Bucketfuls of DIY Flowers - Locally Grown- FAQ

Most of the photos here are ours (not professional photos) We've tried to note any from the professionals. Check out the FAQ and Newsletter signup below.

Bucket order Inquiry Form

 

All photos were taken the few years. It has become a big hit with brides on a budget. You get high quality flowers, a mix of colors of your choosing, and they are all locally and sustainability grown. 

I've included below FAQ about using these flowers for your wedding. 

We provide floral food in the water. Just keep the flowers cool, and down in the water especially after transport. Check the water level upon arrival and again after 24 hours. Fill you vases up so they don’t run out of water are you arrange them. Funnels and pitchers, and clippers are very handy!

 Shady Grove Gardens 828-297-4098

Frequently Asked Questions about Shady Grove's Buckets of Flowers:

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• How do I get started placing an order? Start by listing all your designs and plan an average number of stems you need. Plan the number of buckets and colors as well and greenery. Fill in the inquiry form on our website and you will get an email asking to schedule a consult.
• How many stems? and what is in a bucket? We start with at least 7 bunches, which means ~70 stems. We make every effort to offer a pleasing mix of bright 'garden flowers'. The bucket will include filler, focal and line flowers for arranging. All our best flowers go to our wedding clients. You can see which flowers we are working from by looking at our bar charts list flowers by color and the week they are generally available. 
• I really want a professional to design my Bridal Bouquet, do I need another florist?  No, Susan can design beautiful bouquets for you Call for a consult.


• How long will they last?
Down in water, in a cool spot, these flowers will last 4-10 days, depending on the variety. We find wilting occurs when they are put in the sun or out of water. Most of these 'garden wildflowers' do not like to be in floral foam.


• When can I pick up the buckets of flowers?
Anytime you need them. Most brides pick up on Thursday or Friday. All pickups are 9AM- 6PM

• Can I pick up buckets of flowers on Saturday morning? If you have a Sunday wedding this can be arranged.

• How far are you from Boone?
We are 10 miles from downtown Boone, straight out Hwy. 421 north.   Please see the map and address on our website.

• Why should I order your locally grown buckets of flowers instead of  from a big company? Not only do we offer a unique mix of lovely garden and wildflowers. We promise they will be  perfectly fresh and well hydrated. You don't need to learn flowers to order from us. You can order a mix or by specific color. We work very hard to make you happy and your day perfect. Our flowers offer your a unique local feel of the mountains. You will not get that from other places.

• How many Quart mason jars will one bucket make?
It depends on the fullness of your arrangement. But we usually say 5-7mason jars with a regular mouth jar opening. For bud vases, it's best to practice with a few flowers. Don't forget to plan your greenery if you are using some.


• How many vases will they make?
Impossible to say, all vases are different and most brides use numerous sizes. My suggestion is to practice a bit. This will also give you a feel for how much time to allow for arranging.


• What do I need to arrange the flowers?
Helpers, plenty of space, funnel, pitcher, strong garden clippers!!! Someone to strip the leaves, so they don't go down into the water, gloves, time, something to transport the vases in, such as a boxes with packing materials.


• How do I care for the arranged flowers?
All flowers use the most water the first 24 hours. Arranged or not, check your water levels and fill the vases up. Store them in a cool spot whenever possible. Like all flowers, wind and sun will make them wilt.


• Where is the best place to keep them, I don't have a cooler.
An air-conditioned room without the air directly on the flowers. Out of the sun and heat. Not in a hot car an open pick-up, or a beer cooler. NO Food/drink coolers- it's too easy to damage your flowers there.!


• Who should I send to pick the flowers up?
Anyone with plenty of room in their car. This is when SUV's come in handy. I often meet Moms and Dads. Make sure to check the water level when you get to where you are going. The pickup person should call after turning off the highway so we can meet them at the cooler and load them up quickly.


• Is there greenery in the buckets?
No, not unless you request it. We use traditional and non-traditional evergreen type greenery. You can order a $90 bucket of just greenery. 


• I need specific colors, how does that work?
You may order any color or colors you need as long as we grow it. These buckets are $130 each. This allows us the time to choose, maybe even plant, just the right flowers and colors for your wedding. We welcome color swatches of photos of the colors you want.


• What about April- May Flowers?
Early May -April flowers are grown in our greenhouses. They do cost more. Bucket sales start in late May when we have many more flower choices. Feel free to ask what we will have in April- May.


• What if I need more flowers?
Please let us know asap, on busy weeks we may not have extras in the cooler. If at all possible give us 48 hours notice to cut more for you.

I feel like I need a consult. If you don't see the answers here or elsewhere on our website call me @ 828-297-4098. Otherwise, a standard sit-down consult will be $50/hour if we are not designing flower arrangements for you.


• How does it work with the bucket deposit? We now include the bucket in your cost, no need for deposits or returning the buckets. Of course we love to get them back.


• Can I just bring my own buckets?
Yes, of course. Bring 2-3 gallon CLEAN buckets. Wastepaper baskets work too. The dollar store usually has some cheap ones. I repeat clean buckets that hold water. Your flowers will last so much longer.... so no ash buckets, tar buckets, concrete buckets or horse buckets. Plan to bring a few extra buckets.


• When do you need a deposit for the flowers?
With the buckets of flowers we make work with 6-8 brides a week. To insure you get on our calendar for your color needs, ASAP - as soon as you know. Certain colors are popular at certain time of the summer, so book ahead if that shade of purple is important to you or if you need 10 buckets of white.


• What is the deposit to order flowers?
For buckets or designs it is 1/2 of the expected total, to book your flowers.


• Do you take credit cards?
Yes we do. 


