Falling for Flowers

Can you feel it? The crisp air in the mornings, the fog, the dew, and the tiredness of the summer annual flowers that have been blooming since early July. Fall is certainly in the air in the PNW. Us growers have been talking about it a lot at the market or when we see each other at group meetups. You've probably been seeing the changes in your garden as well.

Speaking of meetups, did you see our post on social media about our recent tour of Garden Treasures Farm? If not, check it out!

Okay, back to fall talk. The Autumn Equinox isn’t until September 22nd, so we still have a couple weeks to go before it is officially fall. The flowers are not done yet.

Late summer in the Pacific Northwest includes some of the most beautiful and bountiful blooms. As we transition into September, it’s only natural to think that flowers are coming to an end and it’s time for pumpkins. However, much of the beauty is just beginning and will carry us through the first fall frost, and some thereafter. Let’s take a look at some of the gorgeous local fall flowers that will take us into pumpkin season. There are so many beautiful options to purchase from your local growers during this season.

Dahlias

Are you growing these in your garden? It's pretty hard to not love these beauties, especially since there are so many different colors and shapes to choose from. Blooming from late July through the first frost, dahlias are a staple in late summer and fall floral design. Are you looking for dahlias for an upcoming party or event? Need them in your favorite fall colors? You will find dahlias from just about all of our growers at the collective market. Come on in and shop the selection, or pre-order from individual growers for a future pick-up date. You can expect to see these all the way until the first frost melts the blooms from our fields.

A handful of sunset, in dahlia form.
Photo courtesy of Lauritzen Flower Farm - Startup, WA

Chrysanthemums

Heirloom Chrysanthemums are making a huge comeback in the cut flower world. These beautiful flowers bloom through November. That's right, you can have fresh local flowers for your Thanksgiving arrangements! How incredible is that? You can expect to begin seeing these at the collective’s market in the coming weeks, all the way through to the last market. Don’t skip on coming to the market and purchasing some of these stems. They will certainly be flying off the shelves. 

Mums and dahlias. What a combo!
Photo courtesy of Sublime Gardens & Sanctuary - Snohomish, WA

Zinnias

Zinnias are a tried and true flower. A staple in the summer and fall garden. Coming in multiple different varieties and colors, you are sure to find them at almost every table at the market. The SnocoFloco growers grow the rainbow in zinnias! Say that five times fast. Zinnias have an incredible vase life. Many take you beyond a week of vase life, so the arrangements you create can be enjoyed well beyond your event or date of purchase. 

A perfect sea of coral.
Photo courtesy of JARN Co. Flowers - Monroe, WA

Sunflowers

Fall and Sunflowers go hand-in-hand, don’t you think? They also go with pumpkins, but more on pumpkins next month. The flower that follows the sun. Always going towards the light. No wonder they make you happy just by looking at them. Sunflowers are perfect for all of your fall designs, whether for your wedding or decorating your home for some fall vibes. At the market you will find sunflowers in a range of colors for you design needs. Light yellow, bright yellow, oranges, and darker reds. 

Happy sunnies from the market.
Photo courtesy of Rediscovering Appreciation Photography

Asters

Asters are another treasure to be found in the late summer and fall blooming garden. Adding such a magic touch to arrangements with their variety of shapes and colors. You can expect to continue to see these at the market as all the early blooming summer annuals begin to fade.

China Asters waiting to be purchased for your next event.
Photo courtesy of Rediscovering Appreciation Photography

That's not all, folks.

Of course, there are many, many more local flowers taking us into fall. Let's not forget amaranth, rudbeckia, gomphrena, and scabiosa. The list goes on. If you’d like to see what is blooming during this season, make sure to stop by the market to see what is in bloom. You can also reach out to any of our growers via e-mail or social media. You can find the list of growers on the Snohomish County Flower Collective’s website:

https://www.snocofloco.com/members

Colors of the season.

As the market moves through the months of September and October, you will likely notice the flowers brought in from local growers change colors. This is because growers plan out their planting based on the colors of the seasons. For the season of fall, you will likely see a range of colors in jewel tones and rustic colors. Such as rich golden sunflowers, burgundy and burnt orange dahlias, bronze chrysanthemums, green eucalyptus, as well as other deep purple and magenta flowers.

So, how can you use these flowers this fall? Well, here are a few ideas.

For others

Make some arrangements for your kids to take to their teacher on the first day of school, or the first week of school. You can even purchase some flower bunches with other parents and create small arrangements for your kid(s) to give to their teachers. Make it a group or family activity. Give your kids creative freedom to create something special for their teacher.

Party time

Have an end of summer party coming up? The market is the perfect place to grab a few bunches of flowers and create some dazzling floral centerpieces for your party. Give your party that extra wow factor with fresh, local blooms.

For you

Playing with flowers is a great creative outlet. Get some friends together and have a garden party making bouquets! Come to the market and chat with the local growers to pick out the best blooms and palette for a fun evening filled with flowers (and maybe some wine).

Pumpkins

There will be more to come with pumpkins next month, but have you ever seen a fall arrangement in a pumpkin? If not, you're missing out! You can clean out a pumpkin and put a beautiful arrangement of fall flowers inside to create an eye catching display. Follow the growers of the collective on social media to see if any are hosting pumpkin bouquet workshops this fall.

Not sure what to do when you walk into the market? 

Well, let’s pretend shop and pick out some flowers together and make an arrangement.

At the market, most flowers are bunched in 10 stems bunches. Larger focal flowers are bunched in 5 stem bunches. Whatever you are creating with flowers does not have to be extravagant, unless you want it to be! It can be as simple as grabbing 3 bunches of flowers to arrange with.

Let’s grab some of the flowers we talked about above. Golden yellow sunflowers in a 5 stem bunch, white statice (not listed above) in a 10 stem bunch, and salmon zinnias in a 10 stem bunch.  You can then use these to create one large arrangement like below, or you can split the stems up to make smaller arrangements. It really is simple! Our growers are more than happy to help you select flowers and create a color palette that matches your vision. 

Looking to dive deep into arranging? The studio where the market is held is owned by Alicia of Fleurs Creative. Check out her Fall Workshop schedule at the following link: https://fleurscreative.com/workshops/

So, why local?

Local flowers means seasonal flowers. Seasonality is important, as it supports only the flowers grown locally within a specific region, versus imported flowers that are mass produced in other countries. Think, tulips in spring vs. in November. Tulips do not bloom in the fall and winter. Buying local flowers supports local small businesses and the local economy. The carbon footprint of local flowers is very low compared to the flowers grown in other countries. Your local flower farmer grows at their farm and then drives 10 miles to sell at the market vs. flowers grown in South America that hop on a plane, a truck, another plane, and another truck before getting to their final destination. See the difference? Local flowers also means connection. Connecting with your local growers builds not only relationships, but community.

The Snohomish County Flower Collective Market is open through November 16th! Make sure you stop by in September to purchase some beautiful, local fall blooms. The market is open every Thursday from 7am-11am in downtown Snohomish. 105 Avenue A. See you there! And as always, if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out.

Now tell us, what are your favorite local fall flowers? Let us know in the comments!