The November floods dampened this year’s spring flower season, and the results may trickle out of your pocket. There are fewer flowers rising from water-logged fields this year, and while it could cost you, farmers will pay the highest price.

Fong Cha, a flower farmer, knows this season may not his brightest.

“I think I’m going to be the lucky farmer, hopefully I’m not wrong,” he said.

But after digging, Cha discovers November flood waters left little luck behind.

“There’s a rotten row, and I think I need to spend a lot more money,” he said.

His dahlia and tulip fields are a fraction of the hundreds of local acres damaged by high water last year, and recovery won’t come quick or cheap.

“Minimum – I’m looking at $20,000,” he said.

Farmers say when the few dahlias they have left begins to spring from the ground next month, they expect to see only about half the colors that they’re used to. And customers should expect to pay more for what you see.

Almost half of the 90 flower vendors at Seattle’s Pike Place Market suffered losses worth thousands of dollars.

“So there’s going to be a little less flowers out here in the market, not going to be very much,” said Blong Cha, a farmer and vendor.

Fund drives for farmers make up some of the difference. A Starbucks store in Carnation helped farmers collect $5,000 and raw material to start planting again.

“The bulb gathering is great. We’ve had a farmer drive all the way here from Idaho with his truck full of dahlia tubers,” said Linda Adams with Starbucks.

Flood waters that washed away months ago left little for farmers like Fong Cha.

“So I got a few left,” he said, looking at what’s left of his field.

Still, the fields won’t bloom like they have in the years past. But with the farmers’ determination, they may again in the years to come.

source : www.komotv.com