Gardener Shanti Rade transforms her seasonal crops into year-round offerings with rustic dried florals.

Navigating the uncertainty of crop-growing is something Shanti Rade has come to embrace during her 20-plus years in the business. As co-owner of Whipstone Farm, the plantation she runs with her husband, Cory, in Paulden, Ariz., she knows that trial and error is the best technique. “Because you’re in the hands of Mother Nature, there are no absolutes. You must have the willingness to keep going and to experiment.” Shanti first ventured into new territory when she added dried flowers to Whipstone’s lineup of earthy, organic goods.

Navigating the uncertainty of crop-growing is something Shanti Rade has come to embrace during her 20-plus years in the business. As co-owner of Whipstone Farm, the plantation she runs with her husband, Cory, in Paulden, Ariz., she knows that trial and error is the best technique. “Because you’re in the hands of Mother Nature, there are no absolutes. You must have the willingness to keep going and to experiment.” Shanti first ventured into new territory when she added dried flowers to Whipstone’s lineup of earthy, organic goods. 

Just over three years later, her artful dried arrangements—or “everlastings”—have become a viable way to extend business well into the winter months, a time when many farmers have little or nothing to sell. The wreaths, bouquets and curated boxes perfect for DIY arrangements are among her most popular items at Prescott Farmers Market. “Our wreaths are definitely a favorite—we sell a lot of them. And the curated boxes let people try their hand at flower arranging,” she says.

Drying and selling the excess blooms allows Rade to preserve her harvest to use later when markets are slow. “Flower season ends in October. That’s when we get our frost. Other than drying a few bundles for myself, I never purposefully grew and dried anything in quantity until a few years ago. Looking back, there were many years when we had an abundance of flowers we could have dried but just didn’t think to do it. Now we grow crops specifically for this purpose.”

Textured ornamental grasses, fragrant lavender and vibrantly colored artichoke flowers are all ideal for drying, though Rade says just about anything works—especially in Arizona, where the climate is particularly arid. The open air of the loft in her family’s barn is the perfect space for processing. Fresh bouquets are tied in jute twine at the stem and hung upside down to dry; within about a week they’re ready for market. 

Everlastings are fragile and can break during the designing and arranging process. To increase pliability, Rade notes, “About a day before you plan to work with your flowers, lightly spritz the blooms and stems with water. Store them loosely in a plastic bag inside the refrigerator.” To clean your dried arrangements without causing damage, she recommends using a can of compressed air. “When cared for properly, dried flowers will last for years,” she says.

Shanti’s business started more than two decades ago when her family’s garden produced more food than they could eat. They went door-to-door selling the surplus to neighbors, and would eventually become vendors at Prescott Farmers Market. Today they farm 15 acres with more than 100 types of flowers and vegetables.

“Farming is challenging, because you’re making a living off of something so unpredictable. You can do everything right, but so much is out of your control. One year you might get monsoons or a hail storm—you just never know. While there are always new obstacles, Rade says, “That’s what makes each day so interesting. If it was formulaic, farming wouldn’t feel as magical or amazing.”

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