Off Topic: July in the garden
Anyone who’s talked to me for more than five minutes knows that I am deeply passionate about gardening. Specifically, cut flower gardens. In this post I’d like to take a few minutes to share some of my favorites from this summer!
Zinnias: I’m a big fan of the Queen series, so I planted the usual Queen Red Lime, and Lemon Peach varieties. I also tried out the Oklahoma series for the first time this year (salmon and white). They were the first zinnias to bloom for me and they’ve cranked out flowers like crazy. I also managed to snag a packet of Johnny’s new Ballerina zinnias and...oh my goodness, they are everything I dreamed they would be and more. Some are classic ballet shoe pink, while others are a lovely, milky cafe au lait color that’s just dreamy. Last year I tried out seed saving for the first time and I look forward to multiplying my supply of these gorgeous flowers!
Sunflowers: For years now I’ve been a devotee of the Procut series, and they did not disappoint this year. Early in the season I planted Procut Peach and White Nite. Procut Peach fared a little better (insects really love to munch light-colored sunflowers, I’m sure there’s a scientific reason for this, but I don’t know what it is) but as the season went on I transitioned to starting more fall-y colors, like Procut Red and my top 100% favorite: Procut Plum. Since we have a nice long growing season around here I’ll be starting the Red/Yellow Bicolor for those October bouquets. In years past I’ve direct seeded my sunflowers, but this year I started them in trays. This runs counter to lots of advice I’ve read, since they supposedly resent root disturbance. I’ve had zero problems with this! In fact, my germination rate has been much higher using the trays (and soaking the seeds 24 hours prior to planting), and planting out the more mature seedlings means they’re less likely to be eaten by rabbits. True, it is a pain, especially since they get rootbound in the trays so quickly, but it’s worth it to me.
Gomphrena: This is my favorite summer filler flower. It’s adorable and tolerates heat really well. It’s also super productive and the blooms last forever (you can dry them too, and they retain their color beautifully). The Audray series is my favorite, but this year I tried Strawberry Fields for the first time and I am smitten.
Amaranth: Coral Fountain, to be precise. In the past when I’ve planted amaranth it’s grown into a small tree, so this year I was intentional about planting the seedlings closer together - about 8 inches apart - and pinching once they were about 12 inches tall. They’re still incredibly productive, just with a much more manageable stem size.
Basil: My favorite summer foliage, because it grows so easily around here. Cinnamon is my favorite, though this year I tried the Mrs. Burns Citrus Basil as well. I love the lemon basil scent! It’s magical! But I find it flops more easily when harvested for bouquets. I’m still in the trial-and-error process on it. I love basil because it’s so fragrant, you can pack loads of it in a small space (I plant mine about 5 inches apart) and the stems grow nice and long. It’s also nice having fresh basil around for cooking! The main reason I planted herbs in my flowerbeds years ago, before I even started pursuing cut flower gardening, was my growing irritation at paying for herbs at the grocery store when I had the space to try growing them myself.
And my big fail for this summer...
Dahlias: I love dahlias. I know, I know, they are so trendy and I got all caught up in the trend when they exploded into popularity a few years ago. I am so boring, I know. I’ve spent summer after summer experimenting with different varieties and trying to identify the ones that can thrive in the heat and clay soil around here. I’ve learned to divide and store them over the winter, and tinkered with proper support and water supply. But this year I made the well-meaning but ultimately horrible mistake of planting them in raised beds and it’s been a disaster. They should be lush jungle plants by this time in the summer, but that has not been the case! I thought I was doing the right thing! Everyone says drainage is vital for dahlias! Sigh. It’s a learning process.
Any gardeners out there, or flower enthusiasts? What’s flourished (or failed) in your garden this summer?