Grasses and Greenery to Elevate your Home Cutting Garden
Once you have a nice collection of flowers planned for your home cutting garden, you are ready to take it to the next level.
It’s time to start growing grasses and greenery.
Here are some of my favorite varieties from this genre of plants.
Amaranth - level of difficulty: moderate.
Amaranth is a grass that has beautiful upright or cascading seed heads.
Hopi Red Dye and Hot Biscuits are my favorites right now although I’ve grown so many different varieties over my 7 years of flower farming.
Plant in week 17 and 19.
Although these grow easily and vigorously I call them moderately challenging because they tend to prefer heat.
Amaranth would grow out of control in my original flower garden in the steamy mid-west heat.
Up in Alaska, they grow slower and are sensitive to cold temps. I’ve lost a few plantings by optimistically planting these out too early.
Pinch when plants are 4 - 6 inches high.
Hot Biscuits Amaranth in the Turnstone Farm Garden.
Atriplex - level of difficulty: easy.
Plant in week 13 and 15.
Pinch when plants are 4-6 inches high OR plant 3-5 seeds to a cell. This will stunt them a bit to make the stems more manageable.
These easily self-seed so be careful - you will have to “weed” these out of places you don’t want them.
Harvest when seed heads have matured completely. Pop in a vase or hang to dry.
Bells of Ireland - level of difficulty: challenging.
Plant indoors in week 15 and 17.
I call these challenging because germination can be spotty and slow, so I often like to pre-sprout in damp paper towels before planting.
Pinch once plants are 4-6 inches tall to promote more stems per plant.
Harvest when the “bells” are firm to the touch.
Bupleurum - level of difficulty: challenging.
Maybe it’s just me, but I find this one challenging to grow. It does prefer to be direct seeded but I like to get a head start indoors.
Plant starting in week 13. You could plan for 2 to 3 successions spaced 2-3 weeks apart if desired.
Be patient as it can take a little longer to germinate.
Harvest when the flower heads are fully open - the flower heads stay green. You can also hang to dry at this stage as well.
Cress - level of difficulty: easy.
Penny, Persian or Wrinkled are what I grow. Seeds save well after being dried.
Plant in week 15 and 18.
Harvest when seed heads are fully mature.
Dill - level of difficulty: easy.
“Bouquet” is the variety best for cutting.
Plant in week 15. You could try a few successions 2 - 3 weeks apart.
I only do one planting since aphid pressure becomes high in my garden later in the summer. I’ve gotten rid of this problem by not replanting dill and certain varieties of kale.
Harvest when seed heads are fully mature.
Add to an arrangement or hang to dry.
Bouquet Dill in a Turnstone Farm wedding arrangement. Photo courtesy of Erica Rose
Fennel - level of difficulty: easy
“Bronze” is lovely but you can try other varieties too. They all offer great ferny and delicate elements to your arrangements.
Start in week 14 and 17.
Harvest at various stages for fun elements. Or wait for seed heads to mature fully to add to bouquets or hang to dry. Smells heavenly.
Figwort - level of difficulty: easy
Plant in 13. This is actually a perennial to zone 4 but will flower the first year. I have yet to discover if it will come back in my garden but there’s no reason to think it won’t.
Harvest when flower heads are fully mature.
Grass - level of difficulty: easy
Highlander, Lowlander, Green Drops and Ruby Silk are 4 of my favorites. But try others! There are many.
Grasses are so fun to grow!
Plant in week 15 and 17.
Remember that one seed equals one grass, so you can cluster 5-7 seeds in one cell or pot when planting.
Ruby Silk Grass from the Turnstone Farm Garden
Scented Geranium - - level of difficulty: moderate
I took a few cuttings from a plant in my son’s school. I now have 7 big and bushy plants sitting in my window waiting to go outside for the summer.
Heres what I did:
1) Take a cutting (feel free to pop by my garden and ask for a cutting in the fall).
2) Place cutting in damp soil or a bit of water. You could add some propagating hormone, but mine sprouted roots without.
3) Once you see roots sprouting, pot them up.
4) Pinch back once plant is 6 inches tall to encourage branching.
5) Harden off and plant out in the garden.
6) Before the first fall frost, dig up, pop in a pot and bring inside. You now have a gorgeous house plant to place in a sunny window all winter.
7) In the spring, harden off and plant out again. You can take cuttings from this plant at any time to make more plants for your garden
Feeling unsure about starting seeds indoors go here to read my blog all it: https://www.turnstonefarmalaska.com/garden-blog/2018/10/27/seed-starting-part-3-starting-your-seeds-indoors
Grow with care and you are well on your way to a killer home cutting garden!
8 Best Perennials for the Alaskan Cutting Garden
Here are 8 fabulous perennials for the Alaskan cut flower garden.
There are so many benefits to adding perennials to your cut flower garden.
Once established, they are super hardy.
They spread each year, leading to a greater number of stems every summer.
They often bloom earlier than annuals, thus filling the gap between spring blooming bulbs and annual flowers.
Pollinators love the early-season blooms.
Many of them are truly extra unique.
Perennials can be expensive to purchase from the nursery. But with patience and curiosity you can start most of these perennials from seed for almost nothing.
Some perennials need to be seeded a full year before they flower, but don’t be discouraged.
The best time to start a perennial by seed was last year. The next best time is this spring.
Commit to picking 3 varieties to try from the list below and grow 10 plants of each variety. You’ll have extra in case some die off OR you’ll have extra to give to your neighbor.
Columbine - Barlow Mix, Pink Petticoat and McKana Giant Mix.
Plant in the spring for flowering the following year.
After only a couple years Columbine forms a lush and full bushy plant with many stems. It is one of the earliest to bloom in the garden, which is a huge bonus for the cut flower patch.
Cut for the vase when half the florets on the stem are open. After cutting one round from a plant, watch and wait as I’ll often get a second flush of blooms a couple weeks later.
Pink Petticoat Columbine (bottom left) in an early summer Turnstone Farm bouquet.
Echinacea - There are a few varieties in different colors, just pick your favorite!
These need to be started the year before they flower. I start mine first thing in the spring, usually in week 11 or 12.
Once established, they are hardy and tall.
Harvest fresh for the vase when the petals have opened. Harvest for drying once the cone has started to turn golden.
Echinacea Cone in a Turnstone Farm Boutonniere
Eryngium - Blue Glitter and White Glitter.
Plant in week 11 or 12 for flowering the following year.
This plant gets a top score for cool looks! It has attractive thistle-like blooms with a metallic shine.
Eryngium is a hardy perennial with long, sturdy stems.
It does well in hot, sunny locations. But also tolerates a wide variety of conditions. Expect flowers during the second year of growth and in subsequent years (although mine bloomed the first year!). Great for bees, beneficial flies and wasps. Also known as plains eryngo and flat sea holly.
This is an excellent long lasting cut flower and dries well.
Blue Glitter Eryngium
Heliopsis - Burning Hearts
Sow in the early spring for flowering the following year. I start any new plantings in week 12 or 13.
These are slower to establish but offer delicate and stunning flowers.
Harvest for the vase when flowers are fully open.
Burning Hearts Heliopsis in the Turnstone Farm Garden
Monarda - Red Shades, Panorama Mix or Wild Bergamot.
