12 Jun I think that was Spring?
How did it get to be June?! I think I went out to water the garden in March and somehow I ended up at the beginning of summer! It certainly was a very hot and dry spring and I feel as if I have had a hose pipe permanently attached to the end of my arm! The summer rains have started in earnest now so hopefully the hose can get coiled up for a while. The cut flowers have been my main focus this spring and I continue to learn what works in our Central Florida climate and how best to grow them. I’m really encouraged by the different flowers I have been able to enjoy.
The roses have been lovely this spring. I added a new David Austin Rose, Boscobel, to my collection and I hoped it would be a good one to cut. So far it has, although none of the roses seem to last very long in a vase once the hot weather sets in as they seem to open so quickly. Winter is really a better time to cut them. Boscobel is such a lovely color and I am really pleased with it.
Such an unusual bud!
I think I would describe it as a watermelon pink.
Goodness roses can be so addictive can’t they?! My other favorite is Koko Loko. I may have written about this one before so apologies if I am a little obsessed with it!
I have started selling bouquets at a local organic market this year. It has been something I have been working towards for a while now and I finally decided to take the plunge. I wanted to make sure that I had a lot of different varieties of flowers to offer – many of them not commonly seen in Central Florida.
The dahlias have been a wonderful cut flower this spring and they have been really productive up until the end of May. It is now too hot for them and the flowers get smaller and the stems less thick. I will keep them ticking over during the summer and then they should respond to the cooler weather of autumn with more flowering.
Dahlia “Bubbling Over”
An evening’s pickings
Other flowers which have grown well in the cutting garden are lovely little Feverfew.
Stock
One of my absolute favorites – Phlox Cherry Caramel
Blue Statice
I wasn’t sure how Bells of Ireland would do here but I can report that they were wonderful!
Bupleurum was another first and super easy to grow here – I just wished I had planted more of it!
Orlaya Grandiflora
Chantilly Snapdragons
These Black Eyed Susan “Chim Chiminee” were grown from seed last autumn and started flowering at the end of April. Another one I would like to grow more of.
With the heat and constant afternoon rains the flowers start to go over but I should still have some Zinnias and Sunflowers to see me through to the beginning of July. Then the garden can take a summer rest before I rework the beds and replant in August/September for autumn.
Wishing my lovely readers a wonderful and sunny summer!
-Kate x
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