Thursday, July 14, 2016

Let's Catch Up!

Hello to all of our Two Little Buds friends! Sorry for the delay in posting--we've had a busy few weeks at the shop, making lots of brides and grooms happy and spending tons of time at the farm cutting beautiful blooms to use in all of our arrangements. Speaking of gorgeous blooms, you've seen our Morning Sun Flower Farm dahlias, right??

 
Look at those beauties! The Café au Lait dinnerplate dahlias were grown on our very own farm, and they're sharing the spotlight in this pic with our favorite garden roses from fabulous local grower, Rose Girl.

We got to take a pause from all the craziness last night and teach a workshop at an amazing shop in Lebanon called Blume Home. And believe us when we tell you that you need to immediately drop everything and go visit this fantastic shop! It's bursting with adorably perfect items for your home...or a family member's...or a friend's. AND they have cupcakes.

Here's a few peeks at all the fun our attendees had, learning more about farm-fresh flowers and how to make a gorgeously loose and airy arrangement:




We absolutely LOVE hosting workshops, so please don't hesitate to reach out to us if you're interested in having us come to you! And remember to keep an eye on our Instagram account to see our upcoming events at Blume and our favorite little spot in the world, Lane & Kate in Oxford.

Plus, don't forget-- we have our Farm Open House coming up on August 20th! And you do not want to miss it! You'll have the opportunity to walk our fields, cut your own flowers, and make a gorgeous arrangement, plus eat yummy food, sip refreshing cocktails, and listen to great local music. There are still a few spots left, and early-bird pricing is available for a few more weeks (prices go up August 1st, so sign up ASAP!). All the info can be found here, but you can also call the shop at 513.737.8527 if you have any questions!

We hope to see you all at the farm! Seriously, you don't want to miss this awesome event!! Come join us and learn how to turn this:


Into this:


While eating, drinking, and having fun with your friends and family! What could be better??

Thursday, May 26, 2016

You Better Work...shop :)


Our very own Morning Sun Flower Farm is hosting a Farm to Vase Workshop on August 20th, so mark your calendars because you're going to want to be there! It will be the perfect way to see where all of our beautiful flowers have been coming from, and for you to see just how much love goes into each one of our farm-fresh blooms.

The farm is located on Morning Sun Road in College Corner, Ohio, close to Hueston Woods park. But it's more than worth the teeny tiny drive to see the farm for yourself! At the workshop you'll get to stroll through the flower fields, cut your own blooms, and learn how to make a vased floral arrangement. AND you get to take your flowers home with you!

As if seeing and touching and smelling gorgeous flowers isn't enough, we're also going to provide food, music, and drinks (including some delicious farm-inspired cocktails!). So it's going to be a fabulous event to attend with your friends and loved ones! Get a group together to come see for yourselves what a joy it is to be part of the farm-to-vase movement!

We're so excited about the workshop that we're offering Early Bird tickets, too. If you purchase your tickets before August 1st, they're only $80.00 a person. After that, they go up to $100.00 each, and none will be sold at the door, so don't wait too long to buy yours! All you have to do to purchase tickets is visit our Eventbrite page by clicking here, it couldn't be easier!

Oh, and guys... there will be some serious bulldog action going on at the farm, too. Visiting with the adorable pups comes free with price of admission :)

Please give us a call (513-737-8527) or shoot us an email if you have any questions about the event. We're seriously so excited to share the farm with all of our customers!

Those of us with two legs and those of us with four legs are ALL hoping to see you there!



Tuesday, March 22, 2016

The Farmer-Florist Collective is Here!


Often alongside the eponymous pastel colored Peeps and plastic eggs seen everywhere this time of year are pots of Easter lilies. A symbol of life and re-birth, the trumpet-shaped flowers are considered by many to be a symbol of spring.

But it is the arrival of lesser-known flowers such as anemones, ranunculus, heirloom narcissus, hyacinth, and hellebores that really excite seasonal flower lovers. And nothing says spring to us more than a perfectly white, lush anemone picked from our very own Morning Sun Flower Farm!

We're beyond excited to announce that Two Little Buds and Morning Sun Flower Farm are part of a small--but rapidly growing-- group of flower farmers and floral designers focused on flowers that are available seasonally and locally. And luckily for our awesome customers and couples, a new directory, Floret's Farmer-Florist Collective, lists many of the seasonal flower 'superstars' that we're thrilled to be associated with.

From frilly French tulips in the spring to dramatic dahlias in the fall, this coalition of farmers and florists is eager to showcase the best of what each season has to offer. And collectively, we are starting to change the way flowers are grown and consumed in this country. The popularity of local, seasonal flowers has been fueled, at least in part, by the popularity of the local foods and farm-to-table movements. It has also been introduced by Floret--a Seattle-area microfarm that created the Collective and whose blog, social media presence, and sold-out workshops (one of which we were lucky enough to attend last July!) have reached a global audience of flower lovers, farmers, designers, and 'dreamers.'

