Flower Offering Questions
All the flexibility and seasonality topics also apply for bereavement flowers.
faq page accordian
Can I request specific types of flowers? Or…..Can you tell me EXACTLY what types of flowers will be available?
When you are choosing our services, you are choosing “local flowers” rather than being super specific about the “type” of flowers. We grow HUNDREDS of types of flowers all year long and they can vary year to year, month to month, week to week and EVEN day to day at times. Especially with climate change and the unpredictable nature of NATURE. Therefore we do NOT promise specific flower types, but we DO promise perfect, sustainable, woman grown, local cut flowers that are the absolute perfect and peaking the week of your event. There are obvious “seasonal” limitations such as….ranunculus is typically ONLY available very early in the season (April-June) compared with dahlias that are typically ONLY available in the last 3rd of the season (July-Oct). You can stay updated with our flowers by following our very active instagram page @littlestateflowerco as well as reading carefully through this Seasonal Availability List of possible farm availability….our Seasonal Availability List is NOT A PROMISE….it is just an idea of what COULD be possible.
If you are needing more specific flower requests for your florals, our services may not be for you. We suggest working with a traditional florist who can cater to that for you. We LOVE working with Jill at www.wildseasonflorals.com as she uses our flowers in TONS of her floral design work year round.
How many DIY Flower buckets should I order? How many stems are there in the buckets?
As is stated in the description, our buckets typically will fill 8-10×16 oz ball jars depending on how you make your designs. We typically say to order one extra bucket beyond your tables count because you will ALWAYS find more places you wish you had flowers at your event (bar top, bathroom, entry way etc).
There is no way for us to know EXACTLY how many stems will be in the buckets, as they are done by cost of flower, not by the stem count and different crops cost different amounts (example peony are $5 per stem vs. dianthus is $2 stem)...You can use the above estimate to help you figure that out (8-10 ball jars). Also we do not know what kinds of vessels people are using etc-so visualizing with the ball jars is our technique to help you picture the amounts.
Additionally, please go to our instagram page @littlestateflowerco and click on the “highlights” as we have tons of pictures of what the services have looked like by the month throughout the season.
Can I request ONLY one color in my flower order?
When you are choosing our services, you are choosing “local flowers” rather than being super specific about the “single color” of flowers, but you CAN choose a “color palette”. Our flower offerings are designed to keep the ordering process simple and streamlined leaving flexibility for the farm to use what is PERFECT the week of your event and work with a recipe of materials to keep them affordable for everyone. Therefore we DO NOT limit the designs to ONLY one color.
If you are needing more specific color requests for your florals, our services may not be for you. We suggest working with a traditional florist who can cater to that for you. We LOVE working with Jill at www.wildseasonflorals.com as she uses our flowers in TONS of her floral design work year round.
Why are these services only available May 15-Oct 15?
Our floral services are available in our peak season of beauty here on the farm-which is May-Oct yearly. We are a seasonal flower farm and only use the flowers that we grow on our own farm here in Tiverton RI for all our flower services.
If you have an event outside the window we offer, you can shop our farmstand at 487 East Rd Tiverton RI or you can easily use the services of a traditional florist who can source imported flowers during the off season.
Where do I pick up my flower order?
All flower orders are picked up at the home farm in Tiverton RI. You will receive an email 1-2 weeks before your chosen pick up date to confirm the date and time, and in that email we will detail the pick up protocol at Little State Flower Company 487 East Rd Tiverton RI. For all our “flower offerings” we ONLY offer pick up at the home farm.
We suggest making sure the car being used for pickup is free from large amounts of material and has enough space for the delicate flower order. A van or SUV is best that has some flat surface space in the back……definitely not a hatchback or convertible.
A staff member will be present at the time of pick up to help with load in your car and answer any last minute questions.
Once i pick up my DIY Flower buckets, what should I do with them?