Seed these in the early spring (week 12 or 13) for flowering the following year.
Monarda is a favorite for pollinators. My patch is always swarming with native pollinators and honey bees.
Plants grow tall and lush in the garden, which make a nice border for a garden room or as a living privacy screen.
Harvest when all the petals are almost fully open. Pop in a vase or hang to dry.
Red Shades Monarda (circled) in a Turnstone Farm Bouquet Subscription
Yarrow - Cloth of Gold and Summer Pastels.
Plant early in the spring for flowering the same season. I usually start a new variety in week 12 or 13.
Each year yarrow expands, so you have to be wary if you don’t want it to spread.
Yarrow is considered a “cool flower” and can withstand a light frost.
Harvest for the vase when pollen is visible on the flowers. If you cut too early, the florets will wilt. Sometimes it’s hard to get this right, so be patient! You can also harvest at this same stage and hang to dry. Yarrow dries excellent and holds its color well.
Yarrow is a fabulous perennial for the Alaskan garden
Peony - so many fabulous varieties!
While Peonies can be started from seeds, like apples, they will not be true to their parent plant.
I am going to try this in 2023 and will give you an update in a following blog.
If you’d like to try your hand at starting a NEW peony variety from seed here are the steps:
Collect seed pods from a couple of plants.
Dry the seed pods.
Once the seeds start to ripen the pods will crack open.
Prepare a space in your garden and plant the seeds in the fall. Mark them well so you know where they are in the spring.
In the spring monitor and care for the plants that have come up.
You should get your first bloom in year 3 and many more in year 4 and 5.
Since most of us don’t want to wait 5 years for a bunch of blooms, peonies are most commonly started from root stock or purchased from a nursery.
A beautiful peony in the Turnstone Farm Garden.
I hope you are now inspired to start a few new perennials by seed this year!
Cannot wait to hear about your 2023 flower gardens.
5 Cut Flowers for the Advanced Gardener
Try these 5 cut flowers for the advanced grower.
If you’re ready for more challenge in your garden, you are going to love these 5 cut flower!
They are a staple in my commercial cutting garden year after year. And while they take a bit more care that easier varieties, with practice you will have great success.
Dahlias
While dahlias are not hard to grow, they offer more challenges than just planting a seed.
To read more in depth on growing dahlias go here to read my blog: https://www.turnstonefarmalaska.com/garden-blog/how-to-grow-dahlias
There are hundreds of dahlias varieties that are great for the garden and the vase. Go here to read up on dahlia varieties: https://www.turnstonefarmalaska.com/garden-blog/choosing-dahlia-varieties
Harvest when the flower has fully opened but before the petals on the back side have started to wither. Dahlias do not last long in the vase but you should get a solid 3-5 days of beauty on your dining room table.
Cornel and Dreamcatcher dahlias tucked into a Turnstone Farm wedding flower arch. Photo courtesy of Lauren Roberts
Nigella
I’m planting nigella in week 16 and 19.
Varieties I love include: Black Albion Pod, Love-in-a-mist and Delft Blue.
While these aren’t officially a hard flower to grow, mine seem to take special care. In fact I wrote in my notes section next to my planting date: “take special care!”.
Nigella prefers to be direct seeded and since I don’t direct seed anything besides salad greens in my garden I think they suffer a little when transplanted.
This is a fun and super unique flower that can be harvested for the flower and for the pod. The pod dries great for everlasting bouquets.
Nigella pod in a Turnstone Farm boutonniere. Photo courtesy of Lauren Roberts
Ranunculus
I start ranunculus by corms in week 16. There is a special process for planting these so be sure to read up by clicking the link below.
Ranunculus loves cool weather. That’s why they are a great flower for northern growers. Most growers plant one round of ranunculus for spring and early summer blooms.
I recently learned how to also get in a fall crop by planting a second round in week 20. This can be a bit of a gamble because if we have a warm summer they will not thrive. But it’s worth the effort! The past two years I’ve gotten a fall harvest although the blooms seem to be smaller than my spring crop.
These can be cut for harvest as soon as the buds feel like soft marshmallows. The more stems you cut, the more blooms you get per plant.
For a more in depth look at growing ranunculus GO HERE to read my blog: “How To Grow Ranunculus”
Yellow ranunculus is a luxurious and wildly popular wedding flower. Photo credit Corrine Graves
Anemones
Anemones are one of my absolute favorite flowers. I grow different varieties each year, so just search around for colors that look amazing to you. I’m starting mine in week 13 only.
These are started very much like ranunculus. Follow the instructions for planting ranunculus here: https://www.turnstonefarmalaska.com/garden-blog/how-to-grow-ranunculus
Ideally you’ll harvest these for the vase after the flower has fully opened once and closed once (they close at night). This is just about impossible to keep track of, so I just harvest when the flower is almost fully open.
Anemones have a fabulous vase life. They don’t ship well so you will almost never see good looking ones anywhere but in your garden, at a farmers market or in your Turnstone Farm bouquet.
Anemones from the Turnstone Farm garden.
Stock
I’m starting all my stock in week 13. This is considered a one and done flower, meaning you grow one plant for one bloom and then the plant is done.
Because of this, I would usually plant 2-3 successions. But because stock dislikes heat I stick to only one early season planting. It would be worth testing a planting that’s mature in time for fall. Perhaps I’ll try a few this year to see how they fare!
Stock is an early season bloomer that helps fill the gap between tulips and all the other garden varieties.
Its smell cannot be beat and the flowers are edible.
It lasts for a solid week to two in the vase and the dried petals can make a heavenly smelling potpourri once dried.
It comes in a variety of colors: white, apricot, purple, light and bright pink and yellow.
While a more challenging flower to grow as it must be started earlier, dislikes dry conditions (spring 2022 anyone!), and dislikes heat, it is well worth the challenge.
Purple stock helps fill out these early season Turnstone Farm bouquets.
Grow Your Own Cutting Garden: 5 Cut Flowers for the Beginning Gardener
Learn these 5 easy-to-grow for the beginning cut flower grower.
If you’re new to growing flowers for cutting I want to offer you 5 flowers that are fantastic for the beginning grower.
Master these and then you can move on to more difficult ones next year.
#1 Calendula is an easy and prolific flower.
Varieties I love are Orange Button and Ivory Princess. Orange Button is the classic bright orange calendula flower. Ivory Princess is a unique soft yellow.
Strip the petals off for a salad garnish or to dry and then add to salves or use as a natural dye.
You can start these directly in the garden or inside. I’m seeding mine in week 14 and week 17 in order to have 6 weeks of continuous blooms. I also leave the calendula patch clear in the garden because they readily self seed. You could plant these once and then simply let a few plants go to seed each fall. You will then not have to re-seed ever again!
Fun fact: some people feed calendula to their chickens to create a more orange yolk. I’m not sure it changes the nutritional value of the eggs but it does make the yolk beautiful.
Ivory Princess Calendula in the Turnstone Farm garden
#2 Bachelor Buttons are one of the earliest blooming flowers in the annual garden.
Blue Boy, Classic Magic and Black Button are fantastic varieties. I plant these once in week 14. You could definitely plan for at least two plantings for continuous blooms all season. I opt not to since cutting these small flowers is very time consuming on a large scale. They are valuable to me in the early season though, since they are one of the first to bloom in my garden.
