MGGA salutes its 2004 Cut Flower Grower of the Year

February 1, 2004

By JANET GROSSNICKLE
Second Spring Garden
Forest Hill, Md.

Dave Dowling of Farmhouse Flowers and Plants in Brookeville, Maryland Greenhouse Growers’ Association 2004 Cut Flower Grower of the Year, produces a high-quality product (greenhouse, bedding plants and cut flowers) and does a wonderful job marketing his plants and flowers. He utilizes innovative practices and now does year-round production. He proactively supports the industry and is quick to provide assistance to new growers and customers alike. His upbeat attitude and outgoing personality are assets to our industry.
In the fall of 1991, Dowling went to a festival in Takoma Park where someone was selling big bunches of cosmos. He had a huge bed of cosmos at home and thought to himself, “people pay for that?”
The following spring he went for a bicycle ride with his friend Shirley Andrews to Carol and Leon Carrier’s place in Laytonsville, Md. She wanted to show him their garden. After seeing the Carriers’ business, he figured he could do something similar with the family farm that his grandparents purchased in 1941.
In 1993 while working at J.H. Burton and Sons in Olney, Dowling started on a part time basis selling cut flowers and a few plants at the Wednesday farmers’ market in Rockville. He didn’t know what he was getting himself into. Each year he increased the size of the garden and reduced his hours at Burtons. In 1998 he added the Dupont Circle Farmers Market in Washington, D.C., and left Burtons completely.
In 2000 Dowling built his first real greenhouse, a 30x50 double poly house and started growing more plants.
Dowling supports the industry on many levels: he constantly educates customers on how to best care for the plants they have chosen and how to extend shelf-life on his cut flower arrangements; he shares the benefit of his experience with other growers (both successes and those ideas that didn’t work out as well) and he offers marketing advice including pricing and variety selection.
Dowling grows Oriental and L.A. lilies year round in bulb crates in a greenhouse built in 2003 just for growing lilies. He also grows anemone, ranunculus, freesia, and tulips for winter and early spring sales, plus about 100 different cut flower varieties. “So many that I don’t try and keep track of the total,” he says. Rounding out his crops are herbs, annuals and perennial plants. One unusual product that he grows is bleeding hearts forced for Valentine’s Day cut flowers.
Some of the most fulfilling experiences that Dowling recalls during his career is selling at farmers markets “where the customers truly appreciate your product.” He also covets the traveling to regional meetings and conferences of the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers and meeting with other flower growers from across the country. In addition, Dowling adds to the top of his experiences his being included in the new edition of Specialty Cut Flowers by Alan Armitage and Judy Laushman.
One aspect of his business in which Dowling takes most pride is repeat customers who rave about the quality of his products not only to him but to other customers who may be total strangers. He is also proud of the fact that he has florist customers who prefer his flowers to their regular wholesale supplier.
Dowling is thankful to Bob Wollam for getting him to join the ASCFG and become the ASCFG Mid-Atlantic regional director.  “The ASCFG has helped in more ways than I explain: marketing, pricing, production, crop selection and more,” he said.
Dowling believes he is successful because he provides high quality products and grows a large variety of both cut flowers and plants so customers always have something new to try. Every year, he goes over the varieties of cut flowers and plants grown, discontinues those that lag in production or sales, and tries some new varieties. “There are always a few that should be discontinued, but somehow they make it back into the product mix,” he reported. “I’m planning on increasing fall, winter and spring production.”
The sky is the limit for one with such vision, love for what he does and appreciation for his customers and colleagues.
Dowling participates in four farmers’ markets, one of them a year-round market, and sells to florists in the area. He is organizing the National Conference and Trade Show scheduled for Lancaster, Pa., in September 2005 and would appreciate any assistance.
He will receive a $100 American Express Gift Cheque courtesy of Pete Gilmore, Ball Seed Co. Dave will also receive a beautiful MGGA plaque and recognition in green industry publications.