We caught up with Fernanda Longo, Bartlett’s Greenhouse Operations Manager, to find out more about this year’s arrival of our much anticipated field grown flowers.
“Field flowers have arrived and it’s a very promising year. We have Stock, Cosmos, Sunflowers, Cleome, Ageratum, Forget me not, Statice, Zinnias and much more to come! We are growing Dahlias this year in the field; not the first time for the Farm but it’s been at least 15 years. So far, they look great! Our customers will be able to see the Dahlias and Gladiolas up close this year, as they will be growing in the field across from the old barn and getting plenty of attention from Linda’s neighboring beehives!
Our field flowers are harvested daily by Jamie, Tenisha, Nadine and Martina, sometimes Pallukah. Harvesting is weather dependent and the field crew is still busy with weeding and harvesting greens and herbs. We try to have at least four field crew harvesting every day from 6 AM until 12:30 PM and bunching from 1:30 PM until all flowers are bunched. Depending on weather and needs, they might go back to harvest until 6 PM.
We work hard to make sure the Market and the trucks always have flowers! Our goal is to bring solid varieties to the Market by 9:45 AM and bunched bouquets in the afternoon, with the first ones arriving around 2:30 PM. Mixed bunched flowers are $20, Solid variety Bunches are $17.
A quick note about our lilies-
Lilies have good availability will improve over the coming weeks. In terms of when they arrive in the Market, it’s hard for us to tell an exact time. Sometimes we need to do something before start harvesting, sometimes it’s quick and they are in before 7 AM! For sure, they will be in the Market by 9 AM and we will continue to stock throughout the day if we have more. We always tell the Farmstand staff if we have more or not and they call me if I need to bring more in.
We have received tons of great feedback from our customers who just love our flowers and are so grateful to have them for their homes and businesses. We have plans to expand even more next year!!!”
-Fernanda Longo, Greenhouse Operations Manager