A little Touch of Everyday Elegance...
If you are like me, many times, it's the small things that make the biggest difference.
This is why I package Ella June Gardens tulips in various sizes. You pick the right size for what you need.
The 8-stem "A Little Luxury" tulip bunches are just enough to bring a touch of understated elegance to your everyday life.
Whether you're treating yourself to a pop of color on a dreary winter day, surprising a friend with a thoughtful gesture, or adding a touch of natural beauty to your home, these perfectly petite bouquets are the answer.
Just $20, makes it an affordable way to brighten any moment. Imagine these vibrant tulips gracing your kitchen table, adding a touch of spring to your office, or brightening the day of someone special.
There is nothing that brights a space better than flowers. "A Little Luxury" is the perfect way to say "I'm thinking of you," "Thank you," or simply, "I deserve this."
Deepest Affection: "The Grand Gesture"
When you want to make a truly unforgettable impression, the 25-stem "The Grand Gesture" tulip bunches are just for you.
"The Grand Gesture" is the perfect choice this abundant bouquet becomes a symphony of color and some of the tulips even have light fragrance.
It is a breathtaking expression of love, appreciation, or celebration. At $50, "The Grand Gesture" is ideal for Valentine's Day, anniversaries, birthdays, or any occasion where you want to convey your deepest emotions.
Imagine the look on your loved one's face when they receive this magnificent display of winter's finest blooms. It's a gift grown with love and joy that will be remembered long after the last petal falls.
As one of my flower friends recently said, "It's not just flowers; it's an experienced
Why Choose Locally Grown Tulips?
Unmatched Freshness: Here in my shop, I can harvest tulips right at the peak of their beauty when you are ready for them rather than having to pick them early to ship. This ensures the most vibrant color and longest-lasting blooms. My customers tell me all the time, "You won't find this level of freshness with store-bought flowers."
Sustainable Practices: I am completely committed to sustainable gardening practices to ensure the health of our blooms and help the earth continue to give to us.
Local Love: By choosing my locally grown tulips, you're allowing me to share extra flowers with our local shelters and care facilities for those that may be forgotten. Each month I have flowers, I gift flowers to someone in the community who is needing a boost. If you know someone you'd like to recommend, please pop me an email with the suggestion.
Unique Beauty: Each tulip is unique, with its own individual character and charm. I have hand-picked each variety based on colors and shapes you may have not seen before. Each and every variety is a testament to a Grand Creator.
Workshop vs. Class - which is best?
The long standing debate.
Are they the same or different?
I can't speak for everywhere, but here my Gardens, classes & workshops are very different things.
Classes at Ella June Gardens
Classes are a passive experience. You come, listen and ask all the questions you want, but there are few (if any) things for you to experience or take home with you.
Basically, you listen while in the class and take all the notes you want. Once you get home, you do with the information as you see fit.
Classes take less prep work for me.
Class don’t have any supplies that I source and purchase for you.
Shorter planning time.
All this equals a big savings for you.
Workshops at Ella June Gardens
Workshops are an active experience. We gather. We tour the gardens. All your questions are answered in detail. Most loved by attendees, the workshop includes everything you need in order to do the topic of that day.
Workshops are about creating and community.
Floral design workshops include everything you need to create that particular design that day. (the vase, the mechanics, the flowers etc.)
Seed Starting Workshops include everything you need to start seeds as well as the knowledge behind those seeds. (the soil, containers, seeds). Some even include additional plants already established for you to take right home and plant in your garden.
Workshops take weeks for me to prep to source and check each of the supplies that will be needed. It requires a whole lot more planning on my part to make sure you walk away with something wonderful, useable or even giftable.
I never know exactly how many people will want the workshop, requiring minimum and maximum numbers and costing more.
So which is better for you? would you rather learn then source your own tools or have everything gathered and prepped for you?
Please email me and let me know which format you prefer.
Best Blessings,
Ella
Starting Seeds in January?
Am I completely crazy?
Most people believe you shouldn't plant flowers or vegetables into the garden in Middleton, Idaho (zone 6b-7a) before Mother's Day.
Years ago I taught it too.
However, it is a completely wrong philosophy.
There are actually many flowers that PREFER being planted out when you have the big weather swings in early spring.
Here's a list of the top 5 flowers I always plant every Winter from seed and plant the seedlings in my gardens by mid March.
