Hi Nance, it sounds like you have a pretty good set up going for your new venture. I wish I had someone to share the labor with ;). Lots of other folks will chime in here about your questions but I have a few suggestions. One thing to keep in mind is when your farmers market starts up in the spring and try to time your bulbs accordingly. I made the mistake of planting lots of daffs in my garden but only one of the varieties is still in bloom when the market opens so I am forced to sell the earlier ones privately which also works if you have the contacts. Tulips are the same deal, look for late season types and mostly treat them as annuals as the 'perennial' types are not reliably so, and take up space. I did really well with Parrot types this year, they are so different looking that people were entranced. Look to Colorblends.com for some beauties. Eremurus take several years to produce blooms for cutting so keep that in mind.
As to lilies in crates, do it!! It expands your growing space alot and it is very effective. Asiatics are great and you can time them to bloom in stages so they dont all bloom at once. For overwintering, I dont have to do anything to mine so others will have to chime in here. Something to think about though is that as the lily bulb matures, the bloom stalk becomes bigger and eventually too big for bouquets so you may want to either sell the bulbs (customers love them for their own gardens) or put them into your own perennial garden. They are quite hardy.

There is a great article in this months 'Growing for Market' on moveable hoop tunnels called 'caterpillars' for extending the harvest.

Good luck.
Kat

Hi Nance! Ooh, I'm envious of all that land! I agree with Kat regarding the timing of market. My market starts late (tomorrow is the first day) so I don't bother with earlier blooms. Perhaps if I had an alternate place to sell (private sales, restaurant, florist, etc.) I might, but as of yet, I don't grow the early stuff for sales.

As for the lily crates, they are great. It still amazes me how many gorgeous lilies I can grow in such a small space! Mine are out in the garden; no greenhouse or hoop house or tunnel of any kind. I overwintered mine in my unheated garage last year; to be honest, this past year, not all the crates made it inside, due to my neglect, and they did pretty well staying outside, for the most part, although they did do better when I brought them in.

Dee

Thanks for the imput. :) I am concerned about whether or not we will be able to sell the daffodils. We were thinking either we would want very very early daffodils to sell at some retail locations as first flowers of spring (when everyone is sick of the cold and snow!) or late enough to get into regular farmer's markets.
There are year round markets here (indoors and rotating locations), but they go down to being monthly. I guess that wouldn't be good if they happened to miss our prime daffodil bloom time!

The whole lily crate set up intimidates me. It is new to me and I am worried I'll mess it up somehow. We are going to try one batch and see how it goes. Very exciting...and anxiety producing at the same time. Interesting how much I have already learned about myself in getting this business going.

I am envious of my friend's land also! A fair amount of the land is used for animals (makes getting manure donw on the field easy though). I am trying to squeeze in as much as possible on my in-town lot. The farm does have considerable weed problems, so we are goign to grow some of the perennials in my yard where I can tend to them regularly. I am in the process of ploting out areas for peonies. I'd like to plant about 20, but I am trying to keep it looking ....ah, like a somewhat normal yard (in case we just have to go buy our own farm and sell this house!).

I have greatly enjoyed reading through the old posts on this forum. Thanks to everyone for sharing your experiences and ideas.
Nance

"...I am trying to keep it looking ....ah, like a somewhat normal yard..."

Ah yes, that is the dilemma of many of us small growers - and I mean *very* small, like those of us who basically grow in our backyards on small lots. It's really a balancing act to have a market garden, especially with vegetables, IMO, and to keep the "landscaping" somewhat "normal", lol!

Don't be afraid of lily crates! They're great. Although I have to say that now that I'm adding to my "collection" each year, my concern is having so many that bloom at the same time. The newly planted bulbs, I can stagger for different bloom times The crates, overwintered in the garage, grow and bloom when they want. (They'll grow in the garage in the dark, so keeping them in late doesn't help, I've found out!) So every year I have more crates in the garage, which mean more that bloom around the same time! Maybe I need to get brave and approach a local florist...

Good luck!
:)
Dee

Dee, seriously consider selling some of your lily bulbs at market at the end of the season. People love them. Nance, fear not, the crate. It is really easy. Line the bottom of the bulb crate with newspaper fill half way with good potting soil, place lily bulbs in, about 2 inches apart, cover over with soil, tamp down, water and stand back. They really are the most obliging cut flower. Try it, try it, and you'll see.....

As to the question of the 'normal' garden, I think that the upwelling of home gardeners is becoming so strong, that especially growing flowers is very, very forgivable. Thinking about your peonies, however, be aware that they take several years to become harvestable. So perhaps your friends farm is a better place for these particular perennials while you could use your home space for things that are going to deliver quickly for your new business. Just a suggestion. Kat

Nance, I hope you don't mind if I digress here a second to ask Kat a question...

Kat, do you mean dig up and sell just the bulbs? Or pot them up and sell them? If potting up, would people really buy the half-dead stem of a lily plant, lol?

I don't usually sell plants of the cut flowers I grow (kind of like competing against myself - why will folks buy my bouquets if they've already bought the whole plant from me and can cut their own) but perhaps selling the bulbs may work. I really don't have room to plant them in the garden.

Thanks!
:)
Dee

Hi Dee, I'm talking about letting the bulbs go through the season after being cut by you for the flowers, and at the end of the season (late summer, early fall) dig up the bulbs wash them off, let them dry for a day or so, and put them, usually in threes, into some moss, bag them and sell them with a photo if possible, of the varieties. I have found that people who want to plant lilies and other perennials and annuals, are more interested in them for their borders rather than cutting. I do not find a conflict with my cut flowers and selling off some of my extras. People in general want the plants to look good IN the garden and are still very willing to buy your cut flowers. The lily bulbs sell for between $6.00 and $8.00 for three depending on variety, the Orientals sell for more and I always tell folks that the bulbs have been used for cutting and that the following seasons flowers may be smaller but that they will bounce back in force for years to come. My lily bed is stuffed with bulbs that I initially didnt sell when they started to produce flower stems that were so enormous that I couldnt use them in bouquets. Which reminds me, I really must to something about that! Anyway, if you have varieties that sold especially well for you as cuts, try to sell some of the bulbs and see what happens.

This year, half my crates are dedicated to glads. Miniature glads as a test. Of course, I saw a deal that I couldnt refuse, so here we go again.LOL.

All best,
Kat

Thanks Kat! That's really a good idea and one that never crossed my mind. It sounds like a good way to deal with all the bulbs we end up with!

I also tried using a crate last year (the year before?) for glads. They didn't do well but honestly it was more the horrible weather and my neglect, I believe, that contributed to that. I'm thinking of trying again. The crates are really such a space-saver!

Thanks again!
Dee

I love this forum! I hadn't thought of growing in crates before, but I've been trying to come up with a way I could extend my offerings at the Farmer's Market and I think I've just found it. I have quite a bit of ground, but most of it is dredge spoils, and unplantable -- unless I spend lots of time and money removing rock and bringing in new soil. The cost would be prohibitive. However, crates on top of the ground should work great. I've been using these crates for some time, but for the purpose of bringing in the dahlia tubers. I'd need more if I'm going to use them for growing bulbs. Does someone have a source for them? Also - what are some good sources for buying bulbs.

My husband has given up on our landscaping looking "normal". But, we live in the country so it isn't as big a deal as for those who live in town. I'm not sure, though, what he is going to say about a bunch of black crates strung across the drainfield:)