-
Lasagna Planting Fall Flower Bulbs in Containers // Forcing Flower Bulbs
My grandma loves getting flowers. In fact, that was one of the main reasons I decided to try my hand at lasagna planting and forcing flower bulbs this winter. In the past, I’ve forced some hyacinths and tulips, but I wasn’t too invested in learning more about the process. This year, I’ll be trying to pot up several different types of flowering bulbs for blooms this winter. First, I needed to find a pot that was big enough to accommodate the flower bulbs. This 3 gallon pot was the perfect size. I’m so glad that I saved it to use later after transplanting the hydrangea bushes that I bought. Ideally,…
-
Dark Dahlia Flower Arrangement – Cut Flower Garden
When it comes to growing dahlias, I am the absolute definition of “beginner”. They don’t seem to like my weather very much, and I definitely neglect them. Sometimes I completely forget to water them for weeks at a time. Despite my neglect, I am always so incredibly thankful when some of the plants come into bloom. Here’s a closer look at recent bouquet that I was able to collect from the cut flower garden. Unlike the dahlias, the ageratums really love the conditions in my yard. These are either ‘Red Flint’ or ‘Red Sea’ ageratums. I honestly can’t remember which cultivar I ordered this year. Regardless, I love the rich…
-
Growing Zinderella Zinnias in the Cut Flower Garden
It’s not exactly a secret that I love to grow zinnias. They’re easy to plant, and even easier to grow. They’ll bloom without abandon until the first frost finally brings them to an end. Of all the different zinnias that I’ve grown, Zinderella zinnias are one of the most frustrating. The process of growing them is the same as growing other cultivars, but I’ve definitely found that the results can vary drastically. Zinderella zinnias are different because of their scabiosa type flowers. Rather than having the shape of regular zinnias, the petals tend to mound up in a big pile of ruffles. These look so amazing in cut flower arrangements,…
-
Summer Lisianthus Cut Flower Arrangement from the Cut Flower Garden
The lisianthus plants have finally started to bloom – and they’re gorgeous. Let’s face it, I don’t have the best record when it comes to growing lisianthus. This year, however, it appears that I have finally succeeded. To celebrate, I thought I would make a cut flower arrangement using the first blooms. The lisianthus that I’m growing this year are from the voyager series. Below are the Voyager pink lisianthus. I bought these plants to grow from plugs after failing miserably to start the seeds. Maybe one of these days I’ll develop the needed skills for success – but not this year! Voyager pink starts out as a really nice…
-
Dahlia + Amaranth Cut Flower Arrangement from the Cut Flower Garden
By the time mid summer rolls around there’s always a lot going on in the garden. It’s hot, the mosquitoes are terrible, and the grass is usually knee high. It’s not that I don’t want the garden to look nice, it’s just that the conditions can feel absolutely miserable any time that you’re trying to get things done. This is yet another one of our flower arrangements that was made on an extremely hot and humid day. My main motivation for making this cut flower arrangement was the dahlias that were in bloom. Dahlias are very limited in my garden because of space. However, these Bracken Palomino dahlias were just…
-
Simple Annual Flower Arrangement from the Garden – Cut Flowers
Every once and a while, I’ll make a cut flower arrangement that I really like. While most of my favorites feature “fancier” flowers like peonies or ranunculus, this one is different. I really enjoyed making this vase of flowers because of the simplicity. Not only does this one turn out it be beautiful, but it features easy to grow annual flowers that are a breeze for beginners. In fact, every single flower in the arrangement can be direct sown from seed after all chance of frost has passed. Awesome! I planted these bedding marigolds in the spring using the winter sowing method. The germination rate was absolutely amazing, and I…
-
The ‘Hot Mess Express’ Flower Arrangement – Cut Flower Garden
In general, I try really hard to post consistently here on the blog and over on YouTube. After all, building some kind of online persona isn’t easy. Well actually, it may come really naturally for some people – but, not me. I’m scatter-brained and socially awkward. Some days, I definitely feel the stress when I know that I need to make more content. This particular day, it really seemed like I had a lot going against me. Most notably, it was hot. Like, really hot. Unfortunately, as I picked the flowers for this cut flower arrangement, most of them wilted almost immediately. Here’s hoping that I’ll have better luck next…
-
Cup and Saucer Vine Catches Flies? – Cut Flower Garden
For the first time, I’ve been really successful with cup and saucer vine (cathedral bells vine). The germination was great, and the plants climbed easily up my fence with practically no assistance from me. In fact, the tendrils are actually really cool. Though tiny, they seem to act more like little suction cups that will adhere to any textured surface. At the beginning of the season, the vine quickly reached the top of the fence. I was happy to see this, as I was hoping that it would continue to sprawl and cover it completely. On the other side of my fence is where I keep my nasty, gross…
-
Harvesting Onions from the Garden
When it comes to growing onions, I can confidently say that I am a failure. I’ve tried so many times, yet I always manage to come up with less than ideal results. I see people in the Pacific northwest grow enormous onions. Maybe my weather here in the south is just too hot? I’ve heard that you really need to feed these plants A LOT of nitrogen. Maybe I’m simply not adding enough throughout the growing season. Before you leave a comment about day length, don’t worry. I’m definitely planting the right types of onions for my growing zone. It’s just regardless of the method I choose – onion…
-
Bright Summer Purples Flower Arrangement with Dahlias and Zinnias
Undoubtedly, one of my least favorite parts of summer is the mosquitoes. Right now, it’s almost impossible to enjoy the garden, let alone go outside without being bitten by what feels like hundreds of mosquitoes. I can only imagine that this has been made much worse by the heavy rains this year. However, I was able to apply some repellent (and light a citronella candle) to make this summer flower arrangement from the cut flower garden. The first flower that I picked was a large handful of the Benary’s Giant Lilac zinnias. These zinnias, in particular, are absolutely thriving this year. I’ve picked their flowers about four times so far,…