#1 - Snapdragons
These beauties are flowers a cutting garden cannot do without. They are just barely able to handle our winters, so when I plant them in the fall it is a bit of a gamble. If we get extra cold one week, they may not make it. Because I always hope for those earlier blooms I still plant them in the fall, but always reseed in February... just in case I have holes I needs to put new plants.
#2 - Bachelor Buttons
Have you seen the new colors of bachelor buttons that have come out the past few years? Ahhhh!! I simply cannot get enough of this flower anymore. Although I still grow the traditional Blue Boy because all brides seem to want blue in their bouquets these days, I love the pinks! The mixes of Velvet Dawn with varying shades from eggplant to plum to almost blush really speak to my soul too and this will be my first year growing these colors.
#3 - Calendula
What is a cutting garden without this early spring beauty? Again, I am partial to the newly bred varieties. You know I like the softer colors. Ivory Princess and Triangle Flashback are two I love. They sell out quickly, so if you like the softer shades too and happen to see seeds available be sure to snatch them up!
#4 - Larkspur
Larkspur seemed unimpressive to me until I found the QIS series. These are fully double florets and bigger than what was offered to our grandmothers garden. These are not only lovely in arrangements, but their flowy nature in the garden space make them a double win in my book.
#5 - Feverfew
I have fallen for every single variety of feverfew I have ever grown. Whether you grow the tiny daisy shape or sunny ball on multiple stems all of them are simply pure sunshine... once again both in and out of a vase.
What is extra great about these flowers is if you plant them in the garden by March, you are likely to have flowers by June!
No more waiting long into the heat of summer to have bright glorious flowers in your garden. These will grow and bloom for you so much better if you plant them out early -
I promise!
Happy Growing!
Ella
Does Ella June Gardens Sell Wholesale to Florists?
Why yes, yes I do!
Please note that if you happen upon this Blog , and are a florist, THIS POST IS FOR YOU!
For 4 years, cultivating specialty heirloom, old-fashioned and uncommon varieties of flowers for wholesalers was my main game.
Growing large quantities of blooms for florists and designers to use in your amazing design work is remains a big focus in my Gardens, however how it works continues to morph and change a bit each year.
To be able to continue selling to this elite flower market, I have had to make some changes.
** Beginning in 2025, the State of Idaho requires me to have on record both your florist license and your Reseller’s & Florist license before the first sale of the year can happen. **
Please email me today to get a link to the super easy Google Form for you to fill out.
Flowers are Essential...
We all desire peace and a bit of tranquility from the stresses of every day life. We all desire peace and a bit of tranquility from the stresses of every day life.
Did you know that Harvard conducted a behavioral research study on having cut flowers in your home?
Any guesses what the study revealed?
My guess is that if you are a flower friend of mine, you will not be surprised by these findings in the least.
The behavioral research study conducted by Nancy Etcoff, Ph.D., of Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, found that people feel more compassionate toward others, have less worry and anxiety, and feel less depressed when fresh cut flowers are present in the home.
I don't know about you, but these are all areas I am incredibly interested in improving.
Local flowers are really difficult to get in Idaho year round. This is why I am growing winter tulips.
Tulips symbolize Spring, Hope, and Joy.
When you add these to the Harvard study that improves Compassion, decreases worry and depression, it seems to me flowers will make the world a better place!
Want to order your flowers for this week? Here's the link to Winter Tulips!
Want to grow flowers of your own to cut and bring into your home? Sign up for my Seed Sowing Classes.
If you are reading this May - October, maybe you would prefer ordering your Friday Flowers .
Either way, I hope you are blessed with all the hope, joy, compassion and kindness flowers can bring you!
An Ode to Wonderful...
If you were limited to one word for 10 years, what would you choose?
The first time I met my friend's mom was decades ago. I will call her Violet. The first thing Violet did was take my hand and show me her flower garden. She lived in the hot dry desert of Colorado, yet had her property blooming like a rose.
It was beautiful!
Over the years Violet showed me that she loved all things family, especially her home and garden. She wanted to make the world a better place, or at least her part of the world and did it with nearly constant service to others.
She always loved flowers and grew so many. She was compassionate, full of energy, ideas, and love of life.
Ten years ago Violet suffered a massive stroke that left her completely debilitated. As she regained strength, she was able to say one word.
