Dave Dowling

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Dave Dowling owned a cut flower farm in Montgomery County, MD for 20 years.  With field, high tunnel, and greenhouse production, Farmhouse Flowers & Plants produced cut flowers year-round. Most of the flowers raised were sold at farmers markets, including two year round markets in the Washington, DC area.   Flowers were also sold direct to retail florists and Whole Foods Markets. Working with two other farms, a marketing coop, Capital Flower Growers, LLC, was formed in 2013.  

Early in 2014, Dave closed his cut flower business and began working for Ednie Flower Bulb, which became a division of Fred C Gloeckner & Co. in 2016.   Gloeckner was acquired by Ball Seed in late 2020.  He now keeps busy as Ball ColorLink Account Development Rep and advisor to cut flower growers across North America with small to medium sized farms.  Dave has an online class produced by The Gardeners Workshop that teaches cut flower growers about Perennial, Bulb, and Woody cut flower crops.

He served as the Mid-Atlantic Regional Director of the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers from 2002 through 2004, served as President from 2006 to 2009, and again from 2016 to 2018.  He was the ASCFG Industry Liaison from 2014-2015.  In 2009 the ASCFG named their scholarship the Dave Dowling Scholarship. He received the ASCFG Outstanding Service Award in 2018 in recognition of his many years of service to the organization. 

Sunflower Sunrich Lemon

Sunflower Sunrich Lemon

Bloom Studios with Pan-American Seed Delphinium Guardian Blue

Bloom Studios with Pan-American Seed Delphinium Guardian Blue

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Show Notes

  1. There are billions of dollars sold in cut flowers here in the US alone, so there’s a lot of room for local flower farmers to grow their businesses and expand.

  2. You don’t have to be the Walmart of flowers, find a good middle ground to price your flowers at. If you don’t get a little push back you might be selling them too inexpensively.

  3. Perennials and woodys are a great way to extend your season and add diversity to your flower offerings making you stand out with your competition.

  4. Peonies are the best perennial to invest in especially long term.

  5. There are customers out there, we just have to find a way to get the message out.

  6. Lastly, plant more than you think you’ll need, because you’ll probably need that extra and more.