Jillian Kubala of Nestledown Dahlias Farm in Westhampton harvests her organically grown flowers and makes bouquets for sale. Credit: Randee Daddona

 Jillian Kubala of Nestledown Dahlias Farm in Westhampton harvests her organically grown flowers and makes bouquets for sale. Credit: Randee Daddona

The arrangement of petals bears resemblance to origami. Paper-like petals converge to form a spherical blossom. 

“Dahlias are a big crop out here for the summer,” Churgin  said. “They don’t really ship well, you can’t really get them from Europe and South America,” so there is a market for them locally, she said. Most sell for $2.50-$5 per stem, depending on size and type.

“It is a very big, number one money selling crop because most florists, if you are in New York, you will most likely be using local dahlias,” Churgin said. 

The growing season for cut flowers cultivated outdoors on Long Island starts in April and runs through  mid-November. Perennial plants, which come back season after season, are still growing over the winter. 

Among the winter survivors are Iceland poppies with pleated petals, bell-shaped digitalis and rounded ranunculus. Snapdragons stand as a cluster of popcorn-like blooms.

“We kind of farm all year long,” Churgin said, “although sometimes it’s more work than others.” 

This year, she and Sterling added about three acres of new planting. Most of the additions are perennials, which act as seasonal fillers between annuals. Peonies bridge the gap between the annuals of spring and summertime cosmos, celosia and dahlias, she said. Hydrangeas act as a bridge into fall flowers.

Eight miles away, in Eastport,  May and Thomas Zegarelli sell bouquets and chicken eggs via a roadside stand made of dark wood. In addition to selling bouquets, May offers classes in floral design in an air-conditioned shed. 

Owners May Zegarelli, left, and Tom Zegarelli at their flower stand at Ocean Fog Farm in Eastport. Credit: Morgan Campbell

One morning in early June, May harvested flowers to make mini bouquets. 

“Sometimes, early June for flower farmers, it’s kind of a lot of anxiety because you’re looking at everything, there’s nothing really that much to see,” she said. “But when you have certain cool flowers and you’re making these bouquets, it’s all texture and fillers and I really like it.”