“Wonderful!”
Would you like some lunch Violet? She responded with “Wonderful!”
Would you like me to read to you? “Wonderful!”
Would you like to sit up? “Wonderful!”
When my friend would bring Violet to her home everything was “Wonderful!” with a lopsided grin.
That one word drew people to her like bees to flowers on a hot summer day.
I have learned that people who love flowers are often happier. They have kind hearts and are generally thinking of how to be gracious to others.
Our friend 'Violet' lifted people's hearts by smiling and telling them "Wonderful!" to everything they said or did for just over 10 years before her body gave up.
What a legacy she left! What an influence!
Are flower people this way naturally so they are naturally drawn to the beauty of flowers, or do flowers make them this way?
I couldn't really say.
Either way, maybe we all just want our efforts to be received as Wonderful!
Flowers are like people. Each is beautiful in their own way. ~Miranda Kerr
Planting Perfection: Finding the Sweet Spot for Flowering Perennials
Hello again, my flower friend!
There is nothing quite like the pure joy of getting your beloved plants in the garden and watch them come to life with gorgeous blooms.
If you've ever purchased a perennial in full, glorious bloom in the middle of summer and had it struggle, you are not alone! You know there is a bit of a secret sauce to getting them as glorious as you expected.
Here is my little guide on finding the sweet spot for planting perfection, using some of the garden favorites you mentioned:
The Perennial Sweet Spot: Fall or Spring?
Here’s the short story… almost all perennials will thank you for planting when the weather is cool and the sun is gentle. We are aiming for a period of low stress! This is the time for them to settle into their new home nice and easy. This means either Fall or Spring!
My mom used to smile when she’d say, “Plant in the Fall, but if you missed that Plant in the Spring!”
Both times of year give those mild temperatures that allow them to send out feeder roots which strengthens them through their flowering season.
1. The Undisputed Champion: Late Summer & Fall (August through Early October)
If I could only choose one time to plant a perennial, it would be the glorious, golden days of fall. The soil is still warm from the summer sun, but the blistering heat has passed, and the days are getting shorter.
Why Fall Wins the Prize:
Warm Soil, Cool Air: This is the perfect equation for root growth! The plant can focus all its energy on setting down a strong foundation in the warm earth without worrying about maintaining its leaves or producing flowers in the heat.
A Long Nap: Planting in fall gives your perennials months to establish roots before the ground freezes solid. When spring finally arrives, they're already settled in and ready to focus on growing foliage and flowers!
Less Watering Worry: Fall rains are generally more reliable, meaning you have to monitor your watering less obsessively than in the heat of summer.
2. The Reliable Runner-Up: Early Spring (As soon as the ground can be worked)
As soon as your soil is no longer frozen and is dry enough to dig without turning into mud, spring planting is a wonderful option.
Why Spring is Still Splendid:
Plenty of Moisture: Spring often brings abundant rain, giving your new roots a good, deep soak.
Growth Ahead: The entire growing season is ahead of the plant, giving it many months to mature and establish before the next winter arrives.
Instant Gratification: You get to watch your little plant perk up and start growing almost immediately!
Timing by the Plant: Favorite Perennials Explained
Here is how these timing secrets apply to some of my favorite garden gems:
Phlox (paniculata):
Best Time to Plant: Fall or Early Spring.
Garden Wisdom: This fragrant beauty is prone to powdery mildew in hot, humid conditions. Planting in the cooler seasons lets it settle and encourages good air circulation, which helps prevent summer mildew.
Sedum (Stonecrop):
Best Time to Plant: Fall is ideal, but truly anytime the ground isn't frozen!
Garden Wisdom: Sedum is one of the toughest, most forgiving plants! Because it's a succulent, it stores water in its leaves. Fall planting gives those beautiful, chunky roots the best start, but its resilience makes it an easy anytime plant.
English Bell Flowers (Campanula):
Best Time to Plant: Fall or Early Spring.
Garden Wisdom: Bell flowers like a good chill! Planting in the cooler seasons allows them to focus on root establishment and prepares them for their lovely summer show. Planting in summer often stresses them out.
Hydrangea:
Best Time to Plant: Fall is highly recommended.
Garden Wisdom: Like the peonies we talked about, hydrangeas are thirsty and sensitive to being moved. Planting in early to mid-fall gives their root systems several weeks to settle into the soil before winter dormancy. If you plant in spring, be prepared to be very dedicated to watering all summer!
