There are so many benefits to using high tunnels, hoop houses or caterpillar tunnels for growing flowers. Tunnels are a great way to add extra protection and season extension to overwintering crops – they protect from wind, rain, snow and add extra warmth. Lately I have been receiving lots of questions about how to best manage tunnels during the winter. For those of us in climates with huge temperature fluctuations (or maybe that applies to everyone everywhere), it is super important to pay attention to the temperature inside your tunnels. During the winter, we primarily grow ranunculus, anemo ..read more

I’ve been promising to write this blog post for almost a year, and I finally sat down at the computer to get it posted (which is no easy feat in the fall season!). I want to start with a disclaimer that overwintering dahlias is not possible in every climate. You need 2 important things to successfully leave tubers in the ground over the winter: (1) the ground cannot freeze because your tubers will also freeze and die and (2) you need excellent drainage so the tubers do not rot. Generally, growers in USDA Hardiness zones 6+ can leave their tubers in the ground over the winter (we are in zone 6b ..read more

If I could grow only 4 types of flowers, they would be ranunculus, dahlias, zinnias and peonies. Peonies are hands-down the most low maintenance flower on my list – and many folks would say their favorite flowers too. Once the peonies bloom in May, we basically forget about them until the fall when it’s time to give them a little care. After many years of doing things the hard way, we finally have a good system for fall peony clean up. I hope this helps you make caring for your peonies a little simpler too! Peonies are very prone to fungal and bacterial diseases, so removing the foliage at t ..read more

Feeding our flowers with home-brewed compost tea is one of the most important ways that we fertilize our plants and soil in a healthy, sustainable way. Making compost tea is fairly simple once you find the right ingredients and measurements. I am sharing what we do here at Flourish – nothing we use is fancy, but it works great! Compost tea is made from steeping compost to add microbes and nutrients into the soil and plants. The nutrients and beneficial microbes in the compost diffuse into the water making liquid fertilizer for your plants. There are two ways to make compost tea with compost ..read more

Shade-growing flowers are some of my absolute favorites for adding ephemeral, whimsical elements to arrangements! I hear from so many gardeners and farmers that their garden space is shady, and while many cut flowers need full sun, there are quite a few that prefer to grow in shaded areas. I’m sharing some of my top favorite cut flowers to grow in the shade. Plus, all of these are perennials that will regrow and bloom more vigorously year after year.    Toad Lily; Tricyrtis Toad lilies look like mini orchids and are the perfect sparkle to add to arrangements! They are best grown fro ..read more

Our Fall Bulb Shop officially opens on Tuesday May 25th at 11AM EST! These are all preorders, meaning that you order now and then the bulbs will ship in October at the perfect time for planting. These are the exact same varieties of flowers that we grow on the farm – all tried and true in our favorite colors. Note: The password for the bulb shop will be removed when the bulb shop opens. This allows us to get everything ready to go ahead of time! Here is a preview of the varieties we will have available: Anemone, Violet Anemone, Pink Anemone, Black + White Anemone, Lavender Anemone ..read more

My new book Growing Flowers: Everything You Need to Know About Planting, Tending, Harvesting and Arranging Beautiful Blooms is now available everywhere books are sold! It has been such an incredible journey to bring this book to life, and seeing it in everyone’s hands fills me with so much joy. I truly hope that the book is helpful and inspiring.     I’ve recently shared more about the book on a few podcast episodes, so I thought that I would share the links on one place. Click the images below to listen to my conversations with Debra Prizing of Slow Flowers + the gals of Let’s ..read more

Spring flowering bulbs are some of my most favorite flowers to grow! They are planted in the fall before the ground freezes in cold climates, and in the late autumn/early winter for the rest of us. Often these bulbs show the first signs of life in the early spring, and it’s a much needed reminder that the flowers will once again be blooming after drab winter. View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize Growing Tulips & Narcissus (Daffodils) I will be the first to admit that growing tulips in the South can be tricky. Our winters are not quite cold enough for many of the really special vari ..read more

To say this has been an unusual spring would be an understatement. Every single family, individual and business has been affected by the pandemic, and William and I are extra grateful for our health and for all the many things that we do have, knowing that many people are suffering horribly. I have been listening and learning, and though it is just a drop in the bucket, I am striving to do my part in the fight against racial injustice. I recognize that I still have a long way to go, but I am committed to doing better and continuing to learn. One belief that has not wavered for a moment during ..read more

Last September, we had the great privilege of hosting one of my favorite brands, Duluth Trading Company, here on the farm. When their producer emailed me about hosting a photoshoot on our farm, I had to reread the email several times before I understood that they were asking me to be a model. At first I felt so intimidated and unsure about saying yes - this is way out of my comfort zone! But when I researched more about their company and how they choose to use real women as models, and I started thinking about my niece, goddaughters, and all the other young women that I hope to inspire to foll ..read more