Thinking of selling Limelight hydrangeas

12 years ago

I'm not a flower farmer, but I'd like to sell some of my Limelight hydrangea flowers in future years. I have a hedge of 75 Limelights along the fence of my entire property. This is their 2nd season in the ground, and they are already 4-5' tall. In July, they burst into bloom, and the blooms persist into spring, when I deadhead them while pruning.

I never thought that Limelights made for good cut flowers until this year. In the past, I only cut fully open panicles that had already turned white, and those bouquets shed the little button eye that's in the middle of every floret within days, creating a big mess on tables. Then this year I decided to cut a few still in the green stage--with 1/2-2/3 florets open but still light green. Wow what a difference that made. the flowers retained their green color and didn't shed at all.

So that got me thinking, if I were to cut Limelight flowers in July just as they're starting to open, couldn't I maybe sell them to local florists? I found some info on this forum that hydrangeas sell for $2.50-$3.00 per stem. Some of my largest Limelight panicles are a foot tall and 8 inches wide. I could see them meriting this price in the Midwest, where I live. And I have literally thousands of blooms when the hedge is in bloom--it's a stunning sight--though I wouldn't sell all of my flowers, only the largest ones maybe.

Anyway, what do you think of my idea? Is it realistic to think that florists may want to buy my Limelights? Does anyone here have experience selling Limelight to florists? How do you approach them to make a sale? Do I try to arrange it in advance or just cut a bunch of Limelight stems next July and go door to door?

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Comments (5)

grannymarsh
12 years ago
Take a bouquet of your hydrangeas, the very best ones-with long stems, 2' perhaps, take a deep breath and walk into every florist in town, offering them as a gift. Be sure to have some sort of business card, so that they may call you back. That's how I got my start selling dahlias (have now branched out into other flowers). One florist was down-right rude, the other 3 jumped up and down, they love buying local flowers. Mine sell for $1.00 a stem, at this time of year there is a glut of them. I also dry the left-overs, to sell in the off season. win-win.
Go for it, what do you have to lose ??
gardenerzone4
Original Author
12 years ago
Grannymarsh, thanks so much for responding! How many stems in the bouquet would you leave with each florist? Do you ask them if they want to buy right when you give them the gift, or do you wait for a call back? I'm wondering b/c the hydrangeas flowers morph from unopened to fully opened within a couple weeks, and I wouldn't cut more unless I had a commitment to buy. The longer it takes a florist to call, the more likely that the biggest flowers would have gone past that appealing lime stage, rendering them no good as cut flowers. The plants do keep flowering but subsequent flowers are much smaller (like 1/3 of the size).

Do I cut all the giant flowers that I can afford to sell and refrigerate on the off chance that someone wants to buy? (I don't even have refrigeration space!) Or do I tell florists that if they want the flowers, I would need to hear back within 3 days so I can cut more? Or do I say, these are available next year at exactly this time, if you want them, preorder with me? I've never sold any flowers of any kind, but would love to help my beloved Limelights earn their keep :-) so your kind assistance is much appreciated.
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suzannelmathew whereabouts do you live? I see Limelight standards all the time here in Toronto because it's hardy enough to live here. Both nurseries and big box stores have them, as well as other types of Hydrangea Paniculata standards. I have a Limelight standard in my backyard and it's great! The actual hydrangea part so far grows to about 3.5 feet high (so the very top is around 7 feet high) and the branches are upright and strong--no drooping, even if pruned in the spring. One warning: it is top-heavy and so if your soil is moist/loose then the whole thing can get blown over quite a ways in higher winds. So you may want to stake it for a couple of years. Mine got blown over to quite an angle after several days of rain and then a big windstorm, and just two days ago I partially dug it up to straighten it out again.
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Ugh, my comment did not read like I intended it to read. Sorry, pilarfish6. That is what happens when your dogs are asking for treats while you are on the computer! Hee hee hee. Picture this request: feed me, feed me, feed me because I am meeeelting... Ha! You gotta love them! Yes, you will have blooms by September. But Limelight first produces blooms with a lime color, which then turns white and finally, the blooms add a mix of pinks and-or greens as the blooms further mature. If your intention is to provide lime green blooms only, or white blooms only or late colors from late blooms then it becomes difficult to get the colors timed precisely. When the wedding comes, for example, the lime greens may have turned white or be transitioning to white and be a mix of colors. Or the white ones may have started getting blotches of green or pink. Sorry about that being unclear in the previous note. Mea culpa.
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If you feel you must prune, wait until the leaves have mostly dried and fallen off. Right now, the plant needs those leaves to support the root system, which is trying very hard to establish in its new planting. Pruning newly planted or transplanted plants (either before or immediately after the planting process), unless dormant, has been demonstrated to slow or impede proper root establishment and that could hamper the plant's ability to overwinter its first year successfully. I would go with Option A, pruning only what you feel may be damaged by winter conditions and leaving the structural pruning until early spring.
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Your hydrangea will likely be fine but I urge you to increase the size of the grass-less area . Not only will it look better but will reduce the chance of that kind of accident happening again. Do not cover the wound with anything.
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l_james
12 years ago
I would start small. That way your mistakes are small. It might take a few years to build a relationship inorder to sell all the flowers you can produce.
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grannymarsh
12 years ago
10 in a bunch. This is no time to be cheap/stingy. If that seems too large , go with 5. Get yourself a book that explains, how and when to cut stems & how to treat them after harvest. Different species require different methods. I do not have refrigeration, instead utilize my basement & garage.
Hand them the bouquet, emphasize that it is a gift and tell them that you will be selling them. "Here is my card, please call me when you need more."
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all_bout_flowers
12 years ago
Wow! How exciting to have so many hydrangeas. You must not have deer? Anyway, I am a flower farmer and I agree about building a clientele. Are there any other flowers you have that bloom before the beautiful hygrangeas that might get you in the door with some of these florists? How about putting a little stand in front of your house and selling? Around here that's what everyone does. Or asking around at some restaurants or coffee shops you go to if they want to trade some beautiful flowers for a latte?

Thinking of selling Limelight hydrangeas

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grannymarsh

gardenerzone4
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Thinking of selling Limelight hydrangeas

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grannymarsh

gardenerzone4Original Author

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gardenerzone4
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