Echinacea (Coneflower):
Best Time to Plant: Fall or Early Spring.
Garden Wisdom: These sun-loving staples need time to build a strong base to support those stiff stems and feed the busy pollinators that adore them. Planting in the cool months ensures they build those roots before having to power a summer full of blooms.
My Extra Little Planting Tip: The Summer Dilemma
You will often find your dream perennials for sale in gorgeous full bloom right in the middle of summer. Can you plant them? Yes, but you must be prepared to give them extra tender loving care.
When a plant is blooming, it is pouring all its energy into that beautiful show, not into its roots. If you plant a blooming perennial in July, it goes through a major shock!
Be a Doting Gardener: Give it a daily deep drink and provide it with temporary shade for the first week until it starts to look happier.
Sacrifice the Bloom: I know it's hard, but to save the plant, I often recommend cutting off the flowers and at least some of the foliage after planting. This tells the plant, "Stop showing off and start focusing on your roots, darling!"
Whether you choose the calm of fall or the freshness of spring, remember that a little thoughtful timing is the secret ingredient for a garden that brings you contentment for years to come.
Happy planting
As always, if you enjoyed this, you may enjoy my flower friends newsletter where I swap tips, share photos, and chat about all the contentment and joy flowers bring our hearts and homes.
Overwintering Eucalyptus in Treasure Valley Idaho zone 6b-7a
Eucalyptus plants along with the blessings and troubles that come with overwintering it has been a year in the making.
These seeds were selected from a farm deep in Australia in August 2023.
Once they arrived in Idaho, I had little hope they would survive their first winter, but surprise of all surprises, those tiny seeds not only sprouted by November, they began to grow. I was left with hundreds of plants that my tiny gardens could not support, so I offered these 6"-10" seedlings to other brave souls in the Valley who wanted to give growing them a try.
Before we get into the overwintering process I plan to do, let me talk about how the way I have grown them.
The seedlings I kept for myself were split up into three groups to see how they fared in various environments.
The smallest group stayed in pots smaller than 7" in my greenhouse in warm conditions where I could make sure they were watered daily and received consistent babying and care.
The second group also remained in the greenhouse with the same careful protection, but were given large 3' wide and deep pots to grow in.
The third group was the largest group by far. Over 100 plants were placed outside in a newly created bed in a back garden that used to be a chicken run. I mention this because there was probably residual fertilizer that didn't exist in the other two scenarios.
Five months into growing these seedlings on has given very different results.
Group 1 was the least productive. The plants never grew more than 14 inches tall. They were spindly and struggled with gnats which I treated weekly with Neem oil. I will not be protecting these plants through the winter.
Group 2 in the large pots grew much better. They actually have a bit of bulk and height to them. Although they are not large enough to cut from, I will be cutting back their central stem and covering through the winter and keep them inside the greenhouse with minimal supplimental heat.
Group 3 I would call a Blazing Sucess! These plants seemed to thrive in their new garden bed. They are easily between 36"-48" tall with quite a bit of bulk to them.
These have produced so well that I have been able to share stems of fresh cut Eucalyptus with it's glorious fragrance with fellow eucalyptus lovers. There are still a few bunches available (as of October 14, 2024) and can be purchased here.
This Group 3 will get the most protection and attention through the winter in hopes of having even more fantastic eucalyptus to share next year.
This is the process I plan to use.
1- Top all main stems down to 6" above the ground. There may be some side shoots that are lower than this 6". I have read that this can be useful to the plant come Spring, so I will leave them on.
2- The entire bed will be covered with leaves.... many leaves... multiple inches of insulating leaves to protect the roots during any hard freezes we receive over the next 7 months.
3- To keep the leaves in place, I will be covering the entire bed with agribon fabric. This allows both rain to filter through as well as snow to melt and nurish those little plants.
4- Come Spring, once all danger of frost has finished and the ground has warmed more than 50 degrees, I will remove the fabric and leaves and check for the progress.
The rest of the story will have to be told this coming Summer in 2025. I am as curious as you are to see if there will be continued success for these glorious plants to survive in our mild, but occationally harsh Winters.
Thanks for following along on this journey!
Flawless Wedding Flowers! 14 Questions for Your DIY Success!
