Search results for: 'flower'

My stepdaughter Eve asked me if I would like to do the flowers for her Vermont wedding last August. Of course I said "Yes!" Then I proceeded to learn a few things about floral arranging. [caption id="attachment_1706" align="alignleft" width="201"] Farm table set for wedding guests[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1709" align="alignright" width="150"] Pot et fleur with lavender[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1703" align="alignright" width="150"] Lavender with lisianthus, monarda, hydrangea[/...

[caption id="attachment_2405" align="alignleft" width="300"] Erin Benzakein of Floret on her farm in Washington[/caption] Erin Benzakein, founder of Floret, is one of the original farmer-florists. On her farm in Washington's Skagit Valley, she and her family have created a thriving flower farm, design studio and learning center. Her workshops are soldout affairs, created for those who want to learn more about small scale, high intensity flower production and floral design. [caption id="attachment_...

There's something romantic and old-fashioned about flowering vines, the way they amble over garden fences and climb up trellises. If you're thinking of planting an ornamental vine in your garden this year, know what some of the different types are by reading on. The basic types of vines are those that cling to a support with aerial roots, those that twine or grow tendrils that wrap around a support, and those that need our help attaching to a support. [caption id="attachment_3629" align="alignright" w...

Growing Flowers For A Wedding--  Our daughter Eve is getting married in August and she asked me if I would bring flowers. She favors yellow and white flowers, so I went to work figuring out the best home grown flowers for an August wedding. First I looked at what Maria Iannotti had to say about her favorite flowers for cutting and generated a list by visiting her About.com Gardening site.  I immediately zeroed in on annuals because they are reliable bloomers. The perennials blooming in my garden rig...

  You can't beat an annual plant for its desire to please the gardener. It has one season to live and it puts all of its energy into producing flowers. If you plant a seed, either indoors or directly in the garden, some annuals will germinate and grow to maturity, producing a flower in as little as 8 weeks. Cut that flower and it takes it as a mandate to produce more flowers. Give it average soil and it’s ok with that. Not picky. Strictly speaking, many plants we call annuals are actually tende...

It's time to wake up your houseplants!  As the days grow longer and the sun gets stronger, now is the time to wake up two of my favorite flowering houseplants, clivia miniata and agapanthus.  Because it takes so much energy to produce a flower, they have been resting over the winter between bloom times. Here are some techniques gardeners use to get them ready for spring. Clivia miniata [caption id="attachment_3572" align="alignright" width="229"] My clivia miniata blooming.[/caption] Clivias a...

With Easter Sunday just days away, people everywhere are frantically trying to make last minute preparations. If you plan on having guests or family members over for the holiday, you should consider using some plants or flowers to bring a fresh new decorative element to your home. The vibrant colors and pleasing aromas they offer are sure to draw compliments from guests. If you are wondering which ones to choose, keep reading and I'll reveal the top 5 Easter-time plants and flowers. [caption id="attachm...

Stephanie Hall is part of a growing trend in the florist trade to source flowers locally and in season. Her farm in North Carolina, Sassafras Fork Farm, has a two- acre plot dedicated to approximately 70 different varieties of cut flowers. Says Hall about the farmer-florist movement, "It's a stark contrast to the conventionally grown, imported flowers of the commercial floral trade."  Stephanie grew up in Chapel Hill, the daughter of a UNC professor.  In 2011, she and her (just retired) father deci...

I visited the farm, Dingle Hill Flowers & Herbs, on a sultry August day, my car bumping up a hilly, mile-long stretch of gravel road leading to the former dairy farm, now herb sanctuary, in the Catskill Mountains of NY.  Finally I took a sharp turn and headed towards the main farmhouse and the "Heart" of the enterprise, where I met owners Daphne Boss Ayalon and her husband Jerome. Liz Scholl, Womanswork's master herbalist, who sources herbs from Daphne for our skin care line, was there too. [ca...

Last year the ornamental cherry tree on my property had the most glorious blooms and this year it didn’t. The same with my lilacs. On the other hand, my crabapples bloomed beautifully this year but last year they were so-so, and I expect they will be so-so again next year. Many trees and shrubs need a “rest” year. Some of this is part of the mystery of nature, but often there are other explanations for why our trees and shrubs have good years and bad years, some which we can control and some which ...