Fun fact: Bachelor Button flowers are edible. They make for a great garnish.
Bachelor Buttons in the Turnstone Farm Garden
#3 Marigolds are one of my absolute favorite flowers.
Every year I grow Giant Orange. It is the best for cutting and produces loads of big, fragrant blooms.
I’m planting two successions: one in week 14 and one in week 16.
Make sure to pinch marigolds back when they are 4-6 inches tall. If you don’t pinch, you will only get 1 flower per plant. If you pinch, you will get many, many blooms.
Most cut flowers, including marigolds benefit from being supported by netting (shown below). This helps support them in a heavy rain or wind storm. It’s easy to lose an entire crop in one storm if you fail to do so.
Fun fact: Marigolds dry great hung upside down. They hold their vibrant color well and make for fantastic fall dried arrangements.
Giant Orange Marigolds
Be sure to net your flowers so you don’t lose them in a storm.
#4 Poppies are one of the most cheerful additions to the garden.
My favorite varieties include any Breadseed variety (they are the best for pod production) and any Shirley variety. They both come in many colors! Pick a few to start with and have fun.
Don’t forget to save your own seed as it is very easy to do so. I usually just let poppies self seed in the garden from the pods of the previous year. If I’m starting a new variety, I’ll start these indoors in week 20 and week 22.
The only way you’ll ever get poppies in an arrangement is if you grow your own or buy from a local farmer. Since they have a short vase life, they do not transport well. Even with the short vase life they are so worth the effort.
Harvest for the vase right when the bud is about to pop open and you can just start to see the color of the bloom.
Fun fact: poppy pods are fabulous dried and made into fall arrangements or popped into a bud vase.
Shirley poppy in the Turnstone Farm garden.
#5 Strawflowers are an easy and whimsical addition to your garden.
Copper Red, Purple Red and Apricot are my favorites. Although there are so many kinds, so you can’t go wrong.
Strawflowers benefit from pinching. If you don’t, you will get one flower on one very thick stem.
I’m seeding my strawflowers in week 14 and week 17.
Fun fact: harvest at different stages of bloom to get different looking elements in your arrangements: bud stage, just about to open, and fully open.
A dried Turnstone Farm arrangement with strawflowers.
10 Steps to Planning your Dream Garden
Get ready for the best garden ever by following these simple steps.
If you haven’t planned your 2023 garden yet, put it on your schedule!
Get your planning done now so that when planting time comes, it’s smooth sailing through the busy and exciting spring season.
Spring will be here soon.
Here are the 10 steps to planning your dream garden:
Put it in your schedule.
Give yourself ample time to plan. Take care of yourself by giving yourself quiet time to sit, think, and plan. I like to give myself 60-90 minutes of “focus time” for projects like this. After 60-90 minutes I need a break!
Write out all the plants you’d like to grow.
How do you decide? If growing veggies and herbs, grow ones your family already loves to eat. If growing flowers, choose ones that complement where you are expereince-wise. Grow beginner flowers (link to blog) if you’re newer to gardening. Grow harder ones if you want more challenge.
Get real about what you will be growing this season.
Now it’s time to whittle down the above list into a manageable “Core Crop” list. For starters go for 5 veggies, 5 flowers and 2-3 herbs.
Pick your varieties.
Now is the fun time! Once you have your “Core Crop” list, you can dig out those gorgeous seed catalogues and get specific about what you’re growing. Pick varieties that do well in your climate and growing location. Read the descriptions carefully so you get all the information.
Plan your seeding dates.
This is the most challenging part of your planning. I like to create a spreadsheet for this. That way each year I can make adjustments or just do what I did last year.
Need more guidance on this, GET ON MY EMAIL LIST to get notified when The IncrEdible Garden Course opens again - this is my signature online course that teaches you everything you need to know to grow a highly successful backyard oasis filled with food and flowers your family will love.
Plan for succession planting.
In other words, don’t plant all your broccoli seeds at once! Plan to seed accordingly so that you have crops continuously all season.
Draw your gardens.
Use grid paper to draw all your gardens.
Draw in your crops.
I like to make note of all my planned seeding dates (if direct seeding) or all my transplant dates (if seeding indoors) right there on my garden drawing (or map).
Put your first seeding date in your planner or calendar.
Plan for success by having all your tools and supplies ready to go so on your first seeding day, you can get right to work.
Start your garden journal.
This can be a note on your phone (I use Evernote) or a paper journal where you write down everything you notice, see, or experience in your garden. It’s where you write down your failures and your successes. There’s nothing worse than failing at the same thing twice because you forgot to take note of it. This is how you become a better garden!
Don't Start Your Seeds too Early!
It’s January and I know very soon, I’m going to be itching to plant my seeds indoors. This is such a joyful time of hope and anticipation.
I know, you’re itching to start your garden too. But hold on to your horses…
One of the most common mistakes you can make is starting crops too early inside.
Why is this a problem?
Nothing stresses a plant more than being confined for too long.
They deplete resources from the potting mix and they start to grow their roots in circles, becoming root-bound in their tiny pots.
Unless you have A LOT of space and plenty of lights, it’s best to practice restraint and start your seeds a bit later.
Here’s how to figure out planting dates for your garden plants.
Figure out your last frost date.
Read the back of your seed packet or look up your specific variety in a seed catalog. It should give recommendations on when to plant indoors. They will say something like: plant 6-8 weeks before the last frost. For this specific example, I’d go with the 6-week start date.
If they recommend to direct seed, start indoors only 2 weeks before planting out OR just direct seed. These plants usually don’t appreciate root disturbance.
Write down on your calendar what you’re starting and when.
Take notes as you go, throughout the growing season. If something gets really root-bound and is sluggish to grow after you pop it in the garden, make a note. You might try to start a week later the following year. Your garden journal is your biggest friend. If you don’t have one, start one NOW.
So, you might be wondering what I’m starting first?
By the way, I’m starting seeding a full week later than last year.
In 2022, all my cool season crops were spot on in regard to planting time. But all my warm loving crops could have benefited from getting started a week (or two) later.
Just for you, here’s a sneak peek at my first week of seed starting, which is coming up fast folks!
Turnstone Farm seed starting the week of March 12th:
Oregano
Sage
Rosemary
Thyme
Snapdragon - Potomac Varieties. These guys grow relatively slow and love the cool spring temps. I try to start these as early as I can because they can be planted before the last frost.
If I was starting perennials that I may want to bloom the first year, I’d start them now too.
Thats it for my first week of planting.
Happy garden planning!
7 aromatic herbs that also look great in a vase!
I grow lots of herbs. Most are easy to grow and have many multi-purpose benefits for the home gardener and flower farmer.
In this blog, I want to introduce you to 7 herbs I grow every year that not only do culinary wonders but also look great in a vase.
In addition to being a fun addition to the vase, here are some additional benefits of growing herbs:
If you have a tiny garden, growing herbs maximizes your space since you’ll be growing a plant for both culinary and cut flower purposes. I’m all about the multi-purpose plant!
If you don’t have much space to grow, most herbs do great in planters on your porch. In fact, since I like to keep mine close at hand I often grow them in pots just so I can quickly pop out to the porch to pick them.
Once gone to flower, herbs attract and nourish beneficial insects which help keep away the insects you don’t want around.
