Fresh Cuts: April 22

This is an insect hotel--people all over the world are creating habitats for bugs, the good bugs.  Good bugs are referred to as beneficial insects because they either provide a service or create a product.  Like bees, they pollinate myriads of crops and create honey.  Other insects--like lady bugs, lace wings and praying mantis, prey on crop destroying pests.  As farmers we try to attract these beneficial insects by providing habitat.  Habitat for these beneficial insects is disappearing so people all over the world are creating "hotels" on their farms and in their gardens.  Follow the link to see some of these enchanting creations.  I think Carlee and I need to make an insect hotel.

She was here last week "helping" on the farm.  I dug out the last of the tulip bulbs in the greenhouse and Carlee collected earthworms.

It absolutely delights me that this Barbie loving/future princess/queen of all things pink LOVES to play in the dirt!!  You would not have believed the ring she left in the bathtub.

Even though it has been a cold week there are signs of spring--if you know where to look.

We received thousands of seedlings yesterday and began planting them in the newly cleaned-out tulip beds in the greenhouse--out with one crop and in with another.

Tomorrow we will have a crew here to help with the plants in the beds outside.

In the meantime we are busy harvesting tulips from the hoop house.  The Impressions have begun to bloom first so we have red, pink and apricot Impression tulips.  (You can follow the link to my post of our 2013 varieties for good photos.)

We also have orange, yellow and white French tulips.  We have Flaming Parrot, Red Cap Parrot, Salmon Parrot and Rococo Parrot tulips too.

We have daffodils, Icelandic poppies and giant hyacinth.

 

This crop of Icelandic poppies is our best EVER.  We tried a new variety, Champagne Bubbles, and timed them to bloom early.  They are stunning, they love the cool and are bursting with life and color.

 

We have a beautiful crop of white Foxglove.  They are divine! 

 

The Chantilly snaps we planted on Ground Hog's Day are just beginning to bloom too.  We only have a bunch or two this week but soon the greenhouse with be full of snaps.

As always, please check your email and fax for full availability and have a gorgeous day.

What's Fresh April 16, 2012

We have waited and waited for some good weather to get in the fields and work and this week has been a killer.  The first greenhouse tulips have all been harvested and we are well into harvesting in the second greenhouse.  Actually, yesterday RT cut over 1000 tulips!  And while he was harvesting Carey and I were cleaning out the first greenhouse and making it ready for the arrival of new plants.

Carey was on the muscle end of the tulip fork, lifting out spent bulbs and I was right behind her, separating the bulbs from the soil and hauling them out.  It is killer work--we are so grateful for Carey.  I would much rather put tulips in than take them out!

So...yeah, we have tulips!

 tulips,

 tulips,

and more tulips in many assorted colors and varieties.

We also have three varieties of Parrot tulips.

 

The Ranunculus are just perfect this week and we have them in a wide assortment of colors.

A regular rainbow of ranunculus

We have poppies--

the Icelandic poppies have just started blooming.

We have hyacinths, large and small.

We have grape hyacinths in blue and white, so very fragrant and sweet.

 This is our last week for greenhouse hyacinths in purple, pink, peach and yellow.

And last, but not least...sweet peas!  

Please check your fax and email for full availability.  If you would like to reserve or pre-order specific flowers please call or email us at bindweedfarm@aol.com.

What's Fresh April 9, 2012

Have a look at our newest addition.  

No, you are not seeing double but it does look like I let RT do the laundry again and he shrunk my Sprinter!  Actually RT decided he did not need a pick-up and went shopping.  He found this little cutie called a Transit.  We will use this vehicle for smaller local deliveries and he promised that if I am very careful I could use it once in awhile when we do not have huge deliveries like this week.

 Our Easter load stretched even the limits of our big Sprinter.  As it was I had several buckets riding shot-gun.

The first greenhouse has just about been completely harvested and we are now cutting from the hoop-house, a greenhouse heated only by the sun.  This is the second wave of tulips so you will see the return of some of your favorites in the next few weeks.

We have French tulips in assorted colors.

We have three varieties of Parrot tulips.

Apricot parrot

White Parrot

 

Red Cap parrot

Ranunculus

The ranunculus are now abundant enough that we can sort in color groups.  

 We have green, yellow, white,

orange, magenta/pink, pink ruffled,

and a red assortment.

We also have an excellent assortment of hyacinths.

As always, please consult your email and fax for full availability.  Please call or email to reserve or make pre-orders.

Happy Easter!

What's Fresh: March 12

With the bright warm days the tulips have gone crazy.  We are out harvesting three times a day and have an excellent variety. 

Apricot Impression tulips

Red Impression tulips

Atilla tulip

Clearwater tulip

We had Parrot fever when ordering last spring, consequently we have an abundance of gorgeous tulips.

Apricot Parrot tulip

Salmon Parrot tulip

Rai Parrot tulip

Red Cap Parrot tulip

We also have hyacinths in blue and peachy pink.