Our first two markets of 2026 are complete. We’re exhausted but full of excitement for our upcoming events and what we’re creating unique for each market! We loved chatting with those who stopped to look, picked things up, asked questions and sometimes came back with friends because now they needed something too.
Thank you so much to everyone who bought from us at September markets. It really boosted our spirits after a very difficult growing year.
Fresh flowers delight people. Dried flowers make them curious.
We loved seeing all the smiles among those who had purchased from other local growers at the Good Harvest event. That delight is one of the reasons we grow flowers in the first place.
But our dried flowers created a different kind of response. People stopped to examine them. They wanted to know how we had dried them. How long they’d last. “That’s so cute,” was commonly heard. But this was our favourite comment: “It’s already dead, right? So it’ll stay that way?”
Technically, yes. But there was something more behind that question. People were seeing dried flowers as something they could actually live with. Something pretty that didn’t need watering, replacing, or fussing over. Something they could take home and enjoy for months rather than days. “These smell so good…”
The Bloomstead Is Pivoting In 2027
We’ve decided to lean into dried flower production next year. This will be the focus of what we grow and bring to market. We’re not leaving the fresh-flower garden behind. We’re still growing dahlias and peonies and many of the blooms you all love.
But we’re just going to think about them a little differently. Instead of growing a dahlia or a peony only for the few days when it’s at its freshest, we’ll be looking at drying it so it holds its colour and shape forever. This changes the way we think about the garden and gives us a bit more freedom to get away in the summer.
We want to keep the northern season a little longer
Anyone who gardens in Thunder Bay knows that summer moves quickly. One week the garden is warming up. Then the peonies are gone. Then the dahlias arrive in all their glory. Then suddenly we’re watching the forecast for frost. We’ve always loved that rhythm, but drying gives us a way to stretch each season a little farther.
A bouquet of fresh dahlias is a celebration of August. A dried dahlia arrangement can still be sitting on your table when the garden is covered in snow. That’s what excites us about this direction. We want to carry the flowers we grow through the year.
Grown here. Dried here. Kept a little longer.
There are so many native and annual flowers that grow here. We overlook the diversity of beauty in what we consider common. But also, a dahlia or peony or lisianthus are beautiful fresh and dried. For someone who loves flowers but doesn’t necessarily want to replace them every week, that opens up a different possibility. You might buy a fresh bouquet of dahlias in August. And then, later in the season, take home a dried arrangement made from the same kind of flowers.
We’re looking forward to seeing more of you
Our roadside stand has given us a wonderful way to share fresh flowers with our neighbours, but the fall markets give us a way to connect with those who already love us and meet new friends too. We’re looking forward to the Creekside Craft Show, the Medieval Faire, the Sip and Shop at the waterfront, and the Christmas craft show at the Urban Abbey.
Markets give us room to bring more of The Bloomstead with us. More dried arrangements. More of the things we’re making. And, most importantly, more time to talk with the people who stop by. We’re looking forward to finding out what catches your eye. So, of course you can reach out with a custom order, but for 2026, our stock is more limited.
Bloomstead Bakes Launches
The soft launch of Bloomstead Bakes was a huge success! We added this to our business to supplement our income between holidays and in the off-market season. So, stay tuned for more news about custom homestead-style pies, cookies and baked goods. All made from scratch with as many local ingredients as we can find!
It’s all part of the same idea, really: making good things from what we have, following the seasons, and finding ways to share them with our friends and neighbours.
A bouquet of dahlias in August. A bundle of dried flowers in November. A wreath at Christmas. A little vase of strawflowers on the kitchen table when February is doing its worst outside. The garden will always have a season. But next year, we’re going to make sure the flowers don’t have to end when it does.
That’s the future we’re growing at The Bloomstead and we can’t wait to take you all along with us on the journey. Make sure to connect with us on Facebook or Instagram or sign up for the Bloom News below.