Fresh herbs are often hard to find and can be expensive at the grocery store. Lucky for you, they are best from the garden anyway!
Picking herbs and keeping a small jar of herbs on your kitchen counter is the best way to keep them once harvested (don’t let them rot in the crisper). My husband and I joke that the crisper is where veggies go to die. This will give you super easy access to them the next time you cook and will bring a nice pop of greenery into your kitchen.
So here are 7 herbs you must add to your home garden.
Chive: Chives, while not easy to start from seed are easy to grow once established. They spread steadily, so every few years you’ll have to dig and replant or give away a clump. The flowers on chives are SO delicious and do great in a vase.
Cilantro: Calypso is a slow to bolt variety great for growing in any northern climate. Use this culinary herb in your favorite dishes. I love a good homemade salsa with lots of cilantro.
Once it has gone to flower, harvest for an aromatic bouquet. The seed heads are also a lovely and fun addition in a bouquet.
Dill: Bouquet variety is specifically for the cutting garden but is also edible so it’s a win-win! This is a super fast grower. You can use the flower or seed head once fully open. The seed heads are also great for drying.
Fennel: Bronze leaf is a beautiful variety. It produces gorgeous flowers and seed heads. Harvest flowers once they are beginning to bloom or use foliage to add texture and a unique color.
Mint: both Common and Mountain varieties are fantastic. Common mint is a rapid spreader so make sure to plant in pots or be prepared to cut it back every year.
Mountain mint is not a spreading variety but in my experience, is very slow to grow and doesn’t always come back year after year. If I plant 10 plants I may get 2-3 to come back again the following year.
Oregano: Greek variety is a best bet. My oregano comes back year after year but even so, I usually start a few plants every spring just in case.
I love letting these go to flower before I cut for the vase. They are long lasting in the vase and fill in an arrangement nicely. Oregano leaves dry well for later use.
Sage: Common sage is a perennial that will flower the second year. Use foliage in culinary dishes, dry for use all winter or use foliage or flowers as greenery in a bouquet.
In my garden, sage will come back for 2 to 3 years and then die out. Because of this, I start a few new plants each spring to keep my garden well stocked.
Left to right: Lavender thriving in a planter, Chive flowers - my mouth is watering just looking at these, Sage flowering big time in my home garden.
Plus a bonus herb I encourage you to try!
In addition to these fabulous and relatively easy-to-grow culinary herbs I also want to mention another favorite flower/herb: Lavender. I grow the Elegance variety.
Lavender is more challenging to grow in my northern climate. It is a slow grower and thrives in warmer temps.
This is one of the earliest plants I start by seed. I then make sure to plant it in a warm, sheltered environment which usually means in a pot on my super sunny front porch.
Harvest mature flowers for the vase or harvest each stem when flowers are budding if you want to hang for drying. Lavender keeps its aroma and color well after drying.
If you’re up for a challenge, try this amazing herb. The beauty, aroma, and happiness you will enjoy from this plant are priceless and well worth the difficulty!
How to Grow Ranunculus
One of the most popular flowers right now in the modern florist and wedding flowers world has to be ranunculus.
And for good reason! These beauties are amazing. They have this multi-petaled rose-like quality and they last forever in the vase, especially when grown locally (like in your backyard).
Plus, as garden flowers, they are so bright and beautiful! I want to see these growing in more gardens around town.
I do consider these a more advanced flower to grow, mainly because the process of starting these is a bit different than other cut flowers.
But do not fear! I am here to walk you through the entire process. From ordering corms to harvesting blooms for the vase.
So let’s jump right in.
Where do I get ranunculus corms?
Since ranunculus is started by corms (root matter saved from the previous year’s growth), you must first source and order these.
I sell a mixed bag of 20 corms each spring. Be sure to hop on my email list HERE in order to get first dibs on all my sales. For 2023 I am selling Picotee varieties in purple, orange, and pink. I order hundreds of corms each fall and save my own varieties from year to year, so I end up with plenty to share.
If you’re looking for other varieties check out Ferna Farms. They are another small farm offering these awesome corms to home growers.
When do I start ranunculus corms?
I start all my ranunculus about 2 weeks before planting out.
My plant-out date will be early May, so I’m starting all my corms the 3rd week of April.
Once sprouted, these guys grow fast! Plus, they do well in cooler temps, so if covered, they can weather a few touches of frost.
How do I start them?
First, you’ll need to soak your corms.
What the heck does this mean? It simply means, popping your corms in a bucket, adding cool water, and letting them sit for about 4 hours.
Some farmers recommend gently agitating the water while they are soaking (using a fish tank bubbler or leaving a stream of water running). I’m here to say, I’ve done it without any agitation and everything turns out OK.
Once properly soaked, they will look relatively plump. Now you’re ready to pre-sprout.
Pre-sprouting consists of layering a grow flat with potting mix. I use ProMix seed starting mix (ideally organic if I can find it locally).
Once a layer of the mix is in the flat, place your corms root-side down in the tray. If you think of your corms as little octopuses, the “tentacles” go down.
You can place them pretty close - I do about 2 finger-widths apart. Then, cover them with soil.
Lightly water (err on the side of too dry than too wet otherwise your precious corms may rot) and place somewhere dark at room temp.
Check these daily. Once they have started to grow green shoots out of the soil, it’s time to place them under lights at about 16 hours/day or if your garden beds are ready for them, it’s time to plant.
Planting soaked corms in seed starting mix for pre-sprouting.
Ranunculus beginning to sprout and grow under lights.
How do I plant ranunculus in the garden?
After pre-sprouting your ranunculus, they are ready to plant in the garden. Gently loosen each corm from the potting mix, dig a shallow hole, and place them in your garden bed. I plant mine about 9'“ apart.
They will benefit from a general-purpose organic fertilizer and bone meal application at planting time.
How do I tend my ranunculus plants?
Ranunculus care is similar to other cut flower care. As they can grow taller, they will be susceptible to wind and heavy rain. I suggest staking or netting them in your garden. Or at least, planting them in a sheltered location, out of any spring or summer winds.
How do I cut my ranunculus for the vase?
Ranunculus is cut as soon as the flowers reach the “soft marshmallow” stage. If harvested too soon, they will not open. You can wait until they are fully open to harvest but their vase life will be diminished slightly.
Please know that you don’t have to cut for the vase. Ranunculus looks gorgeous in the garden! And they bloom prolifically until the heat of the summer comes on strong.
SPECIAL NOTE ON GROWING A FALL RANUNCULUS CROP:
I learned this technique from a farming friend in Norther Alberta who has similar summers to where I grow.
Since the first planting of ranunculus will most likely peter out in late July, I loved the thought of a second planting. Last year I tried it for the first time.
Here’s what I did:
I saved about half my corms (you can just hold them at room temperature in a paper bag).
Go through the same steps of soaking and pre-sprouting starting in mid-June.
Plant in the garden once they have pre-sprouted and tend normally.
If you live in an area with cooler summers, you will be blessed with a late crop that will bloom until the first frost!
Garden Supply Check-list
Spring will be here faster than you think and with that, it’ll be planting time! So let’s get organized.
I want to get you set up early so you’re ready to break ground, or pop those seeds in the soil, as soon as you can.
With supply chain issues going on this year I also want to make sure you buy anything additional that you need soon so you have EVERYTHING you need for a great growing season.
