Shipping may be my most favorite part of dahlia growing... Fleeting ideas of creative packaging have slowly taken shape over the years. The first is the box... The first few years I used the nasty red, white and blue jobs from the post office, which are as boring as you can get. (Sorry USPS). I wondered if you could order different colors of boxes - oh yah - you can - you can choose any shade that catches your eye on the color wheel! And...you can have your logo printed on it...and text...and multiple sizes and multiple colors... Too much fun.
Now what to put the tubers in. In boring old school tuber shipping world, I used newspaper. Last year I did tissue paper, but this year I found shredded paper in colors. Yum.
I only want to ship the healthiest of tubers, so I have been waiting to make sure each tuber sprouts before listing them for sale. I experimented with stamping the tubers this year - if the tuber is smooth, it works great. I did make the mistake of giving my daughter full license with the stamping tool and now have to ask her what all her cryptic abbreviations actually mean. Next year I will be looking to buy a stamp tool with more letters.
What to pack them in? I stumbled across my bin of organza bags from last year...Dual purpose!
If you haven't already tried it, organza bags on each bloom will change your life!
Get them on the bloom as it starts to open and watch - no more bugs doing neem oil shots while eating your beloved flowers to ragged bits! You will also find no bugs in your bouquets or in your house. The bags are perfect to ship tubers in, come in all different sizes and colors, and hopefully will help folks protect their blooms later this summer.
I pack the tubers in cedar bedding and love it. The cedar reminds me of the smell of a forest on a rainy day. I used to use vermiculite in baggies, until I read that 70% of vermiculite in the US is contaminated with asbestos. Ewwww. Working in a small space and inevitably inhaling it is definitely hazardous to your health.
There are a couple extras in the box to tell your cave girl/boy brain this package is valuable! What's in a Dirty Girls box besides tubers? I love the little bits of chocolate to make the package feel like a gift and not just a purchase (and give you a hint of endorphins). Quality name tags for the tubers. I was thrilled to find an alternative to the sharpie on a garden tag this year. Sharpie on plastic seems to become illegible by mid August, which is a recipe for frustration - I had to share my new favorite labels. A fridge magnet to remind you all year how much you love the Dirty Girls and how much joy a dahlia can bring.
Check out this year's magnet. Doesn't it just make you smile? Put it on your fridge and see if you can't help but smile when you see it!
I had so much fun designing this magnet and have looked at it a thousand times and it still makes me smile! I do wrestle with the thought that it could be something you see on a feminine hygiene product - but hey, it's happy as hell.
Most people enjoy the big picture and sometimes folks fuss about my extra packaging. None of this costs my customers more. I look at the dahlia addict webpage and price my tubers a dollar or two under the average price. I do not pass my packaging costs on to consumers. I have a fantastic day job at another company I own - Dummies on the Run CPR Instruction. (dummiesontherun.net) . The Dirty Girls is my side hustle, something to bring me joy. I enjoy making everything artsy and fun, because for me, that makes all the hard work worth doing. I like to think of the colors of the packaging as a prelude to the vibrancy of the flowers we wait all summer to pick. Sorry if the fluff offends, but hey, I'd like to invite everyone to Release the Happy!
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