Not sure if DIY (do-it-yourself) wedding flowers is right for you?
Here are must ask questions before deciding:
Do I feel comfortable working with flowers?
Do I want to travel to pick up my flowers a day before the wedding?
Do I enjoy hunting down vases and other containers?
Am I ok with purchasing the necessary supplies to make the intricate wearable wedding flowers (boutonnieres, bouquets, corsages, etc.)?
Do I have at least 8 hours the day before the wedding to create floral bouquets?
Do I have friends or family who want to help me the day before and the day of my wedding?
Are my design ideas flexible?
Do I have a good place (cool dark place **away from pets) to store the flowers between pick-up and the wedding?
Do I have a good work space with plenty of room and a big sink to use while working with the flowers?
Do I have someone I trust who will set up the centerpieces and other flower decorations a few hours before my wedding when I need to be getting dressed and ready?
Do I have someone who will bring my bouquet and other wedding party flowers to us before the ceremony?
Do I know how I want to use the vases and flowers afterward my wedding?
Will I be okay if my flowers don’t turn out just like my ideas?
Do I have someone who will clean up and take away all the flowers and after the wedding is done?
Answer key and what it means:
10+? DIY is a Great Fit for you!
6-9 ? Partial DIY will suit you.
0-5 ? Hire a full service wedding florist.
If you like this blog post, you may enjoy receiving my twice monthly Flower Friend newsletter.
Why use Ella June Garden for your Flower Needs?
Brides who use Ella June Gardens’ blooms claim, “They make everything look elegant and beautiful!”
Loved ones who have Ella June Gardens create casket and easel floral sprays to celebrate a life well loved say, “It is exactly what they would have wanted. You got it perfect.”
Flower Friday customers tell me, "Fresh flowers just make me happy!"
I couldn't agree more and am even happier you feel the same!
Join in as we create a local flower loving community with the Treasure Valley’s original Farmer Florist.
Be the first to know when your favorite flowers are available!
Get flower tips.
Be the first to know when workshops are open.
Join Us!
Brides who use Ella June Gardens’ blooms claim, “They make everything look elegant and beautiful!”
Loved ones who have Ella June Gardens create casket and easel floral sprays to celebrate a life well loved say, “You got it perfect. It is exactly what they would have wanted.”
Flower Friday customers tell me, "Fresh flowers just make me happy!"
I couldn't agree more and am even happier you feel the same!
Whether you are looking to celebrate a:
Wedding
Retirement
Birthday
A Life well loved
Just because
Ella June Gardens fresh blooms straight from the gardens and designed just for you are sure to make you pause to enjoy them.
Join in as I create a local flower loving community as the Treasure Valley’s original Farmer Florist.
- Be the first to know when your favorite cut flowers are available!
- Get flower tips.
- Know when I am selling divisions off my perennial flowers
- Chat all things flowers
- Be the first to know when workshops are open.
Join Us!
The Problem with Peonies
Peonies were the very first perennial my husband and I bought when we purchased our property in Middleton almost 25 years ago. At the time I knew little about them other than the poof of blooms simply took my breath away. At the local nursery I simply had to buy every single plant they had that was currently blooming. Fortunately for my bank account, there were only 6 available.
We planted them immediately and had a beautiful show for a couple of weeks- until they finished blooming that year. Then we did not see another bloom for 2 years.
Two entire years...
Even though the plants grew thick and pretty foliage each spring, no blooms appeared. I honestly thought something had gone terribly wrong, so I started asking questions.
This is when I learned the true problem with peonies.
The problem isn't that they are:
* Too big and fluffy
* Too sweetly scented
* Too many varieties and colors to choose from
No, the problem with peonies is that even though they will grow for more than 50 years if taken care of properly, they simply do not like to be moved or transplanted.
Don't get me wrong. Transplanting will not kill a peony. We’ve all seen them at nurseries which means they can be in a pot for a short time and then transplanted. However peonies will focus on putting on roots for a year or two before they begin blooming again.
NO BLOOMS??
The big bodacious blooms are the entire reason we grow these tough plants, but in reality this plant looks to the future. To give those blooms for decades to come takes a lot of energy and energy comes from their roots and shoots. Before I tell you how to improve your odds of getting blooms the first year or two after planting, let me tell you a bit more about the peony.
