In Defense of Goldenrod

 Whew! I was afraid that with a title like that, NO ONE would ever read this post. Thanks for checking it out anyways. Goldenrod, genus Solidaster, plays a vital role in our Pennsylvania ecosystem and I want to encourage everyone to plant some on their property. Yes, on purpose.

First off, I know what you're thinking and NO, goldenrod does not affect your allergies. At least, not any more than any other flower. You see, in nature, goldenrod grows alongside ragweed which is far less conspicuous. So the rag weed, which is wind pollinated, does all the damage while the goldenrod gets all the blame. Don't let your allergies keep you from planting this important flower!

Why is goldenrod so important? In Pennsylvania, over 120 species of butterflies and moths benefit from it either as a food source or a place to lay eggs. So you're automatically supporting a bunch of native pollinators.

Also, all those butterflies laying eggs creates lots of caterpillars. Yes, I know you don't like caterpillars but not all of them are bad. In fact, they provide essential food to our song bird population. In his book, "Nature's Best Hope" Doug Tallamy points out that even se
ed eating birds like chickadees and finches need soft food to feed their young - hence, caterpillars. In fact, they need thousands of them. Planting native flowers, like goldenrod, will provide lots of food for songbirds in your yard. 

Finally, goldenrod also makes a lovely filler flower for fall bouquets. Most florists will have it shipped in from out of state to include in fall arrangements but you can grow your own in your backyard. 

Perhaps you're worried that any goldenrod plants will look like weeds to your neighbors but a thoughtful planting mixed in with other flowers like sunflowers and asters can create a beautiful autumn display. 

I hope this post has gone a long way towards dispelling goldenrods bad reputation. Please do consider buying some plants at a local native flower nursery to support both pollinators and songbirds in your area. 

Grow Your Own Bouquets Part 3

Hydrangeas in a wedding bouquet

 This will be the last installment of this series and there are SO MANY things I want to write about but I can't walk away from this topic without sharing some awesome perennial plants to add to your

bouquets. The best part is that you only have to buy these plants once and they will provide beautiful flowers for you year after year. Here are some great ones to consider. 

1. Hydrangea. These flowers are so elegant and sought after. Three heads of hydrangea, all on their own, are a beautiful floral arrangement. Very easy to grow. 

2. Lilies. Oriental and Asiatic lilies are beautiful perennials grown from bulbs and are just gorgeous in arrangements. The Oriental lilies also smell heavenly. Don't try this with day lilies as they will not last when they are cut. 

3. Roses. Duh. Yeah I know. For bouquets, I recommend hybrid  tea roses for longevity in the vase. Color options are limitless. 

4. Garden Phlox (not creeping phlox) make a beautiful flower filler and are easy to grow. 

5. Ferns and hostas. If you have any shady areas, you can grow any number of ferns or hostas for greenery. 

6. Delphinium. If you're up for  a challenge, you can grow your own delphiniums. They are a rare blue flower with lots of height but they can be tricky. 

7. Lilac. These don't bloom for a long time but they are worth it for how pretty they are and how amazing they smell. 

8. Spring bulbs. Taller versions of tulips, daffodils and Iris can all be lovely in a vase but won't last as long as other flowers might in a vase. However, getting daffodils to naturalize in your yard is so cheap and easy that enjoying an arrangement for a few days can be worth it. 

Do you have a favorite perennial flower for bouquets? Be sure to write about it in the comments below. 

Grow Your Own Bouquets Part 2

Zinnias

 Last week, I wrote about the basics and benefits of growing your own bouquets. This week, I want to give you lots of ideas for which flowers to grow. There are so many to choose from that this week will be all about annuals - plants that complete their life cycle in one season and need to be reseeded each spring. For those of you who don't know, aside form my love of gardening, I have several years experience as a florist so this is really a fun combination of the two. Here are some suggestions to get you started. Keep in mind that all these flowers need full sun and be sure to get the tall varieties (at LEAST 18 inches high). 