Here’s my challenge to you: over the next 10 days, grab this checklist and head into your garden shed for an early season inventory!
Seeds - inventory what you have - most seeds are viable for 2-3 years
Potting soil for seed starting
Grow lights
Shelving for your plants and lights
Trays and domes - you can use these again and again just be sure to wash before planting
Heat mats & thermostat
Timer for your lights
4 packs or 6 packs - you can use these again and again just be sure to wash before planting
3 inch pots or 4 inch pots - you can use these again and again just be sure to wash before planting
Gallon pots - you can use these again and again just be sure to wash before planting
Plant labels - buy or make your own
Dish gloves or latex gloves - for seed sowing indoors these help keep my hands from getting all dried out
Watering can - I like a kids specific one for watering indoors
Soil test - DIY kit or identify a lab to send out to
Organic soil amendments per your soil test
Compost - home-made or commercial
Trowel
Weeding tools
Pitch fork or broad fork
Bed prep rake or stiff tined rake
Pots and planters and/or garden beds - I know they’re all covered in snow, just make a plan, especially if you need more
Trellising and staking supplies
Garden journal or calendar
Your garden plan and garden map
Garden gloves - I love having a leather pair and a more waterproof pair
Knee pads or equivalent
Did I forget anything? Comment below to share your must-haves for the season.
Tried & True Garden Varieties
Giant Orange Marigolds.
In order to get you growing an amazing and fail-proof garden, I want to get you started with some of my tried and true varieties.
Since I’m a flower LOVER and flower grower this list will be flower heavy. BUT I also want you to have some of my favorite varieties for your veggie garden.
Over the years I’ve rubbed shoulders with vegetable farmers (quite literally - my husband managed a large vegetable CSA at the same time I started my flower farm) and tested different varieties myself.
Often just choosing the right varieties will set you up for success in the garden. And with SO many fun and beautiful varieties out there - how do you know what to choose?
By putting your ear to the ground and being committed to experimenting!
Wiser growers than I have told me to commit 20% of my farm to new varieties. I’m recommending this to you now too.
Don’t go overboard with new stuff - then you risk wasting too much valuable garden space to varieties that you’re not actually sure will produce well. Stick to tried and true varieties and dip your metaphorical toe into fun and exciting new ones each year.
So now on to my tried and true varieties that I know, you’ll love.
First, for the flower garden:
Ammobiom
Ammobium aka Winged Everlasting.
Centaurea - Classic Magic, Blue Boy OR Black Button
Calendula - Orange Button
Cosmos - any Double Click Variety
Cynoglossum - Chinese Forget-me-not OR Firmament
Dill - Bouquet
Ornamental Grass - Frosted Explosion
Marigold - Giant Orange
Nasturtium - Trailing
Nigella - Albion Black Pod
Poppy - Breadseed OR Shirley
Shirley Poppy.
Rudbeckia - Cherokee Sunset
Saponaria - Pink Beauty
Scabiosa - Black Knight
Snapdragon - Potomoc varieties OR Madame Butterfly varieties
Bunches of Potomac Snapdragons.
Strawflowers - Copper Red OR Purple Red
Sunflowers - Procut varieties OR Sunrich varieties
Now for the veggie patch:
Beets - Touchstone Gold & Chiogga
Broccoli - Belstar
Belstar Broccoli just starting to grow crowns.
Carrot - Yaya
Cilantro - Calypso OR Cruiser
Cucumber - Diva OR Socrates
Kale - Red Russian OR Lacinato (also called Dinosaur or Black)
Red Russian Kale co-housed with Dahlias.
Peas - Sugar Ann OR Sugar Snap
Pumpkin - Cinnamon Girl
Spinach - Corvair
Tomato - Sun Gold
Zucchini - Dunja OR Blck Beauty
There you have it! This is by no means a comprehensive list but it’s meant to get you on the right track to a highly productive garden this season.
So now on to ordering seeds! GO HERE to read all about my favorite places to place your order.
5 of my Favorite Edibles!
Flowers are not just food for the soul! They can also be REAL food. In fact, my two kiddos DELIGHT in plucking a flower and munching.
I want to share 5 easy flowers that you can grow AND eat!
Flower petals can be used fresh or dried for garnish during the cold, dark winter months.
Aside from nasturtiums, which are completely edible (leaves and stems), be sure to eat only the petals of these flowers.
Calendula
Tangy and slightly bitter, you can add these petals to sweet or savory dishes.
An easy to grow and prolific bloomer. They also readily self-seed in the garden for years after your first planting.
Direct seed in the garden after last frost OR start indoors 4-5 weeks before last frost (which in my neighborhood is around May 15th).
Plant in the garden or in planters giving about 6-9” of space between each plant.
Bachelor Buttons
These flowers are delicate and whimsical and are always one of the first to bloom! They are mild and sweet.
Direct seed as soon as soil can be worked or start indoors 3-4 weeks before last frost.
Plant out about 6-9” apart in the garden or in planters. Be sure to stake as these grow tall and can easily topple in a wind storm.
Calendula comes in colors ranging from pale yellow to rich orange.
Bachelor Buttons are one of the first annual flowers to bloom in the garden.
Snapdragons
Snapdragons are a workhorse in my flower garden. They come in many colors, last a long time in the vase, are cold hardy AND you can eat them. They taste a bit bitter and floral :) Add a few as garnish to salads, deserts or drinks.
I would say these are for the intermediate grower. They can be tricky to germinate so plant a few seeds per cell or pot. Press the seed gently into soil but don’t cover as this seed needs light to germinate.
Start these early! I’m planting my first succession (a succession is simply anytime you seed a specific variety) the 3rd week in March. I’ll do two successions about 3-4 weeks apart.
Space about 6-12” apart in the garden. Be sure to pinch when plants are 4” high - this will give you a branching plant with lots of blooms!
Nasturtiums
These guys are the classic edible. They taste a bit spicy and both the flowers and the leaves look amazing on a salad.
Plant directly in a pot or in the ground 2 weeks before last frost OR start indoors 3-4 weeks before the last frost.
Cover seeds, as they require dark to germinate.
These look amazing anywhere in the garden, in planters or hanging pots. Plant about 3 plants per 10” pot or space 8-12” apart in the garden.
Nasturtiums: a bright and cheery addition to your salad.
Snapdragons come in tons of colors!
Sunflowers
Not only can you eat the seeds, you can eat the petals! They are bittersweet and will brighten up any salad or dessert.
One of the easiest flowers to grow. They do great in pots (but will be shorter and smaller), or in the garden. Folks tend to think these need to grow super tall! I personally love these to be more manageable for the vase so grow them closer together (6” apart).
Direct sow in the garden after last frost. You can also start indoors 2-3 weeks before planting outdoors. They grow fast, so don’t start too soon!
Two of my favorite varieties for the vase are ProCut Orange and ProCut Gold and Sonja. If you’re looking to grow seeds, go with Standfast from Fruition Seeds.
Sunflowers (edible) & zinnias (not edible) harvested off our old farm in WI.
Sunflowers on our old farm in WI.
Heirloom? Open-polinated? Organic? What does it mean!?
When shopping for seeds it’s helpful to have a little base knowledge otherwise the language can seem a little overwhelming.