On a root in the fall you will find little white or pink nubs called "eyes". Each eye represents the probable number of shoots or stalks that will grow in the spring.
When you buy a plant at a typical nursery or store, they may or may not tell you how many eyes the root has. Typical is 2-3 eye. If you are buying through a reputable local nursery, it may even have 3-5 eyes. Rarely, but in extra special times you can find a 6-8 eye plant. These will probably give you flowers the first year!
More shoots in the spring = more energy to create and grow deep foundational roots. So typically, the larger the root, the more likely you are to get flowers.
Typically anything less than 5 eyes, the plant will focus on making more roots and eyes for the next year rather than putting up blooms. Once it get’s to that size, the plant will happily gift you the blooms that you are looking for.
Knowing what I know now, I must have purchased plants with only 2-3 eyes. This made the plant take 2 years before enough energy was provided to the roots for it to safely produce flowers.
Once those initial plants started blooming, it was simply spectacular! They have almost always been perfectly on schedule for the second week of June each year. I couldn't love them more.
So I dig and divide my roots to make more plants and this year I am buying more colors. :)
I am running out of spaces to put these beauties, so this is the first year I am sharing my peony roots.
I'd love to hear from you.
Now that you know about the problem with peonies and root sizes,
Do you pay extra to have blooms the first year?
Or do you get a good price and have patience?
It’s totally up to you!
Whatever the size you plant, here is some basic care information...
Pro Tips:
• Plant in full sun with the eye(s) 1" below the soil level.
• Give a good deep watering right after planting and whenever the soil is dry. (approximately 2x per week through the growing season)
• Fertilize plants in April and August
• Grows 24”-30” wide and 32”-36” tall
• Cut and remove foliage in the fall after first frost
If you enjoy this chat, you may want to join my flower friends newsletter where we talk about how flowers bring us joy.
Join In
Planting Bareroot Peonies
Planting peonies (or most perennials) from bare roots is my favorite way to plant.
It seems to give them a head start, but I totally understand… it can be a bit intimidating.
Peonies like to be in their home (in the dirt). Sitting outside of the soil's protective barrier could cause the roots to get a bit stressed.
To wake them up and get them ready to settle in through the winter, here are 6 easy steps I follow when planting bareroot perennials.
6 tips for bareroot planting.
1. Soak the roots in cool water (not warm) for 20-30 minutes
2. Choose a location that gets at least 6 hours of sunlight per day..
3. Make the hole wide enough the roots won't have to bend to be in the hole and 1" deeper than the root.
4. Place root in the hole.
5. Add potting soil, compost or fertilizer to the hole.
6. Backfill the hole so the entire root is covered with about 1"-1.5" of soil (no more than 2" or you won't get blooms for a couple years).
Peonies are fairly low maintenance plants, and like I have said a million times they want to live many long years. Some have been known to live over 100 years. I don't plan to live long enough to find out if these last that long, but I would love to be able to grow them long enough for my grandsons to have one when they buy their first home.
Caring for your planted Peonies
To get long lasting peony plants, here are the 5 steps I follow...
1. Grow them in full sun… at least 6 hours of direct sunlight each day.
2. Water regularly throughout the growing season. (well draining, not sitting in water).
3. Fertilize in May and July when they are most actively growing or putting on new eyes for next year.
4. Leave the flowers on the plant the first year. The roots grow from sunlight on the leaves, so give it a boost by not cutting any leaves the first year.
5. Cut back the foliage after the first frost each year and remove it from your gardens.
What about Diseases?
Peonies don’t get many diseases and most pests ignore them.
However, grey spots on Peonies leaves or stems is generally a sign of botrytis. They can begin forming mid July.
The first time I noticed it on my peony plants I was shocked that the plants I diligently cared for could have some kind of fungus growing on them.
Fungicides, herbicides or pesticides are not something used in my Gardens - even organic ones if I can help it. So the horror of having an obvious sign of disease sent me to figuring it out.
I spent weeks studying it and I admit the information I read was more than a bit confusing. Then I remembered Fall Cleanup.
Cleaning up the flower beds in the fall has always been my husband's favorite time to do it.
That year, after the first frost, we started with the peony plants first. Rather than composting the leaves, we put those babies right in the dumpster.
The next spring, the plants were plenty healthy without any sign of the nasty botrytis... until early autumn. That fungus was back again. We dealt with it the same way.
