Wide Sky Acres

10/06/2026

Haha! So true

25/05/2026

Farm update May:
Brrrr these cold morning got me wrapped up by the fire until the ground thaws out enough to work. And it’s only the beginning of winter!

Winter on the farm looks like lots of planning, propagation, defrosting hoses, water pipes and animals water troughs, freezing my finger tips off and throwing frost cloths on and off almost on a daily basis. Oh and of course, the MULCH, everything must be mulched to prevent spring w**d seeds germinating.

Yes, it’s slower and simpler but by no means is nothing happening!

In the last month, we transplanted more peonies, got tulip bulbs in the ground, presprouted and planted all the ranunculus and anemones corms, transplanted almost all of our spring crops and harvested the last of our flowers for drying. (And that’s just the flower side of things!)

On the vege front: crops are still going in; garlic and onions, carrots and now the fight against the slugs begins again!

I’m WAY behind on pruning the fruit trees due to a lingering shoulder injury but I ought to get there eventually. Why does pruning always feel like such a mammoth task?

Here’s a pic from last year of the gorgeous peonies we had. We partnered with Peony Haven for extra stems when we ran out and may do again this year. It all depends on the growth of our 2nd year transplants.

Have a fabulous public holiday weekend, and stay warm.

17/05/2026

When the dahlias die back in autumn you have two choices….

1: leave them where they are and mulch them heavily. This is a great option if they are in a free draining spot that doesn’t sit in water. Pea straw, leaves or other coverings to protect from the weather. I’m a fan of pea straw or lucerne hay.

2: you can dig and store over winter. I’m choosing this option this season as I want to reorganise my dahlia patch to make You Picks more accessible for next summer. I’m also planning to divide several varieties. So digging up is necessary anyway.
To store, I’m leaving on lots of dirt, cutting back foliage and storing under cover in crates. A garage is a great spot. I will be checking on them to make sure they aren’t too wet or dry over winter. In the past, I’ve also stored in slightly moist saw dust and this also worked well.

15/05/2026

A reminder that we are closed till October.
Happy Saturday everyone!

14/05/2026

I’ll admit to hibernating from human contact the past few days and I hope you’ll forgive me.
Mother’s Day was huge for us and totally amazing but phew did I need a few days off afterwards.
I totally underestimated how much stress there would be around getting quantities and harvest dates right. Getting all the ducks in a row when you’re the grower and florist is totally different to just whipping out and buying flowers wholesale when you need them. Timing is everything!
Thankyou to everyone who preordered and joined our Mother’s Day subscription! Those numbers helped a lot with prep for the weekend!
And Thankyou to everyone else who chose to support a small business over the holiday. We appreciate you so much.

In other news: Wide Sky Acres is now CLOSED for winter. We plan to reopen with our specialty tulip and spring flowers in October, but as always keep an eye on the page for updates, news and more.
Feel free to also check out our webpage : wideskyacres.org which features subscriptions, and newsletter signups.

Stay tuned for autumnal/ winter progress reports!

07/05/2026

On the farmstand this week
It's Mother's Day weekend, so you know what that means!
We have FLOWERS! So so many flowers! We are blessed to share flowers from our own field but also from 2 other farms this week. Local growers who love what they do have helped supply some extra stems for this special weekend.
We are bringing you ALL the pretties! Ladies, tag your guy and make sure he knows where to go.

Produce: beetroot, mixed salad, Māori potatoes, and alfalfa sprouts.

Flowers: lisianthus, lilies, gerbera, chrysanthemum, scented stock, delphinium, and so many more! We will have a range of bouquet sizes this week, cos mum's definitely deserve that bit extra joy! $20-60 bouquets available.

Plants: spring perennial bedding plants, oregano, cactus, strawberry, raspberry, mondo grass and swan plants

Other: cards, seeds, dulce de leche and vegan caramel dessert sauces, bath soaks, hazelnuts.

There's literally all mum could want: sweet snacks, free books, gorgeous flowers, cards and plants for the garden. It's a one stop shop.

Friday 2-6pm and Saturday 8am-6pm (or until sold out), 192 Bells Road, West Melton

03/05/2026

Time to say farewell to these beauties for another season as the last few nights have put paid to our gorgeous Dahlia crop. (pic 1)
But the season's not quite done yet, because now it's the Chrysanthemum's turn to shine. (pic 2)

These autumn beauties are some of the most diverse flowers after dahlias. With multiple forms, colours and sizes, 'Mums' are a joy in autumn and arrive just in time for Mother's Day.

Flowers really do brighten a room and lighten the spirit. It's why generation after generation gift flowers for so many life events and special moments. They bring joy to everyone!

Preorder your flowers for Mum today to avoid disappointment.
Come and grab her flowers this Friday or Sat-available until SOLD OUT. No orders available on Sunday as I will be enjoying my own Mother's Day.

xx
Sophia

02/05/2026

Did you miss it?
Our vegan caramel sauce goes great on popcorn!
It’ll be back again this coming weekend for you to score! $8 a jar, and free tasting.
(Just quietly, this would be a nice little treat for the mummas for Mother’s Day!)
Ladies tag your man!

We are making it easy; with cards, flowers, luxury bath soaks and delicious dessert sauces for the lady in your life. You can grab it all once!

Grab yours Friday 8th May 2-6pm, or Sat 9th May 8am-6pm (unless we sellout before then).

We do suggest preparing flowers for Mother’s Day to avoid disappointment.

Have an awesome weekend,

Blessings
Sophia

30/04/2026

30/04/2026

On the farmstand this week: NEW PRODUCT 🚨

Produce: Māori potatoes, beans and alfalfa microgreens

Flowers: chrysanthemum, lisianthus, scented geranium and hydrangeas

Plants: cactus, strawberries, raspberries, bedding plants, mondo grass

Also, bath salts, cards, seeds, hazelnuts.

NEW: dulce de leche sauce- a lusciously rich salted caramel dessert sauce that tastes just as good off the spoon as mixed into ice cream or used as a tart filler. We also have a vegan option!
Come down and try our dessert sauces. Not a bad wee gift for Mother’s Day either 😉

Countdown has begun until the farmstand closes for the season! Only two weeks left!