"I couldn't keep up with the demand for our flowers," states Erin Benzakein, the founder of Floret. "But rather than getting bigger and growing more flowers to ship across the country, I've instead focused on training others in the fine art of small-scale, high intensity flower production and natural floral design techniques utilizing seasonal blooms. This approach is more consistent with what we'd been saying for years: that the freshest, most beautiful flowers are ones that are grown in season, in your region."

Interest in buying and growing seasonal flowers continues to grow exponentially. "Now we can't keep up with the demand for our training," Benzakein shared. All seven of Floret's on-farm workshops sold out within hours of being offered. Floret workshop alumni include flower lovers from as far away as the UK and New Zealand, and fabulous floral designers such as our very own Mindy Staton and Alice Francis of Two Little Buds! "I created this Collective directory not only to highlight some of the leading farms and florists committed to growing, using, and promoting local and seasonal flowers," stated Benzakein, "but also to help consumers looking for flower farms or designers in their region who specialize in seasonal blooms."

Two Little Buds and Morning Sun Flower Farm are so happy that we can help bring this local flower movement to the Cincinnati area! Be sure to keep checking Instagram and Facebook for updates on our straight-from the-farm-blooms! And take a peek at the Collective directory to see the amazing group of flower farmers that are working so hard to change the way we use flowers everyday :)

Tuesday, March 1, 2016

Fresh From The Garden :)

Guys, just check out this bouquet:


I mean, seriously, how gorgeous is it??! The shape, the colors, the amazing greenery-- we can't even pick what we love most about it. And as spring tiptoes its way towards us, we're getting so excited for wedding season getting back into full swing so we can make more of these amazing bouquets! We're loving the trend of big, billowy bouquets that focus on large local blooms and tons of amazing mixed greenery. Trust us when we say that shape and texture are EVERYTHING to a bridal bouquet, so a romantic, lush bunch of 'just-picked' blooms is the.way. to carry flowers on your wedding day. The drama of gorgeous focal blooms surrounded by the perfect mixture of rich greens is something your guests will notice and remember, and, even more importantly, something you'll be so glad you did when you look back at pictures of your wedding day!

And guess what the best source is for these awesome flowers and greenery-- yup, local flower farmers! We can't wait for you to see our very own Morning Sun Flower Farm's poppies and snapdragons... and tulips and ranunculus... and lisanthus and DAHLIAS... and ohmigosh, just too many flower varieties to name. And you already know how fabulous our anemones are, but here's another peek, just in case :)


Oh, and don't you worry-- we're growing some spectacular greenery, too! Clematis, bells of Ireland, dusty miller, silver drop eucalyptus... you don't even know how much you can love greenery until you see it straight from the farm. And we couldn't get through the wedding season without our peonies from Red Twig Farms or our garden roses from Rose Girl. Plus we have our friends at Little Creek Valley that always supply us with amazing flowers- if a flower can be grown in Ohio, they manage to grow it! And bonus-- Brad always brings along a super cute helper with him:


So are you as excited as we are for more local flowers in the shop? And for wedding season? And for spring?? Be sure to stop by the shop to say hi and see what we have blooming... and we promise, once you go local, you never go back!

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

Farmin' Ain't Easy...

...but it sure is rewarding :)

We wanted to update you guys on what's been going on at Morning Sun Flower Farm! It's been a nerve-wracking first season with our hoophouse, but it's also been an absolute blast. And we were beyond thrilled to start picking our first stems of breathtakingly gorgeous anemones:



All the sleepless nights worrying about drainage and electricity and freezing temperatures, all the afternoons and Sundays and free moments spent planting and weeding and scraping snow, were completely and totally worth it when we saw those beautiful blooms! And these ten, perfect anemones are just the beginning! We're going to have so many in the shop in the next few weeks (so be sure to call about them-- only 2 bucks a stem!), and by April, we should also be cutting daffodils, ranunculus, and tulips. So, guys!! You can get flowers coming from a farm that is 20 minutes away instead of coming from South America or Holland-- how exciting is that?! And here, we'll even provide some photographic proof that our girl Mindy has been busting her butt to get you the best flowers possible:



And wow, as we've travelled through the early stages of our first season as flower farmers, we feel so lucky to have a positive network of other local farmers that are willing to share their knowledge, expertise, and wisdom. Last month, we travelled to Sunny Meadows Flower Farm in Columbus to attend the Ohio Flower Farmer Meet-Up. It was so helpful, and reassuring, to be surrounded by other farmers who have been where we are. And it was so much fun to be in a room with so many people who share our passion for the slow flower movement.

Mostly, we feel so lucky that as we go along in the process, our favorite flower farmer, Floret Flower Farm, has been busy blogging about the step-by-step process she follows when she farms. And every post the amazingly talented Erin Benzakein and her fabulous team put up seems to align perfectly with what we're doing at our farm-- she started with how to maximize space on a farm just when we're trying to learn how best to use the space in our hoophouse. She then moved on to other topics like succession planting and the importance of soil preparation, and we can't wait to see what she covers next. We seriously feel like Erin is checking in with just us every now and then to offer advice! And we are incredibly grateful that even with all her amazing (and much deserved!) successes, she is so dedicated to helping other local flower farmers that she is still willing to share her processes and tips. Her passion for the slow flower movement is what started us along this path, and it's been such an unbelievable gift to feel like she's continuing this journey with us.