For over 20 years we have been dealing with botrytis the same way without it damaging the peonies or spreading to other plants.
How do deal with Botrytis
Our process is simple...
1- Cut back the foliage to the ground after the first fall frost.
2- Remove all foliage from the gardens immediately. Do not compost leaves or stems with botrytis.
Peony plants are super long lived perennials. It is my goal to have them last for generations to come. The gray spots may be noticeable in the Fall, but the plants will ultimately be fine if you remove old foliage after frost and before the spring growth.
For the Love of Amaryllis
It all begins with an idea.
"Nothing helped my winter blues more than having amaryllis in my kitchen." ~Amy
My flower friend Amy was gifted a single amaryllis bulb from my workshop last Christmas season. Every time I ran into her, she gave me an update on how her plant was doing. She even used my instructions and had it blooming in the summer outside.
Nothing makes me happier than to hear how much joy flowers bring to people everywhere. This particular picture below was the Amaryllis I had in my own home last year. It began its first blooms right before Christmas, but this picture was taken on Easter!
Never have I ever had an amaryllis continue to put blooms on that late in the year, so I ordered the exact same jumbo sized 36+cm Peruvian bulbs again this year to see if we can have it happen again. (crossing my fingers as I write this)
Caring for an amaryllis bulb indoors could not be easier. No matter what variety or color or size bulb you have, they all want the same 3 things.
1- Sunlight. Amaryllis crave sunlight. They are almost like little sun worshipers. They lean toward the light consistantly and stretch toward even a small light if they aren't getting what they want.
2- Warmth. Amaryllis like to be warm and thrive in the warmest and brightest place in your home. I like to keep mine in my kitchen where there is plenty of sunlight and the temperature is usually between 65-70 degrees in the winter.
3- Moisture. Amaryllis like consistant watering. It doesn't have to be every day, but don't let your soil completely dry out. When I water, I use very warm water. Not burning hot, but like a good warm shower water. This helps the bulb have an additional boost of warmth.
In my amaryllis workshop, I teach how to care for your amaryllis bulb past its flowering time so it will bloom again for you in next summer.
If you would like to chat more about flowers, we should be flower friends. Sign up for my semi-frequent newsletter here
3 of the Best Self Seeding Flowers at Ella June Gardens
It all begins with an idea.
Not everyone wants to have flowers self seed in their gardens. This is primarily true for me as well. Self seeding flowers can give a less organized look. They can plant themselves exactly where you hoped to have a walkway instead of the location you planned for that particular flower.
In the right environment, however, self seeding flowers are going to give you flowers with little labor or effort on your part. In my simple life I call that AMAZING. I can leave the flowers in place for just a few extra weeks while they set seed then when the conditions are perfect, they will sprout on their own.
The past 2 years I have experimented with several of these kinds of flowers and these are my top 3 that consistently drop seed, sprout and bloom.
1 - Queen Anne's lace or Dara - These sweet girls are prolific. They want to have more lacy lusciousness in the next season's bouquets and one simple stem left to grow old will send out seed and replant an entire patch. The nice thing about QA Lace is that it doesn't seem to stray far from the location of the Mother Plant who gave them life. In my gardens I can expect them to stay within 2'-3'.
2 - Nigella or Love-in-a-Mist - I wish I had more space in my gardens to try all the varieties of these beauties. So far the Albion Green Pods and African Bride have been the most consistent rebloomers. I absolutely love these little flowers. They also stay pretty close to the Mother Plants which is very helpful where I currently have them growing.
3 - Feverfew - There couldn't be a happier surprise for me to have these reseeding around my garden beds. They do travel. One time I actually found some sprouted 60' from the Mother Plant. This was a surprise for sure! However, the great thing about Feverfew is that it let me transplant them to the location I want them. This does cause me to work a bit, but it is worth it to me to not have to baby the seedlings in my greenhouse for weeks to get them to the right size for transplanting. I have tried allowing several varieties of Feverfew to self seed and all have had similar results.
I am currently on a mission to see if my favorite Foxglove will reseed itself here in my gardens, but until I know how well it does I will certainly be enjoying these easy and delightful flowers.
What about you? Do you have self seeders in your gardens? What flower do you wish would be able to self seed?
If you would like to chat more about flowers, we should be flower friends. Sign up for my semi-frequent newsletter here