Farmer's Pick

Summer has brought our first row of single stem, pollenless sunflowers abloom in several colors. The cheerful sunflower mixes well in a bouquet with amaranth, helenium, yarrow, zinnias, and sea holly.

Ever wonder why and how sunflowers follow the sun? Young sunflowers track the sun through a process called heliotropism, which is driven by their internal circadian clock and uneven stem growth. During the day, the east side of the stem grows faster than the west, bending the flower head westward to follow the sun. At night, the west side grows faster, swinging the plant back to face east in anticipation of dawn. While this tracking maximizes photosynthesis and biomass in young plants, mature sunflowers stop moving and lock their heads facing east. This fixed orientation allows the blooms to warm up quickly in the morning sun, which attracts more bees and significantly boosts pollination.

Ball and pompon dahlias with their petals that curve inward, have a tight symmetrical, globe-shaped appearance that are the perfect size for floral arranging. We planted 10 different varieties/colors this year. Although we got our dahlias in the ground early, we hoping they’ll continue to bloom until mid-October.

Until next time, peace.

-Paul

Proprietor, Farmer’s Pick

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Some of the spring perennials have finished, many are still blooming, and the summer annuals like sunflowers are dahlias are just starting. We currently have 30 different flowers in bloom to choose from.

Unique bi-color Miniature Gladiolus

With proper care, cut gladiolus will typically last 7 to 14 days. Fill a tall vase with room-temperature water and add floral preservative (or a mix of sugar, acid, and bleach) to feed the blooms and inhibit bacteria. Change the water every two days, re-cutting about 1 inch off the stem ends at an angle each time to maintain water uptake. Display the arrangement in a cool, draft-free area away from direct sunlight, heaters or air conditioning. Deadhead wilted lower florets as they fade to redirect energy to the remaining buds, ensuring the upper flowers continue to open.

Tall Summer Phlox

Sweet, honey-like fragrance in clusters of tubular flowers of white, hot pink and purple.

We close at 3 pm because of the afternoon heat. For us to be able to cut flowers on demand and provide a quality product, we like to harvest early in the morning while plants are cool and fully hydrated. Some flowers wilt almost immediately when cut in the heat of the day and won’t last as long in the vase. We put some flowers in the cooler, but we still are an outdoor open-air stand and the excessive heat takes its toll on our displays of fresh cut stems. Temperatures reached 103° F in Boise, Idaho 07/11/2026 and it is expected to hover near 100° for the next two weeks.

Unfortunately, we cannot promise U-Pick flowers this year. We could not get enough summer annuals in the ground on time. If we do open for U-Pick, it will be at the very end of the season in September and October. You can read more about our U-Pick here. We will continue offering the flower bar, DIY buckets of blooms, pre-made bouquets and custom floral arrangements through October or until it freezes. With that said, we do have a row of wonderful smelling Sweet Peas that need picking… come by, let us know you are a subscriber to this newsletter and we will give you a jar with water and some clippers and let you pick a bouquet for no charge.

Here is a peak of one of the Dahlia’s we are growing. 10 different varieties planted this year.

Until next time, peace.

-Paul

Proprietor, Farmer’s Pick

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For all current newsletter subscribers, come by the flowerstand and receive a FREE bundle of fresh cut Lavender. Creative uses for Lavender:

• Linens: Create a DIY pillow mist with water, vodka, and lavender oil to spray on sheets for better sleep.
• Bath: Add dried buds or infused oil to bathwater for relaxation.
• Shower Bundle: Hang a bundle of fresh lavender and eucalyptus near the showerhead to diffuse steam.
• Sachets: Place dried buds in drawers or closets to repel moths and freshen linens.
• Cleaning: Make a natural all-purpose spray by steeping lavender in vinegar and water.
• Decor: Use in wreaths, potpourri, or as a garnish for gift wrapping and table settings.
• Infusions: Steep fresh stalks in neutral oils (like jojoba or olive oil) for skin care or DIY soaps.

Asian, Oriental and Trumpet Lilies are in bloom. Prices range from $1.50 for single bud stems to $4.00 on some of the large mutli-flowering stems. Please note: all parts of lilies (including the vase water) are toxic to small animals like cats and dogs, but not to humans. Neverless, lilies are exotically beautiful, unopened buds continue to bloom on the stem so they last, and some are quite fragrant.

Boise weather forecast calls for rain this weekend. If it comes down too hard or gets too muddy, we may close down temporarily. We’ll make notice on the top of our main page if we do. Otherwise, our flowerstand hours are still Friday, Saturday, Sunday 9am – 3pm, mimimum. Whenever you see the “OPEN” sign on our signpost at entry gate, you know you can stop in. Sometimes we stay open longer or open an extra day. And we don’t always put out our A-frame signs down Clovedale Road when we are open. We are happy to open off-days/hours by appointment if you’d like a couple of DIY Buckets of Blooms.

There is a lot in-bloom now. Hope you can make it out.

Until next time, peace.

-Paul

Proprietor, Farmer’s Pick

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The star of the show this week are the Foxtail Lilies, or Desert Candles (Eremurus robustus). Tall and stately, the stems on these flowers can get up to 6-10 ft, and the inflorescence can grow several feet in length, covered with hundreds of tiny flowers that open from the bottom up. The fragile tuberous root looks like a spider, planted in the fall, these plants take several years to establish and mature. Native to central Asia, they do well here in the Treasure Valley with our sandy loam soil.

We are offering them for $3.00 each, both in yellow and orange.

The majority of our flower farm is planted in select perenial flowers and woody shrubs that survive the winter and come back year after year. Many perenials are starting to bloom now. June is an active month full of life and color. See our complete listing of what is in-bloom here-> https://www.farmerspick.com/#blooming

Until next time, peace.

-Paul

Proprietor, Farmer’s Pick

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