obvious, but make sure you source your flowers from a seasoned producer who cuts flowers at their optimal stage for the longest vase life. Old flowers will wilt more readily in the heat, and won't last as long even if you baby them. Many flowers such as snapdragons and sunflowers should be at least partly closed at purchase so they give you the best show at home!
- Keep in Water As Much As Possible: At all of our farmer's markets, we offer to keep the flowers that our customer's purchase in a spare bucket of water, under the shade of the tent, until they are done shopping. It's our way of making your life easier! To make your trip even more successful, bring a cup of water in the car so that you can put your flowers in water as soon as possible after purchase. While our flowers will last out of water for the average car ride home, when it's 100 degrees out, a little cup of water will definitely do your flowers some good!
- Don't Fry them in your Car!: Flowers are kind of like a pint of ice cream. You want to get them home sooner rather than later. While a cup of water in the car can definitely help, you don't want to leave your flowers to hang out in a hot car while you run the millionth errand of the day. A car with windows rolled up is like a greenhouse and can get to 150 degrees or more very quickly. Treat your flowers like you would ice cream and don't leave them in a hot car.
No matter how you get your flowers home, we know for sure that a gorgeous bunch on your kitchen table is just the ticket to enjoying your summer - even if you have yet to get away to Martha's Vineyard or Maine just yet!
Stay cool!