Cut Flower Growers Gear Up For Spring Plantings
LOU ANN GOOD
Lancaster Farming Staff
HERSHEY (Dauphin Co.)
“I’ve been coming since 1950,
and I figure I still get at least one
good thing from each class,” said
Paul Hamer.
Although 87 years old, Harner
continues to plant and care for
3,000 perennials at Hamer Farm,
State College.
He and many other partici
pants at last week’s Mid-Atlantic
Fruit and Vegetable Convention
voiced their enthusiasm for the
in-depth seminars offered during
the three-day event.
“The hardest part is deciding
which seminars to attend,” a
participant said of the hundreds
of courses and activities on the
schedule.
“As good as the classes are, we
also learn so much from each
other,” Kathy King said of the
impromptu conversations with
other growers during mealtimes.
During a lunchtime break,
King conversed with other cut
flower growers, including Mor
gan Maskewitz of Flinthill Flow
er Farm in Buckeystown, Md.;
Bob Ambrose of Ridgeview Acres
Farm, Stahlstown; Steward Ma
thias of Honey Crest Farm,
Hummelstown; and a few others
who came and went at the table.
“You can either learn the hard
way or the accelerated way,”
King said of the benefit of the
annual convention.
All growers have some devas
tating circumstances that forced
them to learn things the hard
way, but most mistakes can be
avoided if you listen to the expe
rience of other growers, Maske
witz said.
“One of the growers said that
he raised two acres of flowers,
but had no place to market them
when in full bloom.
“If you have a perishable item,
you’d better have a market,”
King said. She helps her husband
Art and his brother Larry on
their Harvest Valley Farms in
Valencia.
Bring Your Home To Life
With Fresh Flowers
(NAPS) Flowers are a grow
ing trend in home decor. From
carnations to roses, floral ar
rangements can be an inexpen
sive way to make a house feel
more like a home.
The good news is decorating
with flowers may be easier than
you think. Whether you pick up
a few stems at the florist, super
market or corner stand, with a
little budding creativity, you can
add elegance and color to your
house in no time. Try following
these decorating tips to add a
natural flair to your house with
flowers:
• Use Creative Containers. A
good rule of thumb is that if it
can hold water, it can hold flow
ers. Old watering cans, cast iron
kettles, antique coal holders and
teapots can make great bases for
doorstep, country kitchen or bath
arrangements.
• Spruce Up And Cover Up.
Flowers can be an elegant and
creative way to hide your home’s
Home Gardeners ’ School Is March 10
DANVILLE (Montour Co.)
Penn State Cooperative Exten
sion in cooperation with area
garden clubs will present a home
gardeners’ school on Saturday,
March 10 from 8:30 a.m. until 4
Primarily a vegetable farm, the
Kings are finding a rapidly ex
panding market in fresh cut
flowers, which opens up a whole
new venue. Customers want
flower arrangements.
“I need to take a good flower
arrangement course,” King said.
Maskewitz never took a flower
arranging course, but he’s con
sidered an expert in arrange
ments. He said that for years, he
has been growing flowers, which
he markets in the Washington
D.C. area.
In recent years, he started ar
ranging flowers because 75 per
cent of the customers want to
buy flowers already arranged
compared to about 20 percent
who want to make their own ar
rangements.
Trained as an architect and in
art, the background has helped
him develop an eye for flower ar
rangement.
“It’s called value-added, but
you wouldn’t believe, the prob
lem I have at farmers’ markets,”
he said. Other growers mur
mured their agreement because
farmers’ markets require all
items to be homegrown, and a
watchdog group is constantly
worried that purchased flowers
might be sneaked into the mar
ket. Plus, they frown upon the
containers needed to hold the ar
rangements and other items
sometimes incorporated into
value-added products.
“During off season, being able
to include shipped flowers would
help,” Maskewitz said of the eye
appeal a variety of blooms offer.
A grower’s time is largely con
sumed by educating customers
on flowers and preserving them.
“Even retailers don’t know
how to use many varieties,”
Maskewitz said.
Designers are often searching
for new varieties of cut flowers
and often are eager to guarantee
sales. However, if cut blooms are
not properly conditioned, they
will not last long.
“Properly conditioned flowers
flaws. For example, a bouquet of
flowers can be a colorful way to
hide a water stain on table linens.
• Let Your Imagination
Bloom. Collect an assortment of
plain bottles and add a few color
ful stems to each. Another idea is
to float flower heads in bowls
filled with water. Add floating
candles for a bright and shining
effect on the window ledge.
• Let Every Room Bloom. Try
some flowers across the mantle
or bookshelf in a den or an
empty juice bottle filled with
flowers in the kitchen or a cup of
flowers in the bathroom to fresh
en up the room.
