These pink ladies – 11 days old – are still going strong. I’ll admit to not babying them enough [read: changing the water and new cuts daily, which significantly prolongs the life of your florals] but yet, here they are, trucking along. Sweet peas, to boot, are notoriously delicate and often don’t stand much of a chance after being flown in, rough-housed around in the warehouse, brought home, only to wilt a little less than week in.

Alas, they’re local. Grown out beyond the Austin city limits by Pamela and Frank Arnofsky [that’s a last name you can remember], their farm provides flowers around town, and are a great resource to those interested in locally grown materials. One can only realize why the flowers you get shipped in from around the world – especially the delicate specimens – can’t compete with locally grown.

I’ve known about these folks well before I moved to Austin, and I’ve been meaning to make a trip out to the bright blue barn.  With a week of vacation heading my way soon,  I might just get the chance. Their anemones and ranunculus are pretty stunning these days, and I’m looking forward to picking their brain about what they have in store for us the rest of the year!