I’m here to demystify a few terms that you may encounter when shopping for seeds.
Heirloom Seeds
These guys have been passed down through the ages and replanted, tended and harvested year after year after year. A seed that has been grown and passed down for 50 years is technically an heirloom.
Heirloom seeds often come with a rich history. They follow people as they move around the globe. They hold stories of those who have perpetuated them for years. If you choose to grow heirloom, you are ensuring that this rich part of civilization (seed saving and passing down) continues.
Open Pollinated Seed
This is a term meaning that seed will produce seed naturally. Pollination will occur just as nature intends by bird, bee, wind or by hand. As long as there are no other plants of the same species nearby, each open pollinated plant will produce seed that will grow another plant identical to the parent.
All heirloom seeds are open pollinated. But not all open pollinated seeds are heirlooms.
My favorite part of growing heirloom and open pollinated varieties is that it’s the ultimate do-it-yourself way to garden. And it also feels like you’re sticking it to The Man! There’s no patent on your plants. It’s yours for as long as you can care for and save your seeds year after year after year.
Hybrid Seeds
If you’re growing a hybrid seed it will usually have a little F1 on the label. Hybrid plants will not produce seeds that are true to type and they will have significantly decreased vigor. Which means no saving hybrid seeds! You must buy them again each year.
Hybrids are created by crossing different plant varieties to form new varieties in order to produce some sort of desired trait (better disease resistance, better shelf life, better taste, etc). But don’t worry, they’re save and have nothing to do with GMOs.
Here’s a cool thing too: hybrids can be stabilized over the years by growing and selecting for traits and perpetuating that variety. But for most of us, this is a bit over the top.
Organic Seeds
Organic seeds are always non-GMO and produced by growing the parent crop in accordance with the organic standards for certification.
You can have organic or non-organic heirlooms, organic or non-organic open pollinated and organic or non-organic hybrids. Whew!
GMO
So I just went straight to the non-GMO project website for this one:
“A GMO, or genetically modified organism, is a plant, animal, microorganism or other organism whose genetic makeup has been modified in a laboratory using genetic engineering or transgenic technology.
This creates combinations of plant, animal, bacterial and virus genes that do not occur in nature or through traditional crossbreeding methods.”
Fortunately none of my favorite seed resources have anything to do with GMOs. Unfortunately, GMOs can be harder to tease out when we’re in the grocery store.
Just remember: organic is always non-GMO.
Seed Resources
Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds - sells exclusively heirloom seed.
Seed Savers Exchange - sells exclusively heirloom seed in both organic and non-organic varieties.
Johnny’s Seeds - has some of everything: heirloom, open pollinated, organic and hybrid.
Fruition Seeds - all organic-heirloom or organic-open pollinated seeds.
High Mowing - all organic seeds in either hybrid, open pollinated or heirloom varieties. They have a fun variety pack for sale that’s called “Heirloom Vegetable Lovers Organic Seed Collection” for $19.25.
Thanks for reading! Feel free to leave your favorite seed sources in the comment section below :)
Best of 2020: My Favorite Varieties from the Veggie Garden
Corvair is a slow to bolt spinach variety that needs a place in every home garden.
In addition to growing flowers, I grow a big veggie garden in our backyard.
Every year our lawn gets smaller and our veggie garden gets bigger.
Here are some of my favorite veggies from the garden this year:
Tomato: Sun Gold. A sweet, early and prolific cherry tomato. The past two years I’ve been thinking: “maybe I should just grow all Sun Golds!” But I also like to have variety.
You will not be disappointed. I grow mine in an unheated hoop house. Next year I will trial these outdoors.
Kale: Red Russian. I’ve been growing Red Russian for six years. It is just my absolute favorite kale year after year.
It’s meaty and sweet in the fall. Plus you can grow it as a baby green by planting densely OR grow into a large plant for bunching. Once cut and massaged with dressing it makes THE BEST kale salad.
And get this folks, we still have kale in the garden now (it’s November as I write this)! We planted a HUGE bed of kale early in the summer. The leaves are frozen but you can go pick and they saute into an amazingly sweet and delicious side dish.
Carrot: Yaya. A yummy 5-6 inch sweet and tender carrot. Great for eating right out of the garden. With kids around, I just can’t keep carrots in the ground till the end of summer :)
Broccoli: Blue Wind and Belstar. I loved both of these varieties. Delicious and huge! Once the main head on Belstar is harvested it goes on to produce lots of side shoots. Blue Wind, not so much. It’s more of a one-and-done variety.
Cucumber: Socrates. A great cuke for Alaska. 52 days to maturity (once transplanted out). It’s seedless, sweet and tender. The kids (and myself) ate these like candy all summer long!
I’d like to try these outdoors next year to see how they perform. But in my unheated hoop house, they did amazing in pots. I trellis these straight up to the roof of the hoop house in order to squeeze in more plants.
Zucchini: Dunja. A classic, high-yielding zucchini that I grow every year! Don’t make the mistake and grow these too big. Although it’s fun to have big zucchini in the garden, they are the most succulent when picked at the proper stage (when fruits are 6-8 inches long).
Cilantro: Calypso. If you avoid growing cilantro because it bolts too fast, try this one! It is the slowest to bolt! Then when it does, you can cut the flowers to put in a vase (they smell heavenly) or wait till it forms seeds and use them as fresh coriander. Yum!
Spinach: Corvair. A delicious, juicy spinach. This is slow to bolt, so does well into the early summer.
And of course there are more!
If you need a suggestion for a certain variety, ask below in the comment section OR send me an email at turnstonefarm@gmail.com.
There’s nothing I love more than talking about gardening.
Best of 2020 - Part 2: My Absolute Favorite Flowers of 2020
Ben Huston is one of my absolute favorite dahlia varieties. It makes my heart go “boom” every time.
Every year I grow new varieties to test and then report back on what I absolutely loved. Since I also have a small growing space I have to ruthlessly cut anything that doesn’t preform well.
I’ve looked over what I grew in 2020 and am pleased to say the below flowers made my “Best of 2020” list.
Saponaria - Pink Beauty. A nice early bloomer to fill vases early in the summer. Harvest when the first buds are open. The remaining buds on the plant will slowly open in the vase which gives you a nice long lasting cut flower. Needs staking in the garden or wind and rain might topple it.
Saponaria is the pink airy flower with the green buds that is arranged horizontally.
Strawflowers - Copper Red, Purple Red, Vintage White. These are so magical! How can I pick just one?!
These are 3 that I LOVED. A long lasting, magical and whimsical cut flower. Blooms dry great but they need to be wired as stems become weak with drying. Best of all they are super easy to grow! So if you’re new to growing flowers, start with these.
Copper Red Strawflower
Eucalyptus - Silver Drop & Silver Dollar. I first tried these last year and fell in love. Adds texture and interest to any flower garden.
I am also pleased to say that they looked amazing in pots! Plus they are relatively frost hardy, so mine looked great through October.
Be sure to start these guys early under lights as they are slow to grow!
Statice - QIS Apricot. The designers who bought from me this year absolutely LOVED these. The color is one-of-a-kind. And the tiny whorls of blooms create a nice textural element. Plus they pretty much last forever once dried!
Scabiosa - Black Knight. Every year I grow these. And every year I LOVE them more.
