November Newsletter
Now is the time I need to be planning ahead for next year. I spend time researching, selecting and ordering bulbs, rooted cuttings, plants and seeds that we will be planting in early spring and summer. Each year I add to what we have in our ‘permanent’ plantings of perennials, bulbs and woody trees and shrubs. Next spring it will include a selection of crab-apple trees with a variety of colour and sized apples for our fall arrangements. Every year I also try new varieties in our summer annual plantings to see if there are others out there that will make the cut.
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The annual fields have been cleared and are being mulched with compost and the irrigation system has been shut down and winterized. This really marks the end of our summer season for those heat loving plants like zinnias, cosmos, lisianthus and celocia.
Several of the empty rows in the fields are being filled with crates planted with ranunculus corms and tulips bulbs that will be our early spring crops. We decided to plant all the anemone corms in one area of the field so they are already emerging with strong foliage.
This year we are trying a fall planting of sweet peas outside along one of our fence lines rather than waiting for spring planting to see if they survive and if we get earlier blooms.
We let the nigella seed itself and as it is one of the hardy annuals it has sprouted already. Seeds saved from our hardy annuals like corncockle, green mist, chocolate lace flower, bupleurum and bells of Ireland are all being planted now for early summer blooms.
We are busy taking cuttings of hydrangeas, chrysanthemums, hypericum, scented geranium and more to increase our stock and variety.
As the dahlia blooms slow down over the next weeks we will be digging them to determine numbers available for our December 1st presale. Cutting back, digging and dividing has become a really big job on the farm as our dahlia collection continues to expand.
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We set the dates for our fall and festive workshops and they are filling up quickly!
- November 13th & 16th - Fall Dried Wreath Workshops
- November 30th, December 4th & 7th - Festive Wreath Workshops
- December 18th - Festive Floral Centrepiece & Décor Workshop
If you are interested, please visit the website for registration. Join us for an afternoon that begins with demonstrations and then continues with each participant making their own unique creations with the support of our team.
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We have been hosting small private workshops for groups of friends, family and colleagues. If you are looking for an activity to fill an afternoon with inspiration, learning, creativity and beauty connect with us to set up a session. Our workshops can be tailored to the information and skills you would like to be presented. We can accommodate groups of 3-8 people.
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Heirloom chrysanthemums and dahlias are really pulling their weight around the farm these days. Our warm October, with no frost yet, means all of our dahlia fields are still blooming.
The big crop of this season is our collection of Heirloom Chrysanthemums. We are growing a large variety that range from small spray mums (stems where we leave on all the buds to bloom) to large dramatic disbud blooms (we pinch off all the side buds to encourage one strong central flower). This crop, all in our big green house, was started to extend our growing season well into November - and it worked! We are harvesting buckets of blooms daily for our flower studio to use in their bouquets and arrangements. In past years we have left these in the ground in the unheated greenhouse and they have been fine. The collection has expanded from one corner to over ½ of the 24’ x 96’ greenhouse.
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We are still harvesting some calendula, verbena, scabiosa, toad lilies, eryngium, lady’s mantle, geum, etc.
For foliage/greens we are harvesting our scented geranium, camelia, bells of Ireland, butterfly bush, raspberry canes, hypericum, along with some amaranth, thornless blackberry, snowberry and more.
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New!!
Heirloom Chrysanthemum Rooted Cuttings
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Pre-order Starts December 8th 6am PST
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We have been growing a great selection of Heirloom Chrysanthemums over the past 4 years and we are now ready to offer rooted cuttings. These are certified organic. These will be on our website and available for pre-order December 8th and will be shipped out at the same time as our dahlia tubers – once the chance of freezing during shipping has passed. (yes, you will be able combine dahlia and chrysanthemum orders for shipping).
They will show as sold out on the website until the start of the sale.
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Pre-Ordering starts December 1st 6am PST
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Our tubers are now certified organic and our selection will be greater than ever!
They will show as sold out on the website until the start of the sale.
NOTE - This is a pre-order with tubers ready for pick up, delivery or Canada-wide shipping in the spring.
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It seems the festive season is upon us as we begin to fill our calendar with orders for festive décor for your gatherings. If you are needing a table centrepiece or a statement piece for a special gathering, please book ahead so that we can accommodate you in our schedule.
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Our Festive wreaths are now on the website for pre-order for pick up or delivery starting the first week of December.
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Over the summer we have been collecting and drying a great assortment of blooms and botanicals for our dried bouquets, bunches, arrangements and wreaths. Our basic approach is to harvest at the perfect stage and hang to dry in a warm dry space with fans moving air around. It is surprising how many of the blooms dry so well! Our peonies and roses are beautiful and we are just trying the heirloom chrysanthemums for the first time now.
Do you have a vase or vessel that needs something special added that will be an ‘everlasting’ display? Bring it up to the flower studio and we will fill it with natural beauty.
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2024 was a wonderful year full of weddings. Themes ranged from wispy wildflowers to rich, bold and colourful to elegant white and greens. Our wedding floral designs included bouquets and boutonnières, arch embellishments, large floral urns and more. For those wanting to do it
themselves we provided buckets and buckets of blooms and greens to make their day a special one. We are already filling our calendar for 2025 and it looks to be a busy year of romance ahead!
If you are planning a wedding for 2025, we have wedding information packages available by email. Please contact us at twylasflowerfarm@shaw.ca with your names and wedding date and we will confirm availability and send our information.
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Flower Share CSA
Four Seasons & Year Long/Monthly
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Customer Supported Agriculture
These have been a great gift option for many of our clients. We are creating gorgeous lush bouquets and arrangements featuring seasonal blooms and botanicals for pick up or delivery throughout the year.
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Farmstand
Our Farmstand will continue to be stocked daily with bouquets, bunches and arrangements.
Flower Studio
Don’t hesitate to drive up to the Flower Studio. Open 10-4 Monday thru Saturday
We have lots of parking and we will have lots tucked away in our cooler!
4351 Blenkinsop Road, Victoria, BC V8X2C3
250-588-9558
Fresh Bouquets & Dried Arrangements Around Town
Sea Cider Farm and Ciderhouse in Central Saanich. – Dried posies
The Modern Mercantile – Chinatown – Fresh bouquets delivered on Fridays, dried floral posies & wreaths
Tulip Noire - Oak Bay - Fresh bouquets delivered on Fridays
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We are so lucky to be here on Vancouver Island, in Victoria/Saanich, on the south facing slope of Mount Doug Park (PKOLS) where we are sheltered from the north winds and have avoided frost so far this season. The long warm fall has meant the leaves on the trees are taking their time changing their colours and many are still hanging on even after our big windstorms.
The clocks ‘fell back’ this past weekend and I’m happy to be waking up with the sun again. It helps to get me up and out and doing my ‘rounds’ on the farm before the day really gets going for everyone else.
As winter approaches, I’m finding that it is all the little and big jobs ahead on the farm that keep me feeling positive and optimistic. Whether planting a seed or developing a new product line, they all need my attention to grow and be fruitful.
Remembrance Day is ahead and this year it seems even more important to remember and to be grateful those who fought and continue to fight for our freedom. This is what has determined the quality of this life we live here.
Twyla
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