The Flower Garden Revival
At this time of the year our shop is starting to bloom with beautiful, locally grown flowers. No longer famous for just our vines, the Okanagan is quietly becoming a hot spot for flower farmers and right now 80% of the flowers we are using at FleuRich are homegrown here in BC. We partner with many local flower farms to fill our cooler throughout the season, with the freshest local blooms, selected and occasionally even hand cut by our team of designers – there's something about getting our hands dirty with mother earth we can't resist.
If like me, you love flowers and the therapeutic benefits they bring into our lives (say hello to Oxycontin and that dopamine hit) I'm sure the thought of starting your very own flower garden has crossed your mind a fair few times. Well this year I did it, I started one!
With the desire to create a backyard oasis that I could look forward to coming home to, and with a little help from a few friends my raised beds started to take shape. Subconsciously I must have known this was meant to be; the yard was fully fenced in late last year, and now the deer stop visiting for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
When it comes to planting I knew exactly which flowers I wanted to grow. Having insider knowledge on which varieties perform best in our climate and soil from my flower farm partners sure helped. Settling on a variety of Dahlias, Cosmos and Snapdragons, the seeds have been lovingly nurtured indoors, along with Growers Choice trays from Lavender & Lace.
One bloom though was a must-have; Dahlias cast a spell on me every season, stealing my heart, I simply relish in this fascinating bloom. With over a thousand types to choose from, the abundance of dahlias in our flower farms brings delight to my heart. If you're lucky enough to grow dahlias for yourself (yup that's me now!) you'll appreciate the hard work and time it takes to grow this cut flower, purely for it's striking beauty and vivacious color palette, oh and not forgetting the names...Strawberry ice, summer rain, cafe au lait anyone?! Once these babies start blooming, you'll find me in the backyard swooning all summer long.
Sowing the seeds for my first flower garden has been symbolic, I've always dreamed of my own flower farm and taking the first steps into growing my own floral retreat has filled my heart with joy, again. Flowers speak our intentions, whether that’s investing in our own well-being or nurturing our relationships with one another.
The sheer bliss of bringing these flower babies to life is abundant. Having long been an advocate for floral therapy and the positive impact flowers and plants have on our mental well-being, now I'm finding solitude within my creativity and owning my own self-care moment.
Love Laurence xx