I’ve had a problem with light. I want more, but not too much! Fussy fussy!! The old feijoa tree we inherited when we came to this site was doing a good job of shading the burgeoning hydrangea patch but it was casting too much shade over the nearby flower beds. So, I decided it was best to stop grumbling about the problem and sort it out! 😆 (not to mention the raining down of tiny moth coddled feijoas every year)BONUS, we now have a beautiful pile of mulch from the dispatched tree!Next, onto “Project Shady” part II, to build a shade frame and covering over that bay to protect the hydrangeas and hellebores from all the light! 💪🏻 💪🏻 Follow: @urbanfloralfarmlet #urbanfloralfarmlet
It’s a happy dance for me this week!💃🏻 💃🏻 All of the tulip bulbs have been laid into their beds and then tucked in with garden mix and mulch to set them on their way for spring. There’s also an added layer of security required, being some sturdy netting to ward off the four legged fur poopers who secretly visit the farmlet in the night thinking the flower beds are their custom kitty litters! 🐾💩🫣PS: Watch this space for details and to register for our Spring Tulip Subscriptions coming soon - exciting!! 🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷BRING ON SPRING - I’M READY, ARE YOU? Follow: @urbanfloralfarmlet #urbanfloralfarmlet
If you’re new to following the Urban Floral Farmlet then you’ll want to check out the ‘nitty-gritty’ about me above ☺️🤭Let me know if you have any other burning questions! 🔥🔥🔥 Follow: @urbanfloralfarmlet #urbanfloralfarmlet
It still blows my mind how dahlias can produce such magnificent blooms above ground and yet look so very weird and downright ugly underground!All of the dahlias have been lifted now and if only it would stop raining for a few days then their stems could all dry out, sending juicy goodness back into the tubers for next season thankyouverymuch!!Soon enough, when all of the elements are ready, I’ll be able to trim down all of those long stems and tuck the tubers snugly away into their crates in the workshop over winter. And then, in what will seem like the blink of an eye we’ll be dividing tubers for our sale in October again!! Onwards turns the garden wheel! 😜. Follow: @urbanfloralfarmlet #urbanfloralfarmlet
I think I broke most of the ‘rules’ of flower harvesting today 😆 but then, this wasn’t your typical harvest. Today, after letting the zinnias go to seed for a good fortnight now I harvested all of those blooms that had developed big fat luscious seed heads. So, there I was:🌱harvesting in the middle of the day, 🌱 there was no water in the buckets, and, 🌱 the stem length wasn’t important, so shorties they were!!I figured the normal rules didn’t apply to this kind of ‘harvest’ right?Next, I’ll let the flower heads dry out completely before I break them down to gather up their wee seeds and see what kind of zinnias we might grow from them next summer. I’ve never collected zinnia seed before so am working on applying other seed collection experience mixed in with common sense and a little bit of hope! 😂 Any brilliant suggestions or words of wisdom to help make this a successful experiment will be very gratefully received! 😉
And that’s a wrap…
Our fresh flower ‘season’ started the first week of August last year and sadly now, we’re wrapping up in May.
In that time we’ve grown many new flower varieties, started delivering local Bouquet Subscriptions, become a regular at the Central Flea Market and even produced a few wedding bouquets! It’s been a wonderful season of colours, textures, tones and scents. I’m already excited about what the next season has to offer ☺️☺️
We’ve still got dried flowers available but the fresh flowers have said ENOUGH! So that’s a wrap for us for a wee while until the spring lovelies start all over again in August. And we’ve got some lovely new darlings lined up for you then…WATCH THIS SPACE!! 🌷 🌸 🌱
Thank you all so much for your ongoing support, engagement and interest in the Urban Floral Farmlet here in Te Atatu Peninsula. It’s been a blast so far and it can only get better from here on in!! 💫💫
Got some dreamy dried flower magic brewing up for all the mums this Mother’s Day. We’ll be holding a pop-up here on the farmlet on Saturday, May 11th, from 10am-2pm, and then we’ll be sharing the Mother’s Day 💗💗💗 at the Central Flea Market on the big day itself on Sunday, May 12th. Can hardly wait to share more of our dried flower creations with you this week! Follow: @urbanfloralfarmlet #urbanfloralfarmlet
There is nothing quite like watching somebody else work!! You’re welcome!! 😆💪🏻The summer flower beds are being cleared out now and the new hardy annual plants are starting to go in. Can hardly wait to see all of these campanula and larkspur flowering in the spring! 🌱🌱. Follow: @urbanfloralfarmlet #urbanfloralfarmlet
The next step in growing blooms from seed is ‘pricking out’ all of the wee seedlings that have germinated into individual cells or plug trays. This allows them to grow bigger and sturdier and establish an individual set of roots that won’t get tangled with their neighbours when it comes time to transplant them outside onto the farmlet.
