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Nature’s first green is gold, her hardest hue to hold. Unless, of course, you are Thomas and Caroline Dahlquist, a husband-and-wife duo who have figured out how to make the magic last.
You may have seen their brilliant, almost Hokie-colored, dried flower bouquets at the Blacksburg Farmer’s Market, where they are on display and for sale every Wednesday and Saturday at The Green Market booth.
Originally from Arlington, Va., Thomas came to Blacksburg in 2013 to study environmental horticulture at Virginia Tech. For the past 12 years, he has worked at The Green Market in Pembroke, growing and selling a wide variety of produce and plants. He is affectionately termed their “Master Farmer”, and his wife is known as “The Healer” as she also works as a full-time nurse with Carilion.
During the summer, he grows fresh flowers on the farm, cutting and hanging them each evening to dry for several weeks. Once dried, the flowers are stored in his basement until winter, when he and his wife enjoy crafting them into bouquets together.
“The best part is that there’s no time constraint on it,” he says. “When we have time, we make bouquets and then sell them to people who love them, especially the students who really seem to love them.”
Forever Flowers is a part-time gig for the couple, as both Thomas and Caroline work full-time in addition to being the proud parents of a toddler, with another baby on the way!
“It’s been a great source of extra income for our family over winter,” Thomas says. “Not to mention, it really beautifies the basement!” Not all flowers are meant to last forever, but some flowers almost seem to dry themselves. “The best flower varieties for drying are statice, strawflower, celosia and paper daisies because they dry naturally as they grow and retain their shape and color,” he explains.
The couple’s creativity has also led them beyond bouquets. Epoxy resin coasters embedded with dried flowers are a newer product line. Thomas discovered the technique serendipitously, using Google Lens to identify a mysterious material he found in the house. It turned out to be leftover epoxy resin from a previous homeowner.
“The resin is expensive, but once I perfect the technique, I’m hoping to expand into key chains, jewelry, and eventually into some larger items like tabletops.”
Much like preserving a cherished moment with a photograph, there is something magical about capturing a flower at the height of its beauty and allowing it to endure. The Dahlquists make sure to select colors and varieties that go with just about any décor and fit with any season. They truly are timeless.
Text by Emily K. Alberts
Photos by Jon Fleming
Photos by Jon Fleming
Emily K. Alberts is an NRV freelance writer, and long-time contributor to New River Valley Magazine, who appreciates flowers that continue bringing beauty long after they’ve been cut.