Your DIY buckets will be full of the most perfect flowers from our fields the week of your event. They will be "bunched" in various stem amounts depending on the crop. The most important part about keeping cut flowers perky and fresh is cleanliness and cool temperatures. You want clean clippers, clean vessles, fresh clean water, and a dark/cool location to keep them until your event-an AC room without direct sunlight, a garage, a basement, etc.
You will want to do the following once you have your DIY Flower buckets:
1. Take all the bunches out of the buckets and separate by variety.
2. Cut the elastics off, and trim the bottom of your stems.
3. Put all the bunches into fresh water and vessels (buckets, ball jars, vases, etc).
4. Design your arrangements!
Why do you suggest picking up DIY buckets two days before our event?
Designing your own flowers is a big and messy job! We suggest two days prior because technically...you DO NOT want to be dealing with this the day of your event, take it from us, we know about this! Here is a basic run down of what a good schedule for the flowers would be like:
DAY OF PICK UP:
1. pick up your DIY buckets and head straight to where you will be holding them for the night-somewhere dark and cool.
2. Prep and clean a line up of vessels/buckets/vases/ball jars, fill with fresh water.
3. Take all the flowers out of the DIY bucket, take off the elastics, recut the stems and separate the flower types into the vessels so they can hydrate and you can analyze what you have to work with.
DAY 2 after pick up:
1.clean and line up all your vases with fresh water.
2.come up with our first design recipe, and then work to match the other vases to spread out your flowers best you can. Be sure to strip all foliage off that is hitting the water in the vases and trim stem lengths as needed. This is a very messy process so working somewhere where you can make a mess and get the floor wet is good.....a garage or shady porch is perfect.
3. keep your arrangements somewhere cool and dark over night....if they need to travel to another location, you will want to have boxes ready with packing materials so they can be transported safely.
DAY OF EVENT-
1.put our your arrangements on the tables as desired....often there are last minute additions and adjustments needed to be made once the arrangements are in their final show place. Top off the vases with fresh water.
2. enjoy your wedding and your gorgeous flowers!
Can we have an in person consultation/meeting or phone call about my flower order?
Our “Flower Offerings” price points do NOT include phone calls and consultations. When choosing our flower offerings you are choosing a streamlined process we have created to keep it simple and with an affordable pricepoint. You can email with a question, but most likely the answer to any questions can be found in the descriptions of the items once you click on them or find here in FAQ area. If you still have not had your questions answered, you can email littlestateflowerco@gmail.com for further assistance.
If you need to have consultations about your flowers/event spaces/bridesmaids dresses/table clothes etc we suggest utilizing a traditional florist or event company.
Once I pick up my "Seasonal Ball Jar Arrangements" or "Bridal Bouquet" or other flower offerings, what should I do with them?
Your flower orders will be packed and ready for transport when you come to pick up them up. Once you get to your location, refresh the water in all the vases/vessels and keep them in a cool/dark location. A room with AC and no direct sunlight, a garage, a basement or anything similar to this will be fine to hold them until it is time to put them out for the big event!
What should I do with my edible flower box?
Your edible flower box will be packed in a zip lock bag or plastic clam shell box with a damp paper towel. The best way to keep them fresh and cute is to simply put this directly into your refrigerator until you are ready to decorate with them!
Why are the flower offerings so limited? Meaning, why no boutonieer or corsage or head wreath etc?
When you choose our floral services, you are choosing to work with our farm as an alternative to using a traditional florist. Our offerings are limited to keep it simple, affordable and streamlined. Items such as boutonniere and corsage needed to be made the morning of the event, and require special boxes and packing materials....all additional costs and waste we avoid to keep our services affordable.
If you need more services beyond what we offer, our offerings may not be for you. We suggest working with a traditional florist.
Can I get my flower order delivered?
At this time we do not offer delivery in order to keep the price point affordable. Our flower offerings are basically a slight step up from the DIY flower buckets (DO IT YOURSELF flower buckets) and therefore need to be picked up from the farm.