Unfortunately germination can be spotty, so I didn’t have a lot of blooms this year. Planting way more next year. They are true magic.
Grass - Frosted Explosion. Oh wow! Such an ethereal addition to the garden. An airy-fairy grass that looks awesome in the vase and dries amazing.
Scabiosa - Black Knight
Eryngium - Blue Glitter.
Eryngium - Blue Glitter. This gets a 10+ for cool looks! It has attractive thistle-like blooms with a metallic shine. Eryngium is a hardy perennial with long, sturdy stems.
Does well in hot, sunny locations. But also tolerates a wide variety of conditions. Expect flowers during the second year of growth and in subsequent years (although mine bloomed the first year!). Great for bees, beneficial flies and wasps. Also known as plains eryngo and flat sea holly.
Excellent long lasting cut flower and dries well!
Ben Huston Dahlia in a bouquet.
Dream Catcher Dahlia.
Dahlias - Ben Huston. A juicy orange color on showy decorative petals. Just makes my heart pound every time I see this bloom.
Dahlias - Golden Sceptor. First year growing this dainty and cheerful beauty. True yellow flowers are only 2-3 inches. Such a happy-maker! Your garden will seriously sing with these little beauties.
Dahlias - Dream Catcher. This is a stunning cut flower. Perfect petals that meld pink to yellow to green on strong and upright stems.
Rebecca Lynn Dahlia
Dahlias - Rebecca Lynn. Here’s what I said about Rebecca Lynn last year:
“Rebecca Lynn Dahlia is not just pink, it’s power pink. It’s get-things-done pink. It’s an Elizabeth-Warren-suit-jacket pink. A “nevertheless-she-persists” pink. A woman-with-a-plan pink. Grow this dahlia and you’ll want to do things! Go places! And get er done!”
Looks amazing in the garden and in pots.
There it is friends!
My Best Flowers of 2020.
Now go grow some amazing flowers.
Choosing Dahlia Varieties
I fell in love with dahlias a little reluctantly.
My first exposure to these wild and beautiful flowers was when I was landscaping for the city. I worked with the Tree and Shrub People but occasionally helped out the Flower People.
The Flower People used to fill a gigantic bed next to the performing arts center with huge (and I thought garish and gaudy) dahlias. I’m sure they were amazing but I always thought them a bit silly. I mean, I was a Tree and Shrub Person after all: practical and no nonsense (I am however often unpractical and full of nonsense).
Once I became a flower farmer I still tried to steer clear of these flowers, mainly because of my previous association with them in the city garden.
But then I saw a different side to these flowers by seeing what other folks were growing for cutting - a more delicate side.
So I cautiously bought a few tubers AND FELL IN LOVE.
I am always amazed that from a sad little tuber grows a huge lush plant that can reach 5-6 feet tall with flowers that come in all colors of the rainbow (almost). The varieties I fell in love with first were the psychadelic looking pompons or ball dahlias. After that first year I quickly started adding new varieties each year.
Now I can honestly say that I’m obsessed with dahlias. I currently have 30 varieties (and over 500 actual tubers) safely tucked in my crawlspace waiting for spring planting.
Ball dahlias: my gate-way drug to the dahlia addiction.
So how do you choose which dahlias to grow?
I, of course, love to grow for cutting.
I always want the option to go into my garden and cut a bloom for the table.
Because of this I’m not going to bother with the short varieties or any other bedding variety flowers for that matter.
If you’re just getting started with dahlias, here’s what I would recommend: buy 3-5 high quality single tubers of different varieties and colors. Or more if you have the space!
Read on to learn about a handful of dahlia types. Within each type there are many different varieties of different colors and slightly different shapes.
1) Anemone varieties like “Pooh” are super fun in the garden but a little short lived in the vase. I love these because they are so different from the traditional looking dahlia. They add true variety to the garden.
Pooh - an anemone variety. This is a super prolific bloomer. And SO CHEERY!!
2) Dinner plate dahlias have huge, luxurious blooms. You can easily fill a vase to overflowing with just a handful of these flowers. I love using these in wedding bouquets and just one in a small vase on the dinner table is ah-mazing.
Cafe au Lait Dahlia - the classic dahlia for luxurious wedding bouquets.
3) Pompon or Ball dahlias can be just a few inches in diameter. I find these the most approachable variety. They are round little balls that look stunningly perfect and rather psychedelic.
Delicate and perfect - the ball dahlia.
4) Cactus dahlias are what I think of as a little garish but they can add texture and interest to the garden. I don’t currently grow these but maybe some day I’ll warm up to their crazy look.
Cactus dahlia
And believe it or not, there are more! I thought as a starter’s-guide the above mentioned varieties would be enough to get you going.
When planning your dahlia garden, pick a color palate (if that’s your thing) or a variety of colors and add diversity and texture by getting a few anemones, a few pompons, a few dinnerplates, etc.
Go here to learn how to grow dahlias in your garden: https://www.turnstonefarmalaska.com/garden-blog/how-to-grow-dahlias
2019 Must Grows! 10 of my favorites from the garden that YOU must try
Each year I try to take copious notes on all my varieties.
At the end of the year I pour over these and decide on what varieties were rock stars and which varieties to cut in the year to come.
There are obvious choices and often tough choices to make as I plan my garden for next year.
Lucky for you, I’ve done all the hard work! Read on to find out what varieties I absolutely LOVED.
Maybe you can try these in your garden next year!
Ferncliff Copper Dahlia after harvest
Ferncliff Copper Dahlia. This was a cheery little ball dahlia on a tall and gorgeous plant. Sort of a red-orange-copper color in a psychedelic ball shape.
The flowers just kept coming all summer! And they are great tuber producers. So before you know it, you’ll have tubers to give away.
Shirley Poppies in full bloom
Shirley Poppies. Folks, this was my first year growing poppies for cut flowers!! I’ve grown the breadseed poppies for seed heads but always felt a bit intimidated about using the flowers as they’re notorious for being short lived in the vase. No more!
These Shirley poppies were out of this world! Easy to grow from seed - I just tossed them in the garden. And prolific - they bloomed through the heat of summer until frost. I even figured out how to keep them happy in the vase for almost a week! (hint - cut just as you start to see color peeking from the bud)
Ruby Silk Grass after harvest
Ruby Silk Grass. Now an annual must-grow.
Last year was a trial year for this and I almost didn’t grow again… I planted it in a shady area with poor soil and it was not happy.
But this year, wow! It was part of my main garden and it did great! If you fancy clumps of golden red grass in your garden (which I highly recommend) you will love this.
I planted about 20 seeds per cell (started these inside) and had gorgeous bunches of colorful grass ALL summer. Plus, it dries great for everlasting bouquets or winter crafts.
Potomac Snapdragons in a variety of colors.
Potomac Snapdragons. It is always hard to decide on which snapdragons to grow each year - there are so many different varieties, colors, sizes, etc. But hands down, my two favorites this year were Potomac Red and Lavender. You can also buy Potomac mix if you prefer a mix of colors.
These guys bloomed ALL summer. They last a long time in the vase without a fuss. And once you cut them from the garden, they just keep sending up new flowers! They even bloomed through the first couple frosts in the fall.
Purple Red Strawflower in a boutonniere
Copper Red & Purple Red Strawflower. These fun flowers always remind me of my first childhood garden!
