The average frost date for me in zone 4b, is creeping closer. Last evening Mr Frost had me running with scissors and cutting everything I could. He was hovering a little to close for comfort, so I harvested all that I could.The average frost date in my area is around September 257th. Week 37. Wow!
Growing a variety of flowers and foliage
Growing a variety of flowers and foliage is beneficial in some ways and in other ways it can hinder your focus. It has been a little challenging to find the balance of flowers vs foliage. This season I felt like I did a better job…next season however I want to nail it.
I have grown eucalyptus from seed for 2 seasons now. It is here to stay. It is so rewarding once you can harvest it. The smell is amazing. Eucalyptus makes a great foliage for bouquets. The vase life is outstanding. Eucalyptus can be preserved and dried to be enjoyed for months. Last season I dried it. This season I am preserving it with glycerin. I will do a post on how that turns out…
Growing flowers to dry
Growing flowers to dry is one of my favorite parts of flower farming. In the growing world, this group of flowers is called “everlastings”. One of my favorite varities is ammobium winged everlasting. I have gotten my ammobium from Johnny’s selected seed. The do not really fall into the category of cut and come again but you do get a second flush. The ammobium have a long vase life also.
Perennials for cut flowers
Having perennials for cut flowers is an important part of flower farming. You want to have things that come back every year. There are a variety of flowers that work well for perennial cuts. This Maximilian sunflower is one of them. Another favorite of mine is Echinacea. Cone flower. There are more and more varieties of cone flower hitting the market. I am hoping to slip a few more of these guys into my perennial beds.
Dahlia’s for cut flowers
Dahlia’s for cut flowers…..they are gorgeous, amazing, beautiful…and more. The ball dahlia’s make the best cut flower. As a whole dahlia’s do not have a long vase life. You can expect an average of 5 days in the vase. They do love to bloom tho. The more you cut them the more they will bloom. Do not be afraid to dead head your plants at least once a week. Here is a lovely explanation of the different types of Dahlias.
Vintage vases and planters
As always my love for vintage vases and planters keep growing. The thrill of the hunt is so enjoyable. Here are some of my finds, I hope you enjoy them. It is a little hard to part with my vintage finds.
Thanks for stopping by!
Rhonda