Sweet peas are a cool-season flower, so plant them early in the growing season. In Southern California, I start my sweet peas October through December. Choose a sunny spot to plant! Plant in fertile soil with ample compost or manure (horse, chicken, or rabbit) gently worked into the top few inches of the soil before. Sweet peas are heavy feeders. Provide a trellis of some sort preferably on the North side of your plants, for the plants to climb. I put my trellis up BEFORE … keep reading
We all have a few surprises in life; I’m referring to the ones you could never predict or see coming until BAM, you’ve been blindsided. For me, one of those delights was a rose garden. If you would have asked me ten years ago if I’d like to grow roses, I would have responded with a passionate: “Never.” “Absolutely not.” “No way.” “Zero-interest.” During my first year of flower farming, my florist friend Bethany would invite me up the steps to her second-floor apartment to … keep reading
No cut flower garden is complete without ranunculus. I could marvel at the beauty of these flowers for hours with their nodding stems and layers upon layers of soft petals. Each plant gives you several cuts over a period of weeks, and your ranunculus bounty will make you feel like the richest gardener in the world. Ranunculus is a cool season flower, and it’s essential to get them started in Southern California in the fall. The ideal time to soak and pre-sprout ranunculus is mid-October … keep reading
Eustoma grandiflorum! Lisianthus! If you’re a new grower here’s what you need to know: Lisianthus flowers are very slow growing and best grown from plugs, versus seed. When choosing a variety to grow, note the group. Each grouping (Group 1, 2, 3, and 4) has a corresponding season in which they flower, which is daylight and heat dependent. Basically, you want these plants to have enough time in the ground to grow long stems before their time to flower–so choose accordingly. Lisianthuses love to be … keep reading