They’re easy to grow and so fun. Copper Red and Purple Red are vibrant and striking colors that would look great in any garden. And of course the great thing about strawflowers is the everlasting flower you can save and display all year!
Now on to my favorite edibles!
Sungold Tomatoes. Hands down the most prolific cherry tomato I grow.
Golden orange in color and SUPER sweet. If you can only grow one variety of tomato, grow these!
Chocolate Pear Tomatoes. I couldn’t list just one tomato, especially after this hot tomato-happy summer!! This is a fun open pollinated variety of tomato, which means they have not been hybridized so you can save the seeds!!
Sweet, pear shaped and reddish-brown in color. If you can grow two varieties of tomatoes, grow these too!!
Dunja Zucchini. If you like zucchini, you will love these! This is an easy to grow variety that will give you lots of zucchini to get you through the summer.
Red Russian Kale. Hands down this is my favorite kale. It has a smoother leaf structure and the leaf is a bit thicker which makes it a bit “meatier”.
You can grow this into a large plant to harvest big leaves or plant many seeds close together for a salad mix.
Magic Molly Potatoes. I usually let the valley farmers grow my potatoes.
But this year I decided to grow my own for 3 reasons:
1) We have a couple marginal garden beds that are a bit sandy - just perfect for potatoes;
2) Just for my 4-year-old son since nothing is more fun than digging potatoes as a kid;
3) I’m trying each year to grow a little more of my household’s food on our tiny urban lot!
So if you want to grow potatoes too, try these!! These are delicious and a unique deep purple color!
So there you have it! My faves of the 2019 growing season!
Planning Your Dream Garden
I know it’s the middle of winter but believe it or not, it’s time to plan your dream garden!
To be honest, here on the farm this is a HUGE undertaking. Every year it gets a bit easier but I am always surprised by the time this takes.
As a home gardener your task is a little simpler but give yourself time and have fun!
I want to break down your garden planning job into a few smaller tasks. Next to each task I will have a description on how I do this and a link to an actual PDF sample of my planning tools.
1) Make a crop list. List all the crops you are going to grow!
How do you decide? I like to grow things I like to eat! Start there then browse through your seed catalogs and find a few other things you might like to try.
How do you choose varieties? Read about each variety carefully. For Alaska, shorter days to maturity is important especially with very long season crops (like tomatoes). Also try to read between the lines. What are the descriptions NOT saying. For example, I tried a short season cucumber advertised as a great variety for northern growing. Sure win right? Not quite. The flavor and texture was almost unpalatable. Our chickens feasted on those.
I make a simple spreadsheet with the following information on it: crop (i.e. broccoli), variety (Belstar), source (where I bought my seed), days to maturity or DTM (you’ll see this in the description online or on the back of the seed packet), weeks to maturity WTM (just divide your DTM by 7 - I like to do this cause it’s way easier to count back by weeks than for days to figure out when you need to plant), notes (YOU MUST TAKE NOTES THROUGHOUT THE SEASON ON EACH CROP).
CLICK HERE to see a sample of my planing spreadsheet! I have left on a few extra columns here in case you want to add these on yours too.
2) Draw your garden. Sit down and draw your garden!
I like using grid paper for this. Then each grid increment can be a 1 foot or 6 inch increment. OR you can just draw on plain paper and just mark off your actual garden dimensions.
Pencil in where you want each of your chosen crops to grow. Remember to think about taller plants (or plants that need to be trellised) - place these on the north side of your garden so they don’t shade smaller crops. Crops that stay in the ground the whole summer (like broccoli or potatoes) can be further away from your paths than crops you might harvest more often (like salad greens).
This helps you plan where things go and how much you can fit in your area. This also becomes a record (keep your dated drawings) so you can rotate where you grow each crop in subsequent years.
3) Make a planting calendar
CLICK HERE to see a sample of my planting calendar. I plan by week. Week 1 is the first week of the year - using week numbers (and not just dates) is helpful in order to use past planting calendars to plan for future planting dates since actual dates may fall into different weeks each year.
In order to make sure I’m seeding things when I need to I usually start by planning when I want to harvest each crop.
For example, if I need all my broccoli harvested by September 1st, I’ll count back its weeks to maturity (days to maturity/7). If broccoli has 66 days to maturity (or 9.5 weeks to maturity) I will make sure my plants are planted in the ground by the end of June. Note that since broccoli is usually started indoors, I need to add additional time for germination (maybe a week) and indoor growth (a few weeks). So I would start my seeds the first week of June.
Remember you don’t want ALL your beans or broccoli or whatever to be ready at once, so stagger your plantings. Each plant is different but Johnnys and High Mowing, two of my favorite seed saving companies, are usually good at suggesting how far to stagger your plantings in order to get a steady supply of crops all summer.
CLICK HERE to read my previous blog all about ordering seeds.
A note on days to maturity (DTM): DTM is a best guess the seed company can give based on when the plant goes in the ground. Crops usually direct seeded (salad mix, peas, beans, carrots, etc) have a DTM from date sown. Crops usually transplanted (cucumbers, tomatoes, etc.) have a DTM from the time you plant them in the ground. I know this is a bit confusing so remember to use DTM as a guide but not as a written-in-stone rule.
So there you go! Now you’re ready to get started planting.
My 5 Favorite Seed Companies
If you’re a gardener (seasoned or aspiring) I hope you will find my garden resources helpful! Every year I discover new ideas, techniques and sources. I hone and streamline my gardening processes and am here to share what I know.
What I love best of all though is that with gardening you never stop learning. There are endless varieties and variables that can lead to success or failure. And remember, failure is where you really learn! I’m failing all over the place :)
To start, here’s a breakdown of where I order my seeds.
I prefer to order all my seeds online. The variety is endless and it’s easy to source organic and heirloom or open pollinated varieties if that’s what you’re looking for.
1) Johnny’s Selected Seeds. Johnny’s is a comprehensive seed company out of Maine. They carry almost everything you would want to grow AND have tons of growing guides and resources. They carry organic, heirloom, open pollinated and conventional seeds.
I usually order the bulk of my seeds from Johnny’s as the quality and webpage functionality is outstanding.
They offer free shipping for orders over $200.00.
2) High Mowing. This is a company that sells exclusively organic seed out of Vermont. I love this company because I know everything is organic and extremely high quality. Most of my salad greens seeds come from High Mowing.
They offer free shipping on orders over $10.00! This is a screaming deal.
3) Bakers Creek Heirloom Seeds. A company out of the Ozarks that sells heirloom and old fashioned varieties. Their prices are VERY reasonable. Their print catalog is also SUPER fun to look through.
I usually only order some rare and unusual veggies or flowers that I can’t find anywhere else. Even though I don’t order much from them each year, what I have ordered has had great germination and good quality. And their packets of seeds usually have way more seeds than other seed companies.
4) Foundroot. These guys are an Alaskan company out of Haines. They have hand picked varieties that do great in Alaska and cater to home gardeners - which means their packet quantities won’t overwhelm you.
5) Fruition Seeds. Another great seed company based in New York. These guys are a small company with lots of passion and great seed starting resources. All their seeds are organic and open-pollinated.
So there it is! Page through some of these online catalogs or request a print catalog. Curl up in your cozy chair and dream about your spring garden.