We suggest picking up your flower order the morning of your event, OR the day before and keep them somewhere cool and dark until it is time to put them on display. Your flower order will be packed and ready for transport, and a staff member will be present at pick up to help with any last minute questions. A refresh of water right before they are placed on the tables is best.
If you are going to be needing more scheduling or delivery of your event florals, our services may not be for you. We suggest utilizing a traditional florist as moving flowers around in their vehicles is a large part of their profession.
Will my “Wedding Bouquet” look exactly like the picture shown?
The short answer is No….the images are to give a general feeling, size and vibe for the color palettes we work with. We do not guarantee any type of flowers as it all depends on when your event is happening during the growing season (for example, dahlias are only available July-Oct) and flower choices are left up to the flower farmers based on what is peaking and perfect in your color palette the week of your event. Little State Flower Co is a professional flower farm growing some of the most special flowers in New England…so we CAN promise the freshest, prettiest and most environmentally friendly flowers you can get your hands on.
Our “Flower Offerings” prices do not include consultation time or phone calls, you are choosing local flowers in a color palette. If you should need more discussion or specific choices/mock ups or exact imagery for what you might be getting, our services may not be for you. We suggest utilizing the services of a traditional florist or event company.
Why am I limited to buying the “table arrangements” in 5 packs?
Because of the addition of various work steps to create this service (a separate harvest plan in addition to our wholesale harvest plan, sourcing and arranging ball jars, receiving the orders, scheduling pick up, packing for travel etc) it is necessary to ensure that there is enough of the order to warrant this new process. Therefore our “table arrangements” are available in increments of 5 (so you can order 5, or 10 or 15 or 20 etc ).
If you are strict on needing an amount different than 5,10,15,20, etc……You are always welcome to order the “hand tied bouquet” in single orders to make up odd numbers.
After I have placed an initial flower order, can I add more items on at a later time?
Yes of course! Simply place another order and state in the comment section during checkout that you want this added onto your previous order and we will combine them. If you state your previous order number in the comment section during checkout that is SUPER helpful. Please follow the timeframe required, which is up to 2 weeks before your pick up date.
Can I mix and match small and large table arrangements in one order?
Yes and we encourage to do that for variety and cuteness! All “Table Arrangements” are still only offered in 5 packs, but you can always add on a “Hand Tied Bouquet” if you should need one or two more in addition.
Can we provide our own vases for the Jars? Can we provide our own ribbon or fabric for wrapping bouquets?
The short answer is no, we do not take outside materials into our process.
Our services are streamlined to keep the price affordable and the waste at a minimum. Having large amounts of options for ribbons or various other materials creates a lot more confusion AND waste and trash, both of which we avoid to keep the costs of our services as low as possible. We also do not accept other ribbons/vases/ etc from customers because the chance of not having enough, or the correct TYPE of ribbon, or breaking an important vase we can not replace, etc is too high. Therefore we stick with the neutral ribbon and our own vessels so that we know we will be able to pull off the project with minimal (or with no) hiccups or issues.
If you are set on using your own vases, the "hand tied bouquet" option has been created for that purpose, or simply order DIY buckets and design right into your chosen vessels. Regarding ribbons for bouquets, we suggest simply adding your own ribbons, fabrics, charms etc to your bouquets once you have them in your possession.
If you have needs for special details such as specific ribbon color, charms, vases etc. we suggest utilizing a traditional florist, as they have their price structures built to cater to that kind of specificity.
Can I order different color palettes in one order?
Yes! It is super fun to order more than one color palette. The “Table Arrangements” are still only offered in 5 packs of a color palette (For example you would need to order 5 small “soft” and 5 small “bright”) You can always add on a “Hand Tied Bouquet” if you should need one or two more in addition.
Why are the services non-refundable?
