There are certain plants that mark moments in the year and become anchor points for memories. This honeysuckle is one of those plants. Many years ago when the kids were still small, we spent a lot of time visiting with our elderly neighbor Louise, a cranky, opinionated, tough ole gal who let you know her thoughts on everything and enjoyed pointing out your many flaws. She was extremely practical, and because her parents had lived through the depression she saved everything and prioritized usefulness and function, always. She had very few things in her life that were beautiful. Some glittery sweaters that she got at the thrift store, a rose named Louise Odier I gave her for her 80th birthday and a massive honeysuckle growing outside her laundry room door that exploded into bloom every May. She LOVED that honeysuckle and would take us to see it every time we were there. We’d admire the buds forming, try and guess when the first flower would open and then stand and smell it during peak bloom. She rooted me a cutting (which was a big deal) and we planted it outside the garage which we later turned into my little flower studio. It’s massive now, almost as big as hers. She has been gone for two springs and each May when it explodes into flower I think of her and how much joy this plant brought into her life, and then because she shared it, into mine.
The planting marathon continues. Thousands of dahlia and zinnia seedlings were tucked into the ground yesterday and slowly the greenhouses are starting to empty out. This time of year is always such a push to get beds prepped ahead of everyone, plants ready to go in the ground, labels and signage made, irrigation in place and then of course the planting. #floretseeds
Had to run out and try to get the last whisper of the pink sunrise this morning. What a beautiful beginning to the day! Getting the dahlia seedlings in the ground has been the main focus for the past few days here on the farm. In total we’re growing close to 15,000 this year, which might be an all time record. The number is so high partly because I collected seed from so many different magical collarettes during last years big variety trial and partly because I listened to so many episodes of @dig_on_dahlias where they were interviewing different breeders and I got a bunch of new ideas. I’m very excited to see what I discover and learn this year and of course I’ll share as I go. We plant seedlings very close together, just 4” apart and that way a lot can get squeezed in a small space. If you want to learn more about our process there’s a whole chapter in my book Discovering Dahlias, starting on page 85.
After about 5 years of tucking pots of trees, shrubs and roses in every available corner around the greenhouses and never really having a dedicated spot for them to stay, Chris and I decided it was time to set up a permanent nursery. Now all of the permanent plants I’m collecting (roses, clematis, lilacs, crabapples and witchazel) have a place to be until they go in the ground. Felt like a really big moment.
Planting, planting and more planting! This week we got all of the named dahlia in (198 varieties 😬), the first wave of breeding zinnias, nearly 200 roses, plus lots of hardy annuals and some new perennials we grew from seed. We’ve still got loads of planting to go over the next few weeks but it feels good to have put a solid dent in things this week.
The first round of zinnias from our breeding program went in the ground yesterday. We plant our earliest groups inside of unheated hoop houses to get a jump on the season since they like the extra warmth and protection. The goal with these plants is to get early flowers and lots of seed. When we’re growing zinnias as cut flowers they are started later and planted outside once the weather is warm enough, typically late May-early June. #floretseeds
One of my favorite bouquet Timelapse’s I’ve ever made. The way the flowers move throughout the day is pretty magical. This #ayearinflowers arrangement includes: Anthriscus ‘Ravenswing’, Daffodils ‘Airtime’ and ‘Replete’, Viburnum ‘Mary Milton’, Spirea ‘Snowmound’, Peony ‘Nosegay’ and Hellebore ‘Ice N’ Roses White’. Hand painted backdrop by @iamelisabo
A study in purple. Lilacs arranged in my favorite @francespalmer vases. Pictured from left to right.
Top shelf: Glory, Montaigne, Sensation
Center shelf: Pauline Fiala, Vespers Song, Congo, Ludwig Spaeth
Bottom shelf: Monge, Frank’s Fancy, Paul Thiron, Edward J. Gardener, common purple, Albert F. Holden
#lilac #floretworkshop #ayearinflowers
A little tour of the rose collection field. The rose classes we are adopting from Friends of Vintage Roses mostly belong to the Old European groups: Alba, Bourbon, Centifolia, Damask, Eglantine, Gallica, Hybrid Bourbon, Hybrid China, Moss, Spinosissima, Species. In addition we’re also collecting Hybrid Musks and as many of the old David Austin’s as possible. If you want to watch a short film we made about the project, search The Rose Ark.
One of my very favorite trees Crabapple ‘Golden Raindrops’. When @beckycrowley_ was here from England helping to design the farm we planted them in either side of the road going into the cutting garden. We now call it crabapple alley and it’s glorious right now.
Let’s keep the lilac theme going with some favorites.
Lilac shelf, Top row: Primrose, Madame Lemoine, Miss Ellen Willmott, Angel White, Sister Justina, Wonderblue, Wedgwood Blue
Center row (top): Krasavitsa Moskvy (aka Beauty of Moscow), Montaigne, Vesper Song, Nadezhda
Center row (bottom): Edward J. Gardner, Paul Thirion, Ludwig Spaeth, Monge
Bottom row: Old Glory, President Grevy, Pauline Fiala, Albert F. Holden
Lilac handfuls: Paul Thiron, Nadezhda, Pauline Fiala, Edward J. Gardener, Primrose. #ayearinflowers
A little video we filmed last spring answering the most common questions I get about lilacs. If you’re looking for plants, check out the Floret’s Favorite Plant & Bulb Sources page on our website. #ayearinflowers
