This past summer I fell in love with two amazing flower farmers, Dennis and Diane at the Queen Anne Farmer’s Market.  They own and operate a gorgeous seven acre flower farm in Mount Vernon called Jello Mold Farm, where they grow over 150 varieties of flowers.  Each Thursday I would look forward to purchasing my weekly bouquet of flowers.  I fell in love with Jello Mold Farm because they exposed me to beautiful flowers I never even knew existed.  They also taught me that when carnations are grown properly and not altered, they produce a variety of amazing fragrances one would never expect.  Let’s just say I was hooked, and every week I was eager to see and learn about Dennis and Diane’s flowers and what new varieties they would have at our local market.

One Thursday, I overheard Diane telling someone that she occasionally does garden club tours.  I just about lost it.  Diane said, “Do you like flowers?” Yes.

“Do you have a small group of friends who also like flowers?”  Yes.

“Well there you go, then, that’s a garden club.” Really? “Yeah really.” Where do I sign up!

I emailed Diane and a small group of  my flower enthusiast pals.  Come rain or shine, we were going to the flower farm.

We had a great time, picked some flowers, learned an incredible amount about the floral business, and had a picnic in the field.  Zoe received her first pumpkin of the season, Lauren and I got first dibs on Fall gords, and we all learned first hand just how much hard work really goes into this flower farm.  Jello Mold Farm is a labor of love.  We walked away from the experience feeling a little bit happier than yesterday, and a bit more knowledgeable than we were that morning.

We learned from Diane during our farm tour that 80% of flowers sold in the United States are imported from Ecuador and Columbia.  Unlike fruits and vegetables, where place of origin must be declared, the same rules and regulations do not apply to flowers.  So next time you’re buying yourself, a friend, or your sweetheart flowers, seek out a local florist and ask them if they source their flowers locally.  Chances are there probably is a flower farm near you.

Before I go, I just want to give Dennis and Diane a HUGE SHOUT OUT, for creating such a beautiful space and allowing us to experience it.  We can’t wait to see what this place looks like in the heart of summer.

Enjoy!

 

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