Here we go Spring 2018!

So we are officially kicking off activities for our Spring 2018 flowers.  We have started some of our hardy annuals in soil blocks, kept company by a vase full of inspiration from our current gardens.

These hardy annuals are just that - hardy!  Hopefully in a few weeks we will have little seedlings that we will plant in our yet-to-be-prepared beds to winter over for Spring 2018 blooms.  So what do we hope to have?  Below is the list of what has been started in our soil blocks:

Plant Type	Color
Snapdragon - Potomac	Orange
Snapdragon - Madame Butterfly	Bronze
Ammi Daucus Carota Dara
Ammi	Green Mist
Helichrysum Double	Mix
Monarda Citridora	Mix
Dianthus Amazon	Neon Cherry
Dianthus Chabaud	Orange Sherbert
Dianthus Superbus	Fringed Pink
Calendula Officinalis	Yellow
Feverfew
Scabiosa QIS	Mix
Scabiosa	Fire King

I hope our germination rates are much improved for all of these this year... and I'm going to do a better job of tracking not only our germination rates, but how many of each make it to light, make it into the garden, winter-over, and begin producing.  Once producing, I need to document when we make our first cut and how many usable stems we get per plant.  I think that part (hopefully we get there!) will be a little harder based on my experience this year.  I need to be ruthless and really heed the advice of the pros and pinch some of these early if I want to have better more usable stems....  but it's so hard to make that first cut!

Next up, also to be planted in our yet-to-be-prepared beds, these will be direct-seeded into the garden:

Nigella Damascena
Bupleurum
Conslida Ambigua	Mix
Papaver Rhoeas	Red
Centaurea Cyanus	Florist Blue Boy

I fell in love with Nigella last year, commonly called Love-in-a-Mist.  Fantastic hardy little pink, white, blue and purple flowers with funky little seed pods.  I hope some will have self-seeded in my perennial bed, but regardless, we will be putting them in en masse in our cutting beds.  

And now I'm off to check our little seedlings for germination...

Past their prime... but more on their way

I know these flowers are past their prime and are starting to fade... especially the phlox... but even spent flowers can bring me joy.

But not to worry, the garden is recovering from this week's harvest and more are on their way.... yesterday's rain will help too.

My first statice...

Cosmos!

Celosia

Zinnias

Dahlias, dahlias and more dahlias...

First Wedding Flowers

Today I delivered our first flowers for a wedding - 12 mason jar arrangements as reception table centerpieces at Harvest House at Lost Creek.  It was an absolutely gorgeous day - about 80 degrees, sunny, slight breeze, low humidity - perfect day for an outdoor wedding.  I realized I should have taken photos of where the ceremony was setting up in a beautiful glade down the hill from the main house and reception venue.

When I met with the bride and we talked about style and color - "rustic" and "pops of color" seemed to resonate most.  Hopefully these made her smile.  Here are the arrangements on our kitchen table as we were getting ready to transport them.

And below are a few photos from the venue - they were just setting up as I arrived so my flowers were the first things on the table!  There were table numbers and wine bottles with sprigs of baby's breath also prepped to go on the tables and I can't wait to see pictures of the final setup.

Most of all, I hope she is happy.  I started to get teary-eyed as I thought about the wedding day and just how beautiful weddings are - full of hope and promise.  And of course, I was thinking about my darling husband who did so much to help me get these flowers ready - mostly by keeping our two young boys away as I harvested most of the day on Friday and arranged all Saturday morning.  Oh - and he figured out the perfect way to transport these arrangements - in cut down wine bottle boxes!

All my best to the bride and groom and their future!