• How do I place an order for buckets of flowers? Please fill in the Inquiry form the link is at the top. All correspondence requires the Brides name and wedding date. Especially mailed checks from your Dad.


• Wow, I didn't realize there was so much to it. Can I really make this work? Yes, just plan plenty of time and space, get that manicure afterward. Grab someone with an artist flare and don't forget to cut down/up the taller flowers to fit into your vases or jars.

• Other things to consider?  Plan your pickup time to allow several hours to put together your flower arrangements. Storage, transport to the venue, transport after the wedding, setting up in wind or sun? No hot cars, or too cold coolers. Order a few extra stems for back ups.

• If this seems like too much, we can arrange the flowers for you. There is no minimum on personal flowers, just our base price for each item.
  

Late September Crestwood Resort Wedding

Pinks, burgundy, creams for late summer using locally grown flowers.

Sweet Sunday September Wedding at Crestwood Resort.

Local Flowers, just as Important as Local Food!

With the recent uproar over Whole Foods selling Valentine's Day flowers and promoting foreign grown flowers, the 'Local Movement' is finally taking a bit of notice of us 'Local Flower Growers'.  I'll note all these blog posts are from local growers. We need some more good PR.

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 2013

The slow food movement (with its hundreds of thousands of members and supporters) has changed our relationship with the foods in our lives. Now the slow flower movement is changing the way we think about cut flowers: Yes, we'd all prefer fresh, fragrant flowers in our bouquets, not the chemical-laden lifeless blooms flown in from afar - but what to do in those seasons when not much is growing locally? Acclaimed garden writer Debra Prinzing challenged herself to create a beautiful, locally-grown bouquet for each of 52 weeks of one year (going beyond flowers to include ornamental twigs, foliage, greenhouse plants, dried pods, and more), to demonstrate that all four seasons have their own botanical character to be celebrated. She provides extensive design tips, bouquet “recipes” and region-by-region floral ingredient lists that can be found in all climate zones through the year. Slow Flowers is written from a DIY floral designer's point of view, to inspire anyone to go green and make a beautiful bouquet with what's at hand, no matter the season.

the-english-gardener-lets-get-local

People who buy vegetables and meat at farmers' markets do not always see flowers as part of the same equation and those who only shop at supermarkets remain unmoved. Although it is usual now for florists and supermarkets (and gas stations) to sell plants from overseas, the landscape was completely different not so long ago. 1969 was the year of the first air-freighted flowers. Before that there were trains and bulbs sent by ship, but the traditional model for wholesale flower growing was local and small. This is explored in Floriculture at the Garden Museum in London, opening this week. An important aspect of the show is "a celebration of domestic growers, an industry that has all but vanished."

The-importance-of-buying-u-s-grown-flowers!
When you pick up a bouquet of flowers at a local grocery store, flower shop, natural foods market or a community-owned food  co-op, try to find out where the flowers are  from. Why? If you live in the U.S., and have the choice to purchase domestically-grown flowers, you’re helping U.S.A. flower farms stay alive.  Demand U.S.-grown from your  local flower provider. You might now know that imported flowers from South America are causing U.S. flower farms to struggle and many are going out of business.  Due to the  less expensive labor, lack of pesticide and fungicide regulation in South America in particular, our local flower farms are in peril. You as the consumer are the person who can request or require this from your flower seller.  You have the power to make  change with your dollars.

Insight-small-growerʼs-world-

WHO are they?

Smaller growers are not that unlike designers in that they are, with few exceptions, flower addicts who are motivated to create, raise, and nurture beauty in this increasingly visually stimulating world.  They also have LAND and generally a desire to responsibly use and/or preserve it.  Flower farming is high-density farming, a single acre can grow a lot of flowers thus smaller growers often “grow where they live.”

2020 Year of Lavender

A great time for the year of Lavender by the National Garden Bureau. We have lots of lavender this year.

Ideal Growing Conditions

Lavender grows best in full sun in dry, well-drained soil; it does not like saturated roots. Adding inorganic mulches, such as gravel or sand, could help the soil conditions for a successful lavender bed. All lavender types need little or no additional fertilizer, and it is a good practice to provide air circulation. If you live in a region of high humidity, watch out for root rot due to fungus infection. This is sometimes aggravated by using organic mulches, which can trap moisture around the base of the plant.

Quick tip: Use gravel or crushed rocks at the base of the plant for a better growing environment.

DIY

The flowers and leaves of lavender plants are used in many herbal medicines and self-care regimes. Homemade projects and recipes include herbal teas, culinary spices, essential oils, aromatherapy, balms, and more. It is widely added to bath salts, soaps, soaks, perfumes, etc., for a fresh fragrance and calming effect. As a strong-scented herb, dried lavender florets can also be used to repel pests in the garden, or even in the home closet as a fragrant sachet pillow that can ward off moths. French chefs use lavender in a blend called herbs de Provence, which adds a fragrant spice to both savory and sweet dishes.

All of these uses add up to quite a versatile and enjoyable flower that’s become a must-have in gardens and homes around the world. And it’s easy to see how 2020 can be your Year of the Lavender!

Dried Grosso

We currently growing several varieties. What we have in pot varies through the season, year to year. In addition to Grosso and Phenomenal, Munstead that we have at the farm. We grow: Mini Blue, Provence, Vicenza. Early Blue Scented, Early White Scented, Vera and the newest we are most excited about Lavance Deep Purple.

We're hoping it will keep that deep purple color when dried. 

Molly and R.C. -September 4, 2017

It was a beautiful September afternoon @The Overlook Barn, Beech Mountain, NC

Molly's Bridal Bouquet

These next 5 photos are from Professional Photographer- Allison Fowler

I just love the various shades of bridesmaid dresses +Overlook Barn 

Happy Bride Photo