Beyond their beauty, locally grown flowers at the market represent many plants that are native to the area, offering biodiversity within garden and farm ecosystems. At Old Tavern Farm in Saratoga Springs, Walt Borisenok and his staff work tirelessly to succession-plant native plants, starting seeds in the winter. This continual planting of flowers ensures that seasonal blooms are consistent for their bouquets.
"Local flowers are the best because they represent so completely the season that we are in. Our fresh flower season begins in April with thousands of tulips grown in our unheated tunnels," says Corinne Hansch, owner of Lovin' Mama Farm, a certified organic farm in Amsterdam.
Casey Emmett, owner of Furlong Farmhouse Lavender, explains that lavender benefits their farm in many ways. "It attracts pollinators, which help improve the overall health of our crop, and this year we partnered with Saratoga Wood & Honey to add an apiary to the farm, yielding more pounds of lavender honey than we expected!"
Ryan Holub of Scotch Ridge Flower Farm in Duanesburg shares another key aspect of locally grown flowers. "We cut our flowers a day before the farmers' market, so they are truly fresh and long-lasting. They have no carbon footprint."
Read more at Saratoga Today
