Pretty Posies,
I'm using a second refrigerator in the house, partly for flowers, partly for food/beverages. It's only about 3 years old, so you know there will be drying problems. I fight that by wrapping all my flowers, even in the vase. I might use newspaper or tissue paper and staple it around the flowers. Then tape the seams. I also tape the paper to the outside of the container or use a rubber band to hold it tight. It's not foolproof, but it helps a lot. I do this on a VERY small scale and only for myself and friends, so I'm not pressured to have flowers for market (just for flower shows). A word of caution: Be sure to leave space between your wrapped flowers and the edges of the frig and between wrapped bunches. Otherwise, if the circulation ceases, you may have frozen flowers.

You might try this, but by all means, listen to the pros when they give their answers!
Jan

Pretty Posies,
If you are doing two farmers markets, you are going to have way more flowers than you could possibly fit in one, two or three refrigerators. Before we had a cooler, we just had an air conditioner in our little barn. And, a fan to keep the air circulating. It probably stayed around 60. Basically, all you are wanting to do is pull the field heat from the flowers. We pick all day Thursday and Friday before Saturday market. Your flowers will be fine in that cool basement -- Remember the fan. And, you might want to purchase some professional holding solution for those flowers. That really helps.

Good luck.........

Flowerfarmer, who is also experiencing 90+ weather this week.

Jan - thank you for the wrapping tips. I'll be watching the want ads for a BIG frig. It would at least hold peonies this week.

Flowerfarmer- The basement is at 60 degrees (heavy stone walls) so I'm good to go. I hadn't considered circulation tho', adding the fan this afternoon. Thanks for the idea.

The longest I have ever had to pick was 4 1/2 hours. You are right; they definately would Not fit in a frig. One of my reasons for doing the markets - getting more flowers from a picking then I can sell in a day from my yard. But you've got me wondering if I may have gotten in over my head!?

I have no idea of the sales potential. Both markets have about 25 vendors and short (3 hour) days. There is one other flower booth at Sat.'s (A longtime veteran) and I am alternating weekends at Sun.'s with the only other flowerfolk (a newbie) there.

Re: holding solution
I have placed my first order for floral supplies from Best Buy Floral. They had great prices on everything I thought I needed. Didn't see any holding solution. A suggestion on another source?

Curious about "finishing spray" to reduce moisture loss. Sounds like it might be good for the hot, windy summer market days. I watched my bearded iris blooms age last weekend and wondered if this would have helped. Has anyone found it useful? Got the feeling it may only be used for corsages, wedding bouquets.

So much to learn, so much to learn. . .

One of my coolers, really just old used fridges, has a an adjustable Humidity control. I put it at the most humid setting and mold started growing absolutely everywhere. Thank God no flowers were in there at the time. I put it back to the original middle setting and there's no new mold growth. I've not found a problem with flowers drying out in either used fridge, whether in a bucket of preservative or peonies wrapped loosely in Saran Wrap, dry. And I'm in a dry climate.

Jeanne

Don't waste your $$$ on finishing spray. For flowers that really wilt use hydrating solution. We leave the flowers in them for sometimes 24-48 hours. Holding solution is the Professional 2 solution. Which mix did your order?

Your flowers are going to be fine in your basement with the stone walls which help keep it cool. Just keep that fan running.
You don't sound like you are in over your head at all!!! I am the one running around like a chicken with its head cut off, and sweating like a
pig in this heat and humidity.

Good luck with your markets.

flowerfarmer -

I wanted Floralife Crystal Clear flower food in dry form. Got the closest they had - AquaPlus in both pail & packets.

Also going to try Hydroflor Quickdip - it was referred to as a hydrating solution on one florist info. website, but as it's only a one second dip, your hydrating solution is another thing altogether?

Not alot of variety at this company, but the prices seemed very good, no minimum order, and shipped within 12 hours, important since I'm coming to the bottom of my old flower food container.

This whole farmer's market arrangement came up FAST. I made calls on a whim just a few weeks ago, mainly to gather info for the future. I figured I was too late for this year as some markets are open already, but I could at least find out about cost, locations, dates, etc.

When the booth to share came up I tho't, " why not, once every other week, it'll get my toe in the door" The other market said no room, but put me on a waiting list.Then I got a call last Wed. that there was a space for me, would I start last Sat. How exciting to get in and Two days to get ready! I've been doing my own version of the chicken-with-the-head-cut-off dance ever since - making quick decisions right and left. So far so good, I had a canopy, display, signs and some flowers.

The sweating-like-a-pig I got to this week - well, as long as we don't wallow in mud to get cool!

Ha. I have a funny chicken story. When we first started doing markets in 1998, I stopped in to talk to the market master at one of the markets. He was an old duffer, set in his ways, no nonsense; and, definately no personality. He was a city worker about to retire, and just putting in whatever little time he had left. And, he never left his little office for anything. They had one table available for seasonal rental. He told me I would be sharing the table with Chicken Guy. Yikes, I thought. Being a city girl, I had a visual of live chickens in cages. Oh, my. So, I asked, "What kind of chickens?" And, he replied in his gruff voice, "Dead. Dead chickens." Good grief. Now, I was having this terrible visual of dead chickens hanging from the wire over the front of the table. How awful was this going to be? And, with my flowers I was certain this was not going to work. As it turned out, his chickens were frozen; and, he just pulled his truck into the stall, opened the back window; and, he was ready for business. No live chickens, no dead chickens -- just lots of customers wanting his chicken. He has since gone into wholesale and left the market. And, we took over his half of the table.

And, I am supposed to be printing out signs for the market tomorrow.....

Tee hee. Funny story.