October

We started covering our flowers in mid-September in an attempt to have them for a scheduled wedding Oct 17th. It was interesting to see which flowers responded well and we learned which ones we could depend on. When I uncovered the dahlia bed, I was shocked at the size of our Penhill Watermelon blooms. There was one larger than my head! The wedding of my friends daughter was a labour of love. The entire day was a great success, with the bride, groom and families thoroughly pleased with the flowers. As a guest, it was a fabulous day filled with love. The experience has confirmed for me that this is an area of the business, to fully develop and expand. We are going to be at the Ottawa Bridal Show this weekend and will offer a small number of bookings for 2027, in order to maintain a high level of quality and enough individual attention for each couple.

Interestingly, some flowers from that harvest on Oct 16th, are still doing well now, almost 2 weeks later. There is a lot of truth about the importance of removing leaves below the water line, as well as the regular changing of water and trimming of stems. Cooler temperatures are also helpful in slowing the maturation of flowers.

Our months of August and September were spent drying flowers to create a treasure trove of dried blooms. Lots of materials for different projects including some seasonal wreaths and arrangements, development of new body products as well as materials for holiday simmer pots. These items, as well as fresh holiday wreaths and outdoor planter kits will be available mid-November. Stay tunes for pics of this years creations available for sale on the website and social media. Delivery will be possible, depending on requestors location, as well as installation of planter kits at your request.

Garden cleanup is well underway with the hope to complete everything by Nov. 8th and snuggle up where it's warm until next season. We are going to be expanding our offerings for next season and will effectively increase our production next season by 2.5x. We are nothing if not curious about what other branches of floristry are ahead for Joyful Blooms...come along for the ride. There is sure to be workshops, U-picks, and possibly even CSA opportunities in 2027. The CSA side will be limited to 30 customers, so don't delay if this is an attractive idea. You would commit to picking a bouquet, weekly in June and have first request for tulips available in May. It's a great opportunity!