When the Christmas season comes closer as a business owner you sometimes get overwhelmed! Did we order enough material and supplies to make it through December or.... did we order too much? The boxes come by courier and excitement is in the air. Trying to get all our Grinch trees made by a deadline, where are those purple ornaments ?
We had a wonderful surprise delivered to us by our Floral Wholesaler out of Lubbock. They always have the best fresh greens that we use for our planters and Grinch trees. In the box of supplies was a package of fresh red roses with a note “Merry Christmas” on it.
We have not been able to keep the Flower shop open this past year so we were not seeing our regular deliveries of flowers like in past years. Someone took the time to remind us that we are still in their thoughts.
The little things like this sweet smelling gesture are appreciated and hopefully we can pay it forward!
It’s the Little things that sometimes keep us going.
Wishing everyone a blessed Christmas with a reminder that our best “Little Thing” was baby Jesus who came for all of us!

It is time to think of fall planted bulbs like tulips, daffodils etc. Here in our area of Texas, zone 7b, we like to chill our bulbs for a minimum of 8 weeks. The reason being that these bulbs need a soil temperature of 40 degrees F. or under for an uninterrupted period of time to bloom for the spring. We all know how erratic our winters can be so many have resorted to this chilling method. The bottom of your fridge is the best place to store them for the homeowner. You then plant them anytime in November or December.
Blumenflor is an affiliate with the above company and you are supporting us by shopping with them. The many different kinds of bulbs are unique and interesting to try in your flower gardens. Thinking spring in the fall is planning ahead for a beautiful spring flowerbed.

September is upon us. Here in west Texas you can feel the temperatures cooling down. From 95 F to 85 F is a big difference. We have had a hot summer with not too much rain. Our Texas Sage bush has been very true this summer and it bloomed usually 3 days before it rained. Last year it couldn’t keep up because it rained so much more than this year.
We finally quit procrastinating about putting a drip irrigation system into the vegetable garden. Best investment we have made. Less weeds, water right to the roots making for a good harvest of the best tasting veggies! We used a drip hose with regulated emitters every 12”. The lines are on top of the ground making for easy removal or just switching positions to accommodate for the garden tiller. Every row has an on and off valve to control the water needs of each row of different vegetables. Our local irrigation store was very helpful in assisting us with the right material. Sometimes we overthink a project, which was the case here. “Just do it” has become a motto around Blumenflor.
We are reaping our rewards of the garden with a no stress watering plan and a bountiful harvest. So far the watermelons are the best we ever tasted! Also the carrots, beets, black eyed peas, tomatoes , cucumbers etc.
We are now planning the fall garden. We love our seed supplier. They have so much valuable information.
We are an affiliate with them.
Happy gardening this coming fall!

It is now officially summer. We have had a very busy spring season at Blumenflor.
Time has passed so fast , even the tomatoes from my last blog have fruit and are ripening.
The Garden is doing well, we have potatoes, carrots, cabbage, cucumbers, corn, okra, black eyed peas, peppers,
watermelon, melon, pumpkins all planted seeded and needing constant watering and weeding.

As I was pondering what to write I heard our Rooster crowing. Since it was the afternoon and not his 6:30 AM wake up crow, I knew he
needed something. Either attention or just letting me know that fresh water was needed on such a hot day. He is quite the character
and a really handsome fellow! We think of him as Blumenflor’s mascot. He was acquired through a customer who traded me the rooster
​for 2 planters of flowers. He was bought at an auction in Oklahoma.

Yes we barter here at the Garden Center. One customer gets her yearly flats of petunias in exchange for the best baked goods ever tasted.
Needing some cement work done and seeing all the necessary equipment on a customers work truck, we quickly bartered his work for
some trees that he was wanting to buy.

Back to our Rooster... he now looks after 20 little chickens and is mighty proud of them. Soon they will be laying eggs and again I might barter
eggs for something we need. I just realized he has no name, well I guess it’s a no brainer to call him “BART”!

