In the middle of a residential neighborhood sits a flower farm in the backyard in one couple’s effort toward “urban agriculture.”
R&R Secret Farm is, well, secret. While flower lovers will find them on Saturdays at the farmer’s market, their little farm is tucked away in an unusual spot: their own backyard in the middle of Athens.
Rita O'Brien, along with the help of her husband Robert, grows a variety of flowers that make their way into the bouquets seen at the Athens Farmers Market.
The O’Briens' property is shy of an acre but packed with dozens of different types of plants. Rita said that urban agriculture doesn’t really exist here in Athens but said it is all she and Robert have known.
“You don’t have to have 30 acres,” said Robert.
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Driving down the road, the farm stands out from the surrounding houses, as plants grow tall, colorful, and wild. Much of the field is filled with bright red, as crimson clover dominates the field and acts as Rita’s “cover crop” or the plant she has so that the soil beds aren’t empty.
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With flora abound, crimson clover isn’t the only crop currently in the field, with blues, pinks, and greens all showing up in her different flowers.
The local bee population is kept happy as well, as Rita says her beekeeper neighbor's bees love to visit often.
“Another big aspect of us doing the flowers is that we want to see more pollinators,” said Rita.
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Flower farming
From artemisia to zinnias, Rita’s flowers start in her greenhouse.
Rather than plant directly into the ground, Rita plants her own starters before transplanting them into the soil outside. The farm is a full-time job for her, never allowing her to sleep in late as she works to maintain the flowers.
Rita begins with harvesting each day when the temperature is coolest. At this point, the flowers are the most hydrated.
“You gotta get up early and it's like a race against the sun and the heat to get them out of the field and into the cool,” said Rita.
Growing flowers is a year-round process. R&R Secret Farm grows flowers that can be harvested in all seasons. This year, January was the only “break” however even though they were not actively selling flowers, they had a lot of other work to do.
Part of successfully growing flowers is knowing when to plant them, as the different varieties do have different seasons.
“If you're not planting it at the right time, you're just fighting nature,” said Rita.
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Home Garden
When it comes to planting flowers in the right season, Rita said that local growers tend to have better options than some of the big box stores. She used the example of Snapdragon plugs, which may be available at some stores, but if planted in late April will quickly die.
Some flowers are also easier than others to grow. Rita suggested starting off with a transplant like she does, as it is easier than planting in the ground.
Perennials, Rita said, are easy to grow and she suggests home growers to plant them for years of enjoyment. Perennials are plants that come back every year, as opposed to annuals, which have to be replanted every year.
Another way to have some ease with growing is to plant native plants that are made for the Georgia weather, bugs, and soil.
“They just like being in charge,” said Rita.
Soil matters a lot, Rita says, so before the planting starts, a grower should get a soil test if they are hoping to plant directly in the ground
This can be achieved by sending soil samples to a place like the UGA Extension, which will provide information on the nutrients in that sample.
Selling and maintaining flowers
Saturdays at the Athens Farmers Market, Rita has a booth set up selling bouquets and starters. They also sell the flowers wholesale to stores and to Fresh Harvest, a cooperative of farmers.
Not all the bouquets Rita sells are fresh, however, as some of them she dries and makes bouquets. Some of the flowers are specially grown for drying but others she experiments with.
Rita arranges the bouquets herself. A majority of the bouquet is filler, which takes up space in the bouquet, one example being artemisia. Next is a spike plant, like a snapdragon. She also uses a disk flower, like a daisy.
For a bit of “magical sparkle,” Rita adds an airy flower. And to finish, she has a focal flower. For Mother’s Day coming up, this will be peonies or lilies.
“You make it wherever you want, that's kind of like the artistry of it, I don't always follow that exact recipe,” said Rita.
When buying any fresh flowers, there is certain care to make sure that they last as long as possible.
They should be kept in a cool area and out of direct sunlight because when they are cut from the plant, they are no longer growing and do not need the sun anymore.
The most important part of keeping the flowers fresh, Rita said, is the water.
“If it’s not clean enough that you’d drink water out of it, it’s probably got some kind of nasty bacteria in there that's just going to clog up the stem to the flower and just make it die really quickly,” said Rita.
The Link LonkApril 28, 2021 at 11:57PM
https://www.onlineathens.com/story/lifestyle/2021/04/28/secret-athens-flower-farm-brings-color-urban-farming-neighborhood/4866420001/
'Secret' Athens flower farm an example of thriving agriculture in residential environment - Online Athens
https://news.google.com/search?q=Flower&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en
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