Focal Flowers: Traditional bouquets will have at least one really eye catching flower that grabs your attention and is quite often larger that the other flowers. Here are some ideas...

1. Zinnias and colorful and easy to grow. I recommend the Benary's Giant Mix for cut flowers.

2. Sunflowers are also easy and popular. Be sure to select a variety with smaller heads. 

3. Gerbera Daisies are beautiful but are trickier to work with due to their fragile stems. I recommend buyin plants instead of starting from seeds. 

4. Marigolds. Very easy and lovely to grow. Again, be sure to get a taller variety. 

Line Flowers. These are flowers that add height and dimension to an arrangement. Think tall and thin. 

1. Snap dragons. SO PRETTY! Again, be sure to get a tall variety. 

2. Larkspur

3. You can, in fact, grow your own Molucella or Bells of Ireland if you want to do something different and fun. 

Snap Dragons

Secondary Flowers or filler flowers. These are usually smaller than the focal flower but serve to add a lot of interest and fullness. 

1. Baby's Breath. Yup the stuff in the store can be grown in your garden. 

2. Alstromeria. Another common florist flower than you can grow yourself. 

3. Asters. There are tons of Asters to choose from. They're all great. 

4. Celosia. You may not recognize the name but you've seen the flowers. They're especially popular in the fall. Speaking of which....

5. Straw Flowers. The texture of these is just crazy. Easy to grow too. 

6. Sweet William

7. Bachelor Buttons

8. Statis

Greens. These are always under appreciated but so helpful in putting together bouquets. Unfortunately, most greens I would use are perennial so they don't go in this post. However, I have found it fun to experiment and think outside the box when it comes to greens. Here are a few ideas.

Alstromeria. 

1. In high summer I actually like to use vegetable greens with bouquets. Beets, Swiss Chard and even Carrot greens work great in cut arrangements. 

2. Herbs like basil, dill and lemon balm will work and add a little scent too. 

3. Because you're using incredibly fresh flowers, you can often use the foliage on the flowers instead of stripping it off and that will add greenery. (Always strip of the foliage that will be under water). 

So, pick a few things from each category and plan out your garden! Also, stay tuned for next week when I'll talk about useful perennial plants. 

Grow Your Own Bouquets Part 1

Everyone loves flowers. Currently, it's January and I'm starved for their freshness and color. However, florist flowers can be pricey and most people can't afford to keep them on their table all the time. Growing your own bouquets is completely doable for even a beginner gardener assuming you have some yard and sunshine to work with. This is the first of 3 posts on how not just to grow flowers, but how to grow bouquets. We'll start with how to get started. 

First, choosing a good sight is the most important thing you can do to ensure gardening success. Many shortcomings can be over come but you MUST have lots of sun and soil must not be too water logged. Almost all annual flowers you can grow for a cutting garden will require at least 6 hours of sunlight per day in the summer. It's also essential you don't plant in a low depression where water collects as it will cause root rot. 

Second, get an idea of what kind of soil you have. You can either 1) get a highly detailed report from your local extension office for a nominal fee. OR 2) buy a DIY soil test and get an idea of what nutrients your garden needs and it's PH level. OR 3) You can make some general observations about your plants and dirt to give you clues of what you're dealing with. (What plants are already happy? What grows well in your neighbors yard? What color is your dirt? How loose is it?) I'm going to strongly recommend doing option 3 in addition to option 1 or 2. 

Third, if you can, locate your garden near a source of water. You'll be thankful in July and August when it's dry and your garden needs supplemental watering. 

Finally, when you're selecting varieties, be careful to plant flowers that will reach at least 24 inches tall. There are beautiful dwarf zinnias and marigolds but the stem length doesn't lend itself to cut flowers. 

You can find seeds in a multitude of catalogs or at any garden center in the spring. With a small investment and a little work, you can keep beautiful flowers on your table for months and also bless your friends and family. Stay tuned for the next two posts for plant ideas!