Flower grower loses $20K in dahlias after record rainfall in Chatham

More than eight inches of rain fell over Guiding Green Thumbs flower farm at the end of July. Most of it settled on land being grown on by Shelley Haefner for the first time, drowning her prized dahlias.

“Literally overnight about 750 of these guys were wilted and that is very indicative of rot. We started digging plants and realized how many we were losing,” the owner said while holding back tears. Haefner saved around 400 of her 2,000 dahlias but not all of them will survive the transplant. She estimates her certified naturally grown farm lost out on $50,000 in sales over multiple seasons. “Whatever we’re not going to grow for the next year we offer them in a tuber sale which funds early season farm cash. February is a hard month.”

Guiding Green Thumbs is shutting down for the rest of August to regroup and clean up. That includes deposits of rock left behind by the flooding and additional runoff all over the land.

But the fall season will still offer activities and sources of income. “Whether it’s taking grape vines that grow naturally around our property and doing crafts with them or dried flowers, we do holiday wreath-making workshops, different things like that, Halloween crafts for kids, pumpkin carving contests… We’re gonna sort of refocus on doing activity based things for the fall,” listed Haefner.