Ordering your flowers from a flower farm is quite a different process ON OUR END than ordering from a traditional florist. Our farm runs a large wholesale offering to the florists in our area. The wholesale orders are blended with YOUR retail/online orders for the seeding/planning/harvest schedule and this type of planning is begun the previous Winter when we are booking our florists preorders etc. This means we are holding certain colors and crops for your orders and NOT offering them to wholesale clients. Therefore we do not offer refunds for any of our services as we reserved YOUR flowers for YOUR order….special special special.
Do I need to return the buckets, ball jars or boxes that the flowers came in?
The buckets, ball jars and boxes are included in the price of your purchase...BUT we will always happily take them back if you would like to return them, and are very thankful for that. You can either leave them in the farmstand at 487 east rd, drop them at our farmers market booth, or if the farmstand is closed you can leave them outside the farmstand to the right and we will find them.
Why do you ONLY use ball jars for vases?
It is very important for the mission of our farm to NOT contribute to the large amount of cardboard/packing material/waste/shipping costs associated with traditional florist services. Both imported flowers and all the vessels and materials required for traditional florist services include large amount of shipping materials such as cardboard, bubble wrap, packing peanuts, plastic tape, etc etc. We use ball jars because they are made in the USA, are readily available in bulk locally, are both recyclable and reusable in your own lives for about 1000 things, and offer a classic “fresh from the farm” vibe we are known for. If you want our arrangements but NOT the ball jars, you can always order our “hand tied bouquets” or our “DIY Flower Buckets” and put the flowers in the vessels of your choice at home.
If the above ideas are still not specific enough for you, our services may not be for you. We suggest working with a traditional florist who can cater to that for you. We LOVE working with Jill at www.wildseasonflorals.com as she uses our flowers in TONS of her floral design work year round.
How soon do I need to book my flower order for my event?
As soon as possible to get into our calendar. We have limited amounts of events we are willing to take any given week and we do fill up! You can book as far out as you want UP TO TWO WEEKS before your desired pick up date. Any specific dates that are closed to flower orders will be clearly stated at the top of the shop page.
Do you offer farm tours?
At this time, our growing fields are NOT open to the public due to insurance AND ongoing excavation projects as we continue to build our farm. Stay tuned for announcements to schedule farm tours in 2023 and beyond. You can always visit our farmstand at 487 East Rd Tiverton RI or our farmers market to see what kinds of flowers are in season at any given time of the year. Also we keep a very active instagram page which is very informative to the seasonality of our farm @littlestateflowerco
Do you offer bereavement flowers?
Any of our services work perfectly for bereavement flowers. The only issue is that we need 2 week lead time for our “Ball Jar Table Arrangements” and “DIY Flower buckets”…… BUT we only need 1 week lead time for our “hand tied bouquets” (no vessel is included with this option)so that can work better for bereavement timelines. You can always shop at our farmstand at 487 East Rd Tiverton RI (open friday through sunday) or farmers market (Sat mornings only) for last minute flower needs.
All the flexibility and seasonality topics apply for bereavement flowers.
Why do you not have boutonniere, flower crowns,corsages, etc. in your "flower offerings"?
Boutonniere, flowers crowns, corsages, etc are not included in our "flower offerings" here are a few reasons:
1. They must be made RIGHT before pickup/use and most of our customers are picking up their flowers 1-2 days before their event-therefore the timing does not work or our services. Often pick up is independent and we are not present at the time.
2. All of these items require large amounts of packing and waste such as plastic clam shells, floral glue, plastic tape, boxes, fluffy packaging to keep them safe and hold up for the event, as they take quite a beating with hugging and heat etc....it is our mission to do the OPPOSITE of a traditional florist in this sense, which is to make AS LITTLE TRASH AS POSSIBLE every step of the way.
If you REQUIRE these items, then our services may no be for you. We suggest contacting a traditional florists for these types of things OR.....you can purchase a DIY bucket and simply google how to make one of these items and 'DO-IT-YOURSELF"...in other words....DIY 🙂