Tag: Flowers

HOME: PLANNING A FLOWER GARDEN

Published on by Shannon3 Comments

Spring is just around the corner and I’m more than ready to get outside and try my hand at gardening! I think one of the best things to come out of 2020 was watching people turn to the earth and mother nature for comfort and peace.  I adored watching some of my favorite people try their hand at gardening.  In fact I enjoyed watching their journey’s so much, that this year I’m embarking on my own journey of starting a flower garden.  

I do have some experience with planting and keeping flowers alive. Every year I buy petunias, begonias, and pansies and plant them in pretty blue planters around the house. I add one new planter each year and last summer I was up to six fairly large planters. In addition to my planters this year, I’m hoping to grow flowers directly from seeds!

I’ve been chatting with blogger friends (looking at you Whitney Caves) and following flower farm accounts to try and learn as much as I can about the art of gardening.  It’s amazing what you can learn by following other bloggers and gardeners.  I’ve also been reading the Cut Flower Farm book from Floret Farm and it’s incredibly helpful.  I had no idea so much planning and organizing went into starting a garden! Although I feel overwhelmed at times, I’m excited to embark on this new journey and challenge myself in new ways. 

My plan for this year is to start small. We are going to build one small raised garden bed (probably 4’ x 4’ x 10.5”). There is a sunny spot on the far side of our deck and gazebo so I think I’m going to place the garden bed there. I’ve gone back and forth between starting the seeds inside and transplanting after the frost, or just directly seeding a few weeks after the first frost. I think I’ve decided on the latter option. It’s definitely a riskier choice, but we don’t have the space or tools to grow seeds inside. So I’m literally going to throw caution to the wind and plant the seeds sometime in late May or early June and hope something grows!

GOALS FOR THE GARDEN 

My goals for this garden are simple.  I truly have no idea how the flowers will grow in our yard and if the placement of the flower bed will yield any harvest.   I’m going into this with zero expectations. But, what I do hope to gain are:

  • Creating beautiful memories planting with L;
  • Learning a new skill;
  • Spending more time outdoors;
  • Finding peace and joy through a new connection with mother nature. 

TYPES OF FLOWERS

I bought all my seeds from Floret Farm.  I had no idea what and how much to buy.  I completely guessed on how many seeds to buy, so there’s a very good chance I will have bought way too little or way too much.  But the types of flowers (and colors) I’m hoping to grow are: 

  • Zinnia Oklahoma Pink
  • Zinnia Lilliput Salmon
  • Zinnia Oklahoma Carmine
  • Zinnia Oklahoma Salmon
  • Cosmos Purity
  • Cosmos Daydream
  • Breadseed Poppy Pink Peony
  • Bells of Ireland
  • Chinese Forget-Me-Not Blue Showers
  • Shirley Poppy Supreme
  • Stock Katz in Bright Rose

FAVORITE GARDEN RESOURCES

Below are a list of accounts and/or blogs that I follow for inspiration and helpful tips. 

There are tons more resources out there for starting a garden, but these are just a few I refer to on a regular basis.

I hope you are excited to follow me on this journey! To kick things off, I’m partnering with two friends to gift a lucky follower a beginner’s gardening kit on my Instagram.  Be sure to follow all of us for the details!

Slainte,

Shannon

MOTHERHOOD: AMONG THE WILDFLOWERS

Published on by ShannonLeave a comment

Last week my mom and I took Lilly to a local flower farm.  I’m always looking for outdoor, social distance activities that L and I can do together and I’ve had a handful of friends recommend this activity to me.  I was truly thrilled with the experience and the farm itself, and I’m so excited to recount our adventures for you guys.  

A hidden jewel of Northwest Ohio, GardenView Flowers is a 60 acre family-run farm that specializes in designing beautiful bouquets for weddings. Not only does the farm offer the most gorgeous fresh-cut flowers for brides, but they also offer a U-Pick Garden and seasonal flower design workshops.

My mom and I had never been flower picking before and it was so delightful. It was seriously a very relaxing and very fulfilling activity! The flower farm opens daily at 8:00 a.m. We arrived around 10:00 a.m. and there were only a few other people there picking flowers. Upon arrival, we headed over to the cutest farm Flower Stop. The Flower Stop offers bouquets to go, dried flowers, and other gifts. It’s the most charming little building.

Adjacent to the Flower Stop is a check-in table where you pay for your experience and pick-up clippers and a cup/vase in which to place your picked flowers. Because Ohio is now under a mandatory mask order, I felt extremely safe. All of the staff and visitors were wearing masks and people were practicing social distancing. I was very pleased too with the disinfecting precautions the farm took to ensure the clippers and other supplies were cleaned in between uses. Plus, they offered hand sanitizer and complimentary bottles of water (it does get hot out in those flower fields)!

