A long-time landscape gardener, Shari Glasser loved seeing her lush garden overflowing with blooms, but always felt it was a shame when it came time to cut them down and bring them into the house. She decided to give flower farming a try and found a deep sense of reward in taking microscopic seeds, nurturing them for months, getting to see them thrive and bloom, and finally arranging them into bouquets.
Shari established Bogies’s Blooms in 2020 as a specialty cut flower farm in Bismarck, North Dakota. Now entering its fifth season of production, the farm offers a diverse range of high-quality florist-grade cut flowers. Growing a large variety of annuals and perennials during the peak summer season, Bogie’s Blooms produces over 85 bouquets a week through weekly orders and the local farmer's market as a one-woman operation. During the off-season, Shari also uses her blooms to create beautiful floral preservation projects.
Shari followed fellow flower farmer Nicole Pitt at Flower Hill Farm for many years, admiring her work as a grower in a similar Northern climate. “The beautiful part of being a part of the growing community is information shared with others,” said Shari. “When Nicole shared that she was purchasing a new grow space for her business, I took notes. She mentioned Rimol and they were a company familiar with Northern climates (snow and wind) which caught my attention immediately.”
Shari was interested in adding a high tunnel to her farm to extend her growing season and maintain temperatures throughout the early and late seasons. “We have the benefit of ample sunshine being on the Northern plains, but it’s cold here six months out of the year,” she explained. “To be able to capture that sunshine in a large space would be a huge game changer. I've grown early spring crops in low tunnels for four years and they have worked, but they were a nightmare when it came to temperature fluctuations and of course the wind and snow.”
She added, “Most high tunnels I have seen circulating around would have no chance of surviving our Northern Plains winds and snow load. Unfortunately, I've seen more than a few farmers lose their tunnels, because we can easily get 50+ mph winds in the spring and autumn seasons. I was going to take my time to find the right tunnel to withstand our extreme weather.”
After applying for an NRCS EQIP grant, Shari began speaking with Rimol Greenhouse Systems sales representative Keaton Collier. “It seemed as though whenever I would seek advice from another grower or professional, little advice was given because either they had no experience in my Zone 4a conditions or my operation was too little in a rural fly-over state to even bother. Keaton was so informed about the products I was inquiring about, and I felt like I was being heard for the first time. I am a one-person operation, only inquiring about one tunnel, but still felt like a valued customer. I felt at ease knowing Rimol would be my selection, knowing it was made with quality materials and it would hold up to my weather.”
Shari purchased a 22’ x 48’ Rimol Northpoint high tunnel, completing construction in October 2024. Currently, she has around 2,300 Ranunculus and other spring flowers growing happily in the new tunnel. During the summer months, the beds will be flipped to heat-loving, high-dollar investment flowers that are more susceptible to wind and hail damage.
“During their first winter, these little plants have been through quite a challenge – minus 39 degrees and 60 mph winds – and they survived. To be able to plant 8-10 weeks earlier than usual is wonderful. With the ability to plant so much sooner, I will be able to hit my target goals for harvest dates,” she said.
The predictability of her flower harvest has also been a significant benefit of her new high tunnel. “Predicting my bloom times in years past was difficult at times because without the ability to semi-control my growing environment, I could be off by 2-3 weeks. This could mean missing out on high demand weeks or events, such as Easter and Mother’s Day, resulting in potentially thousands of dollars in lost profit/sales.”
Additionally, another great benefit of her high tunnel is being able to keep the precious space in her field planting beds available for late summer crops. “Last year I really struggled with getting my summer crops transplanted on time. We had a cool spring which was fabulous for our spring crops, they kept blooming and blooming, but I didn't rip them out until later because the quality of the stems was still acceptable – which meant that I delayed flipping my beds by 2-3 weeks. I only have so much space in my dedicated fenced-in area, so the delay meant I wasn't getting the blooms I needed for the late summer madness of markets and CSAs going out.”
Overall, Shari shared that she is excited for the future of Bogie’s Blooms with the addition of her new high tunnel. “I know my stress and anxiety have reduced a lot because little by little I am getting all my ducks in a row making this operation run smoothly.”
You can learn more about Bogie’s Blooms on their website, or follow along on Instagram @bogiesblooms.