So give us a call to ask about buying some Morning Sun Flower Farm anemones! We'll keep you posted as we have new blooms to offer-- and it's not just our stunning anemones, ranunculus, and tulips. We've been busy sowing seeds of foxglove, delphinium, lisianthus, stock, and eucalyptus so they're ready to be transplanted to our field:



Plus we've got 1700 dahlia tubers on the way! Seriously, we're so excited for you to see what a different local flowers can make in your arrangements and your wedding flowers. And Two Little Buds and Morning Sun Flower Farm are here to prove it to you!

Oh, and never doubt that we're willing to do whatever it takes for our customers, our couples, and our flowers:



Friday, January 22, 2016

She's Got Style, She's Got Grace...

We over here at Two Little Buds have had a long-standing love affair with the fabulous Keely Rust of Even Keel Design. Ever since she wandered into our shop a little over a year ago to buy a cactus, she's been our go-to gal for all things graphic design! Keely has such an amazing eye for detail, she's talented and creative, and she is just so much stinkin' fun to be around. Seriously, if you're ever searching for someone to help you with branding or web design or invitations or random Leslie Knope trivia, you need her in your life!

So we're beyond excited to announce that Two Little Buds will be pairing up with this amazing artist to offer event styling services to our couples! Keely's got some info up at http://evenkeeldesign.com/styling/ that you should definitely check out, but we are so pumped that we wanted to tell you all about it, too! Basically a stylist is someone who helps you coordinate all the creative aspects of your wedding. And Keely is fantastic at connecting with couples and helping to translate their unique, special qualities into a wedding day that really represents them! Let a stylist like Keely help you find vendors and all the elements, big and small, that will help to bring your vision to life on your big day. She can recommend dress and suit styles that suit your venue, she can search high and low for linens that just manage to tie your whole table together, she can suggest the perfect bakery to make personal pineapple upside down cakes for all your guests because you and your partner aren't traditional cake people. Okay, so that's a random example, but if that's what you want, Keely will find it for you! Basically Keely will help you streamline all your ideas into one cohesive vision that will be become one amazing, unique day.

Because we're so excited about this new partnership, we're even going to offer a free styling package with Keely to one of our lucky couples! Any couples that book Two Little Buds Florist between now and February 28th will be entered into a drawing to receive complimentary styling services with Even Keel Design. So what are you waiting for?? Contact Two Little Buds and Even Keel today to help you get a blog-worthy wedding day!

Tuesday, December 29, 2015

In Two Little Buds We Trust


Now that the holidays are coming to an end, a lot of brides and grooms start to have more time to focus on wedding planning. And a lot of new happy couples enter the mix that just got engaged, yay! So, welcome to our brides and grooms, old and new! As you either start the process of finding your wedding florist or continue to work with yours to finalize floral plans for your big day, we wanted to share a few of our thoughts on the process.

The best piece of advice we can offer is to remember that after you do your very diligent research to hire the best of the best (which, duh, means you've hired Two Little Buds!), you need to let go a little and let us take care of the rest. Letting go and trusting your wedding vendors will ease stress for everyone involved, and especially where flowers are concerned, will ensure you have gorgeous, lush bouquets and centerpieces. Trust us to do what we do best, which is providing beautiful, seasonal florals for your wedding day that fit your style, venue, and budget. We know it's hard to relinquish some of the control since it is your wedding day, but that is what you're investing in us for-- to be sure the flowers for your wedding day are everything you could have wished, and to ensure you enjoy yourself without worrying about every detail. We've been doing this a long time and, gosh darn it, we're really good at it!

We're not saying that we don't love Pinterest! We absolutely want you to come in with a few inspiration pictures, as that helps us get an idea of the style, color, and types of flowers you like. But the most beautiful things we make come when we then have creative freedom to take the ideas you give us and search for the best and most beautiful blooms that are in season and fit your aesthetic. Flowers that come directly from our awesome little Morning Sun Flower Farm the day we need them are going to look so much better than ones that have been shipped from places like South America over the course of a week! All we're saying is that when we're asked to commit to specific flower types, it can take away some of the design aspect of our job-- and that's what you've hired us for! Instead of expecting a specific bouquet or exact centerpiece, the process will be so much more enjoyable if you're willing to compromise to achieve the look you love. Being unique is a good thing! We simply ask that you're open to new and innovative ideas from us; after all, we want your wedding flowers to be beautiful just as much as you do!


So congrats to all the newly engaged! We'd love to hear from you so we can help you have the wedding flowers of your dreams. And most importantly, we wish our customers, couples, and friends a very happy new year!