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:

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!

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!

Deck the Halls!

The sweet, spicy smell of pine in the shop and seeing all the decorations outside our windows have us thinking about what puts us in the holiday spirit. Things come to mind like admiring the soft petals of a gorgeous amaryllis bloom, sipping mugs of hot cocoa, gazing at the twinkling of sparkly lights, and snuggling by the fire at home with our loved ones. And of course, listening to Christmas music! Listening to music is such a personal experience, just like the joy of working with flowers. Just as every flower helps a bouquet take on a unique beauty and style, every note makes a song soar and touch our hearts. And since you already know how much we love flowers, we thought it would be fun to share our favorite holiday songs with you guys!

Mindy loves the festive classic 'Jingle Bells.' As a kid, it was one of her favorite songs to sing along with her parents and siblings. She still loves to sing it to this day! Something about the upbeat rhythm and catchy lyrics take her back in time and help her see Christmas through the eyes of a child again. And seriously, isn't that the way we should all look at every day??!

For Alice, it wouldn't be the holiday season without 'Silent Night.' As far back as she can remember, this song was part of her Christmas traditions. A favorite song of her mother's, Alice can still hear her mom playing this beautiful hymn on her harmonica. Alice listened to her mother play this song every year as a child, and then later it became just as important to her kids when their grandmother got out her harmonica to play it for them at Christmas. 'Silent Night' is something Alice will always share in her heart with her mother, and the holidays are a time for remembrance as much as they are a time for celebration.

Our resident blogger Candice, like Mindy, most loves to tap her toes and sing along to a childhood favorite. She can remember listening to the entire 'Christmas with the Chipmunks' album that her dad had recorded onto a cassette tape. Her whole family would sing along with the scratchy recording as Theodore wished for his two front teeth, and giggle as Dave yelled at Alvin during 'The Chipmunk Song.' To this day, listening to this album (now on her phone, ha!) puts a smile on her face and helps her remember that the holidays are about joy, laughter, and making memories with your family.

So now we want to know what YOUR favorite holiday song is! Is there a song that you can't get through the season without? Tell us in the comments below and we'll enter you into a drawing to win a free $50 holiday centerpiece! One winner will be randomly selected on 12/21, and we'll be here on 12/22 from 9-5 for you to pick it up. What could possibly be better than sharing a holiday memory AND getting free flowers?!

And while you've got music dancing in your heart, we'd love for you to stop by the shop for cute little stocking stuffers, festive decorations, and a perfect holiday centerpiece that is sure to wow your guests. The shop is full of beautiful flowers, fragrant wreaths, and unique giftware to help you get even more into the holiday spirit!  So happy, happy holidays and don't forget to deck your halls with help from your friends at Two Little Buds!

Ch Ch Changes

As Thanksgiving memories start to fade and Christmas rapidly approaches, we’re struck over here at Two Little Buds by all we have to be thankful for this holiday season. Our customers. Our brides and grooms. Our friends and family. And, of course, our dogs!

But right now we’re mostly thankful for all the fun and new things on the horizon for our shop! We know many of you are a little concerned as we start posting on social media about our newest and most fabulous venture, Morning Sun Flower Farm. Don’t worry– the Two Little Buds you know and love isn’t going anywhere! We’re just continuing to explore our dedication to buying farm fresh flowers from some amazing local farmers, and venturing into growing some of them ourselves. It feels exciting and the best kind of terrifying, just like we felt when we opened the doors of our shop almost nine years ago! Our customers can still come to us for beautiful and unique floral arrangements, and we’ll be able to provide even more seasonal, fresh, straight-from-the-farm blooms. And our brides and grooms will be lucky enough to get the best flowers each season has to offer!

We’re going to slow down a little next year, and focus on making each customer and each bride and groom feel as special and unique as the blooms we’ll be pulling out of the Morning Sun Flower Farm hoophouse in the spring. So stick with us! Trust us, grow with us! We couldn’t do this without the love and support of our loyal customers and our fabulous brides and grooms. Let’s be thankful and look to the future together :)