Frequently Asked Questions
What is a farmer-florist?
A farmer-florist grows flowers and provides design services. We provide in-house floral design services with 100% locally raised flowers (either from our farm or other local farms). This is possible because we only sell a limited number of arrangements and focus on small, intimate events. We believe there is plenty of room for locally grown flowers in our area and urge you to buy local even if you don't buy from us!​
What does “Designer’s Choice” mean?
We are a small farm growing only what is in season without greenhouses. We will choose the freshest flowers and foliages that are available each week to create a beautiful arrangement for you. This means that colors, varieties, and heights will change seasonally, sometimes week to week. As needed we source flowers from other local flower farms.
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How do I take care of my flowers?
Take your bouquet home and get it into fresh water as soon as possible (trim stem ends 1/2" first). Change the water every 1-2 days for optimal vase life.
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Why do some of the blooms in my FLORA bouquet last longer than grocery store flowers, and some don't last as long?
Like getting a freshly crafted pastry from a local bakery vs. a pastry in a plastic clamshell from a big box store,
allowable shelf life does not always equal a better experience.
Grocery store flowers have to travel a long way to get to you (see ABOUT page). They are varieties that are bred (and highly fertilized/pesticide-ized) for travel and long vase life, not for fragrance or uniqueness. If you purchase them when they hit the shelves they may last a long time, or not, depending on how long they have been there.
Our flowers are harvested within 24 hours of retail dropoff and our bouquets are on the shelf for a maximum of 2 days.
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Some of our flowers have a naturally longer vase life (lisianthus, zinnias, parrot tulips) and some are specialty blooms that you won't find at a store and are shorter lived in the vase (dahlias, cosmos, and others).
Simply remove any spent blooms and enjoy the rest...and enjoy that low-carbon-footprint feeling!
I want to learn how to make these arrangements. Can you teach me?
Yes! You provide the venue and we will provide the rest: flowers, foliages, vessels, tools, floral mechanics, and know-how for your intimate design workshop. We require a minimum of 5 participants and pricing starts at $65/guest. We also LOVE making and teaching folks how to make holiday wreaths. A wreath-making party is a great activity for the day after Thanksgiving instead of going to big box stores! Please contact us for more details.
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Can I commission you to design florals for my event?
Yes! We do not do full-service weddings but would love to help you with florals for your micro wedding, elopement, or other small event in or near Charlottesville. We can install custom garlands for holiday parties, table arrangements for anniversaries, birthdays, and more. To ensure premium flowers and service to our subscription customers, we are only able to provide florals for a few events each year. Please contact us for more details.​​
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Can I get a refund?
We do not issue refunds or partial credits for share weeks that you are out of town or if you forget to pickup your subscription.
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What if something happens on the farm and kills all the flowers?
Farming is unpredictable (weather, pests, etc)-but we have you covered. In the event of low inventory, crop failure, or disaster we will source blooms from local flower farms in Albemarle county.