It’s sooooo easy to sprinkle the seeds into the wee trays but I always forget how long it takes for the pricking out process to progress. I always wonder which will come first - the loss of my eyesight or my mind - it can get tedious when you’re handling hundreds and thousands of these tiny delicate wee seedlings. You can also see by the changing light in the background of this Timelapse that it can take a while too! 😆😆
I’m off out into the workshop now on this rainy day to build a new shelf for the greenhouse as I’ve run out of space for all these trays hammer
🌱🌱🌱
Follow: @urbanfloralfarmlet #urbanfloralfarmlet
So much has changed on and around our little quarter acre in the last two years. On our plot we lifted and removed a huge back lawn and replaced it with raised flower beds, a greenhouse and a shadehouse to begin the process of building up the Urban Floral Farmlet. Meanwhile, behind us, we’ve had old houses and trees removed and new townhouses developed and built in their place. While the green and the natural beauty of the neighbouring sections has been lost I’m pretty sure we’ve been making up for their removal on this side of the fence. 🌱🌳💚Follow: @urbanfloralfarmlet #urbanfloralfarmlet
The depth and intensity of colour found in flowers blows my mind sometimes. When I was a visual arts student I had a particular interest in lines, order, light and shade and the layering of these elements. I feel like I’m a student all over again now and am being exposed to colours and tones from the perspective of my cut flower farmlet. I’m very happy to keep learning and continue to be curious about all of the aspects of my new artistic mediums - flowers and foliage! 💚🌸. Follow: @urbanfloralfarmlet #urbanfloralfarmlet
I’m celebrating all of the women in my life today who have supported, mentored, coached, lifted and carried ‘stuff’, photographed me and my farmlet, shared knowledge, compared notes and generally been there for me in the realisation of what seemed like the crazy idea back in 2022 of bringing the Urban Floral Farmlet dream to life. I have found my people - long may we continue to collaborate, learn, share, support and laugh with each other - I’m eternally grateful to you all. 💗Women supporting women, locals supporting locals - the best! Today, on International Women’s Day, I salute you ladies! 🥂✨ #internationalwomensday2024 #womeninbusiness #womensupportingwomen #supportinglocalbusiness
Another big month on the farmlet! February 2024 was everything that 2023 wasn’t - long, hot and sunny days, loads of flowers and as a result, loads of fresh, locally grown and prepared flower bouquets produced for our local flower lovers 💚🌸Highlights of the month were Valentine’s Day where we had LOADS of flowers peaking in a flush, which meant we were able to prepare loads of bouquets for all of the Valentines on the day. We’ve also been loving going to the Central Flea Market every Sunday (the early starts? Not so much! 😝) where we’ve made lots of new flower friends. Follow: @urbanfloralfarmlet #urbanfloralfarmlet
I worry sometimes that the combinations, tones and colours I put together of flowers from the farmlet might be too bright or garish for some. But then, when I think about the most popular house and office wall colours, which are all variations on neutral creams, whites and greys, I realise my bouquets are a welcome pop of colour, energy and joy. You’re welcome! 😉 Follow: @urbanfloralfarmlet #urbanfloralfarmlet
The things we do for friendship! At the moment I’m working weekends and my friend works weekdays, which makes it pretty tricky to find a time for a decent chat. We were desperate for a download, so we found a way to make it work. One beach chair, a beach umbrella and a coffee set up in the middle of the farmlet for herself and we were away!Thanks for being such a good sport about our get-together venue @tacklewis and for the catch-up! 😉😘. Follow: @urbanfloralfarmlet #urbanfloralfarmlet
Today was a good day on the farmlet. Nothing like a spot of harvesting blooms to remind me what I’m all about. I’m loving all of the zinnias as they come out to play now. Those antique apricots, lemons, roses and limes are just dreamy 💗💚. Follow: @urbanfloralfarmlet #urbanfloralfarmlet
Dinnerplate dahlias are surreal and almost otherworldly plants. How can the bloom get so big right? Over the last two weeks I’ve been watching Breakout get bigger, and bigger, and BIGGER! Just extraordinary. Dinnerplate dahlias have a very limited vase life and are better left on the plant to admire, so I’m just going to leave her be 💛🤍💗Follow: @urbanfloralfarmlet #urbanfloralfarmlet
It’s hard to believe that it’s already time to start thinking about preparing for the next tulip season. I’m currently reviewing last year’s pretties and deciding which, and how many(!) to order for Spring 2024 😜It was my first year growing tulips in 2023 and I fell completely under their spell, swoooon! I think the mixture of pinks were my favourites - pale, darker, frilly and singles and doubles - glorious the lot of them!! 💗🌷🌷🌷💗Which were your favourites? Follow: @urbanfloralfarmlet #urbanfloralfarmlet
Do you love having fresh flowers in the house/office? Then we’ve got you covered! 💚🌸. Over the summer we’ll be delivering fresh seasonal flower bouquets to flower lovers in Te Atatu! The farmlet is bursting at the seams with all of the summer flower goodness - dahlias, zinnias, cosmos, daisies, sunflowers and more! Flower Subscriptions - the details: 🌱 The freshest locally grown summer flowers delivered straight to your door! 🌱 FREE DELIVERY to Te Atatu addresses. 🌱 Weekly, fortnightly or monthly deliveries - you choose. 🌱 We deliver on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons - you choose. Do you want to find out how you can order your own Summer Flower Subscription? DM your email today and we’ll send you all the details.Don’t muck about as there are only a few Subscription slots left! 😳Follow: @urbanfloralfarmlet #urbanfloralfarmlet