In addition, a few beautiful
stems can add a soft and relaxing
feel to the bedroom, or a bright
and cheery look to your office.
Flowers can bring most any
room alive with possibilities. For
more creative decorating ideas
visit www.flowerpossibili
ties.com.
p.m. at Mifflinburg Area High
School.
Participants include “Garden
ing with Native Plants,” David
Beattie, Penn State University;
“Floral Design,” Ed Auman,
t i >
can last three weeks,” Maskewitz
said.
Depending on the variety,
flowers are conditioned in differ
ent ways. Some require seared
stems. Most need to be stuck in
tepid water up to 100 degrees
when first picked and then trans
ferred to cool water.
Workshops at the convention
can help growers determine
proper care and save them many
dollars lost through learning by
trial and error.
Growers also discussed the
best methods for drying flowers
fast and easy while retaining
color. While some have had suc
cess with the microwave and
with silica jel, they agreed that
the most economical and less
labor-intensive method was
hanging blooms upside down in a
hot, dry, dark area.
Another problem faced by
market-goers is the time required
to set up and tear down displays.
Most of the growers interviewed
estimated set up and tear down
time required IVi hours each.
Despite the best laid plans,
flower sales are largely depen
dent on weather.
“If it’s a cool, dark day, people
don’t buy flowers,” King said of
market days. “But if it’s bright
sunny weather, everything goes.”
“Even if its drooping,” Maske
witz injected.
The most popular homegrown
cut flower among most of the
growers interviewed was lisan
thus. Curly willow is also popu
lar. It’s prolific and fast-growing,
which is both a positive and neg
ative trait.
“After awhile you wish you
didn’t grow it,” Maskewitz said
of the plant’s aggressive nature.
Ambrose and his wife Sally
grow 200 varieties on two acres
in Stahlstown. “Labor rules keep
getting worse,” Ambrose said of
never-ending changes. Gone are
the days when a housewife could
fill in a few hours on occasion.
“You need to withhold taxes if a
Salvias make great cut flowers. From spikey height to miniature bouquets, salvias
add touches of color whether fresh or dried. Dahlias are another favorite with design
ers.
Rine’s Flower Shop and Green
house; Selinsgrove; “The Aquatic
Gardener,” Jon Stauffer, Aquatic
Gems, Dillsburg; “Plant Propa
gation,” Earl Ferry, Selinsgrove
H.S. Vocational Ag.; “Tree and
Shrub Care,” Jim Sellmer, Penn
t *. « * *
Nasturtium seed germinates in 7-10 days. In addition
to their beauty, the abundant blooms can be cut for use
as an elegant entree garnish and the leaves add a tart
flavor to fresh salads.
person earns slso| or a crew
$2,500”
Robert Shaeffer of Dauphin
County is retired from Penn
State extension but attends the
annual convention to renew his
pesticide license for his home
gardening hobby. More than 30
pesticide credits are available for
convention-goers.
In addition to the workshops,
Mathias considers the convention
a boom for finding and buying
new equipment at the conven
tion’s comprehensive trade show.
A beekeeper, Mathias looks for
promotional materials to pick up
and use in his Honey Crest Farm
operation. He also raises cut
flowers and two acres of broom
corn for florists in his area. Al
though growers face frustration
with florists who say they can
purchase cut flowers cheaper
from international markets, Ma
thias said, “We have a 48-hour
State University; “Container
Gardening,” Keith Phelps,
Country Farm and Home, Mif
flinburg; “Weed Free Gardens
Organically,” Mark Guenther,
Tait Farms, Port Matilda.
Registration fee is $2O. This
% %. * * • * * * * * * *. * * r 4 » M • WP 1 /*
advantage over shipped flowers.
Fresher is important in our mar
ket.”
Mathias also forces fruit blos
soms from his orchard pruning.
Springtime blooms of pear, cher
ry, apple, and peach are highly
favored by florists. Mathias sells
them in bunches of 10 stems,
which florists use to insert with
other flowers in arrangements.
To save a lot of headaches,
Mathias believes growers should
take the Capitol Area Beekeep
ihg course offered throhgh Penn
State.
The annual convention is 'a
joint effort of the State Horticul
tural Association of Pennsylya-) t
nia, Pennsylvania
Growers Association, Maryland
State Horticultural Society, New
Jersey Horticultural Society,
Penn State, Rutgers, and Ityiiyer
sity of Maryland Cooperative
Extensions.
fee includes a box lunch and re
freshments. Deadline for regis
tration is Feb. 28. Registration
forms are available at area gar
den centers or Mary Carbaugh,
161 Moser Road, Danville, PA
17821, Phone; (570) 275-7848.