Rose of Sharon Floral Designs: Locally Grown Flowers

It's been a crazy-busy couple of weeks. I was supposed to post this last week because it tied in with a wedding we were working on for Saturday. The bride came to us wanting her bouquet and a few other items and was planning on using flowers from the farmer's market and friends and family for reception decor. This is a request we get fairly often. Truthfully, I don't mind this. Sometimes this request is made because the client's goal is to save money (more on the true cost of DIY in other posts), sometimes it's to get a certain look (usually a more 'natural' or less structured look), and sometimes the goal is to be Eco-friendly. With all these goals, the Farmer's Market is a natural place to turn. And there are some truly beautiful flowers at our local market.

Knowing this, and having some similar goals we've been working with some of the vendors from the Fayetteville Farmer's Market to provide a list of locally grown flowers and the time's that they are generally available. As the list changes, we'll post updates.

We'll also add photos as we can (you can also google these for images).

Oh, and the bride that started this post, well after discussing the time her friends and family would have to spend away from festivities, she decided to hire us for the reception flowers as well. And, yes, we still used the flowers she'd originally picked from the Market.

Peonies and Seeded Eucalyptus. We ordered these items because we are currently past the Peony season locally.

These 3 were a mix of local and non-local flowers, including herbs.

These flowers came exclusively from the Fayetteville Farmer's Market. Using vases provided by the venue and local flowers, we worked with the bride to create the wedding she wanted. (ASIATIC LILIES, DIANTHUS, BACHELOR'S BUTTONS, and a few others.)

And I have to say, this was one of my favorite weddings this year. A beautiful and fun bride, her wonderful mother, flowers I don't usually get to work with, and some great local vendors (The Garden Room and Dripping Springs Gardens)!

Going Green With Local Flowers

Below is a list of the flowers available specific to the Northwest Arkansas growing seasons. While this list comes from our local growers, it does not guarantee availability of the specific flowers or specific colors. Due to the many factors (such as weather) affecting the growing season, a specific flower may be available earlier or later than indicated, in limited quantities, or only in specific colors. It must be noted, however, that while choosing local is the greenest option, it does limit the availability of your choices. But if having an earth-friendly event is important to you, we will work closely with you to ensure that your locally grown event flowers reflect the vision you have for your big day!

APRIL

TULIP

MAY

ASIATIC LILY

BACHELOR'S BUTTONS

BEE BALM

DIANTHUS

IRIS

LARKSPUR

PEONY

SNAPDRAGON

JUNE