Enjoy your summer,
be it in the garden,
with you chickens or even trying the art of bartering at your local Garden Center/Farmers Market.
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We seed our tomatoes about 4 weeks before the last frost in the greenhouse. Many of our customers watch the growing process on their weekly visits. It is very tempting to get them outside too early, especially when the temps are 90 F. one day and then down to 40F. the next morning.
The frost now past (according to the blooming mesquite bushes) we can now safely plant them outside. The wind is our next contender and sometimes dries the plants out.
Many have tried wrapping plastic around them on a wire frame or put pvc pipes around the plant for protection.
We love talking gardening at Blumenflor and learn a lot about growing tomatoes from the locals here.
At one of our upcoming Markets we will have a Tomato "Grow off" . Let's see what kind of tomatoes we can grow this year and show them off!

February makes a gardener itch to get out and garden.
It's hard to wait for the last frost and many a small vegetable plant started indoors by seed has been planted outside only to be nipped by the frost.
While living up north a sure sign that Spring was on its way was when the Pussy Willows started to bud.
My fondest memory of them was when I went out in early spring, with rubber boots, shears in hand and a 3 month old strapped to my back (bundled up) , to cut stems of pussy willows. They were then wrapped in bunches of 10 and off to the supplier I would go to sell them for the spring season of cut flowers . I made $100 bucks that season at $1 a bunch.
When I was very young my mother instilled in me this search for signs of spring in the pussy willows when we were driving down country roads. A fresh cut bouquet of stems in a vase brought home seemed to help wait out the last few weeks of cold before spring finally decided to stay.
Here in Texas I have not found them growing any where because they need the colder temperatures. I did find a source this past week and Blumenflor has bunches of cut Pussy willows out at the greenhouse.
It has helped my "itch" for waiting for spring to get here.

Every Christmas we have a Carol singing at church where we sit around festive clad tables, sing songs and enjoy the company in our fellowship hall. Looking for ideas to decorate the tables we looked in our "backyard". This year we used the greenery from our plantings that are around the church.
Juniper, pine, euonymus, nandina berries, hawthorn all simply placed in a basket with a candle and ornaments.
Using what you have that is right in front of you has been a motto at Blumenflor that we often implement.
Beautiful inspired bouquets and planters that have more meaning because you did it yourself might be the perfect gift for that special someone on your list.
Try to do some simple DIY projects this season.
Look in your backyard , get inspired!

50% off all Trees  this Saturday only.
Did you know that the day after Black Friday there is a special day for the small business owner? We are often overlooked and in the shadows of the Big Box stores. If anyone takes the time to look us up and to support the local community small businesses , they will find...
Outstanding service, quality, someone who knows your first name, an experience, and on and on...
You get the picture, local is friendly and personal. Please support our local businesses this Saturday. We at Blumenflor are open from 9 - 6 this Saturday.
Big special on trees -50% off this Saturday only!

Thanksgiving is this Thursday here in the USA.
Looking back at the last year all I can say is how very thankful we are here at Blumenflor. 
The support of our customers has carried us through a difficult time especially the
prayers were and still are appreciated.
Wishing you all a blessed family time together and if you find yourself alone try to be a 
blessing right where God has planted you. If you are in the Seminole area
we are having Turkey Dinner at 5:00 on Thanksgiving... there is always room for more!
Be a blessing!

 Going to Farmers Markets in the summer on Saturday mornings with my parents was awesome. The sights, smells and sounds can't be described only experienced.
We were on the look out for cucumbers and cabbage ... lots of them!
It was time for canning pickles. Fermenting cabbage for sauerkraut.
As a child I dreamed of being that vendor behind the vegetable laden table selling or just talking about the home grown products.
Many years and visits to markets have passed and the urge to be a vendor never left me.
Lately we have been encouraged to start up a Farmers Market here at Blumenflor. 
After only two markets we are pleasantly surprised at how the community is responding in a positive way!
The trend of buying local is catching on even in the small rural towns of Texas.

There are actually children vendors , along side with the grown ups, selling their homemade items. Parents coaching them on to become entrepreneurs.

So if you are in the Seminole, Tx. area on the third ​Saturday of the month...
stop in and experience a local homegrown Market.

​Meet you at the Market!
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