After we checked-in, we chose a field of wildflowers and started picking! The farm plants over 30 varieties of fresh-cut flowers and there was a colorful mix of varieties and textures from which to choose.

L and I were drawn to the bright pinks and purples, so we picked a lot of Zinnias, Cosmos, Dahlias, and Sweet Williams. There were also plenty of Sunflowers, Gladiolus, Snap Dragons, and Blue Ageratum. There were so many different varieties and colors and you could easily come home with multiple bouquets depending on the look and feel you are going for.

We picked flowers for almost an hour and I was actually kind of sad to leave! L absolutely loved smelling the flowers, helping us pick them, and frolicking through the many fields. Her face of pure joy really just sums up our experience. We definitely plan to return again and again. If you are local to Northwest Ohio and are looking for a family friendly, safe activity, flower picking at GardenView Flowers is a must!

Be sure to check out their website and follow them on Instagram!

Slainte,

Shannon

HOME: BEST FLOWERS FOR SUMMER SHADE

Published on by ShannonLeave a comment

I’ll preface this blog post by fully admitting I am not a gardener, florist, or one who even knows much about landscaping, flowers, and tending to your yard.  What I do know is what flowers thrive in our yard, and that is wisdom I can share!

Our backyard has two beautiful, gigantic oak and locust trees.  These trees frame the back of our house and are so tall and old that they provide a natural canopy of shade over our deck and backyard.  Although we appreciate these beauties, especially on hot days, I have struggled with finding flowers that will keep blooming all summer long. 

I have done a little bit of research, but really the variety of flowers I’m going to share are those that I have found through trial and error.  This June marks the fourth year in our house and every year I have at least one flower pot that doesn’t make it because the flowers I bought need sun and the poor pretties just weren’t happy.  

But I’m happy to share that I have found three varieties of flowers that love an area that is mostly shaded with some bouts of afternoon sun.  

Begonias

I’m actually listening to Scarlet Begonias by the Grateful Dead as I write this and it’s making me so happy. Two years ago I read that begonias like partial sun and shade so I tried planting them and they thrived in my garden boxes. I actually love begonias but they are really hard to find in Ohio. I was lucky to find some bright coral ones the past two years, but this year the begonias at the nursery didn’t look so great, so I sadly had to pass.

Begonias love morning sun and afternoon shade. They don’t do well with cold temperatures and can quickly die with a frost, but they do love hot climates. I highly recommend planting some of these tropical, bright florals if you have shaded summer beds because they sure do look pretty. (Side note: These are not pet friendly so I don’t recommend it if you have a pet that eats your foliage. I planted these in my window boxes in the past so Gryff couldn’t get them).

Petunias

Petunias are definitely a popular variety of flower here in Northwest Ohio. They are easy to care for, don’t need a ton of watering, and although it’s recommended they get full sun, my petunias always do really well. These are not typically what people recommend for shaded yards, but I’ve always had success with them. I always exclusively plant petunias in my front garden because it does get more sun, but they do surprisingly well in my backyard too. I think because we do get pockets of sun throughout the day, it’s enough to keep them happy.

Wave Pansies

These are a new addition to our flower boxes this year, so the verdict is still out. BUT I did do some research and pansies thrive in cooler climates and partial sun. Even on 90 degree days, the deck stays pretty cool because of the natural shade. We will see how they do come July and August when it gets hot in Ohio, but right now, these heart shaped beauties are loving life in their window box outside our kitchen. I bought purple and yellow ones and planted some hot pink petunias with them and to see these bright, happy colors through my kitchen window brings me so much joy. Also a fun fact, pansies are edible! You can use pansies as a garnish on salads or desserts.

I will say that almost every year I try to plant sunpatiens because I think they are so pretty and they always flourish in my mom’s yard.  But they sadly do not like my yard and the lack of sun.  Through my research I did find that black eyed susans, lily-of-the-valley, violets, and primroses love shaded areas, so if your yard lacks sun like mine, these varieties might be good to try. 

I do want to point out too that I think it’s important you try to grow plants and flowers that are native to your area.  Native plants are good for wildlife such as birds and butterflies.  They are lower maintenance, require less watering, and don’t need fertilizers and pesticides. They also filter storm water which is really important for keeping our waterways (like Lake Erie!) clean and free from pollutants and algae.  When we landscape next summer, I’m going to make sure that the plants we choose are native to Ohio – I’m already looking at blue vervain, columbine, and goldenrod.

Anyways, I hope my experience with planting flowers in partial sun/shade gives you some more variety to choose from if you have a shady yard like we do.

Happy planting!

Slainte,

Shannon