Natural Pollinators

Sarah Raven Part Three

This is the last of the series that were sharing from Sarah Raven series on natural pollinators.
What was amazing about this series is she shows how we desperately need to start growing more plants that bees and other pollinators are attracted to. Dahlia's are one of my specialties so I was really watching to see which ones were used on this project. As the Dahlia's went into her annual wild flower mix as the one flower that was not from the seed mixture.  Of course Dahlia's are a show stopper so of course they were a winner from the polls they ran from people that came into contact with the garden.


 One of my plans is to implement a plan to go around my garden with a strip of wild flowers around the perimeter.  One of the things I think is going to help is keeping grasshoppers out of my garden.
I am hoping this will trick the grasshoppers and they won't lay their eggs inside the garden.
This has always been a problem since we moved to this old catle farm.
Here is the view from this years garden.

Sarah Raven's campaign

This is part two of Sarah Ravens campaign that I found quite interesting.
The best part of this show is it has shown me that I need to be an example in my own garden.
The plan is to bring more natural pollinators to my garden since the bees are the ones who will pollinate my fruits and vegetables.
When growing cornflowers in your garden you will know this is just another flower that is going to give you an April bloom.

Habitat for the Insects

As a grower, I have always been concerned about the natural world. 

 Many years ago when there was the big news article about how pesticides were killing off a major part of our bee population.

I began having a bigger interest in finding out how I could make a change at our farm.
Due to us buying land from an old farm where there is only grass.
 I came across this video series that I found very interesting even though it is in England, I feel we have the same issues here in the US.  Sarah Raven is a well-known author and I am so happy she has made a campaign to take some action for change.
As a flower grower, it is important we are growing a certain type of flower.  As she states the typical show stoppers they use in public flower beds the bees do not visit these flowers.
The bees have to bee able to get to the pollen so more open flowers are the answer.
Grow some annuals and perennials that will attract all types of beneficial insects.
Bee Balm is one of those flowers that do very well for this purpose.

Order some open pollinated or heirloom seed today.

This growing season let's think more about the bees.

 

New Spring Flowers

 This year my focus is to learn more about growing some new early spring flowers. 

These lovely blue flowers are called Forget Me Nots and they are a plant I am striving to produce.
The other spring flower is called Scabiosa, and both these flowers are being grown from seed.

Tall Growing Annuals

Forget Me Nots

Scabiosa

Anemones and Ranunculus are both grown from corms, the amazing part of growing these for the first time is how small they come and before you know it they have swelled and become larger than you thought possible.  Pre-sprouting is the key to the success of these two flowers, a lot of growers write about.  Although I did mine under lights and in very cool moist conditions, that was all they needed.  The last step for me was planting them in crates in very light soil conditions with homemade potting soil.  In my potting soil a fertilizer called, Catalyst Fertilizer +BioChar 7-6-6 Natural Plant Food, grit, and vermiculite, peat moss.

Anemones

Ranunculus

These plants only grow in cool weather so timing is very important.  I am very thankful to Floret Farm for her great explanations on growing these flowers I have learned so much from her and about making a business out cut flowers.
 http://www.floretflowers.com/blog/

If you want to learn about flower farming or just want to have your own cutting garden her blog has a lot of info.

I have not met her in person, but one day I hope that will happen.

Geraniums

In the month of October is when the season is coming to an end,

but this is a time when I begin prepping for winter.

The first job of the season is getting the pots ready to come inside which has begun by the time October has come around.  This is actually a job I will begin in mid-September so I will

have it done by our frost date of October 20th, but is officially October clean up work.

 

The clean up of the pots begins by taking the geraniums out of the pots and trimming them by a third and rinsing the roots off.

 

 

One of the good reasons for doing this is to be rid of any insects that I don't want inside. 

The next step is to remove the old potting soil and set aside for another purpose.

Then, you will put the trimmed geranium in a new clay pot that you have cleaned, and according to its size of the new plant.

 

 Adding new potting soil is the last step before bringing your new plant inside for the winter.

Making homemade potting soil is something I like because I decide what goes into it.

 

I use this method for both types of geraniums, which are your flowering kinds that most of us know and love.

 

The second type is the scented geraniums or Pelargoniums. Now the difference between the two is one is known for its flowers and the other is grown for its leaves as they are scented. The Pelargoniums do flower but not as large and the common Geranium

Now it is time for them to come into their new home on the window sill indoors.

Don't let the warm weather of the fall fool you into not getting this task done.

The weather can change so drastically fast and then you could lose your plants.

Now, you can sit back and congratulate yourself for getting the job done before the frost date.

Enjoy a little rest.

 

The Dahlia Blooms

Every season has its own flower that comes into bloom.

At the end of summer I am always trying to figure what we can 

have blooming. 

 So, I plant dahlia tubers late so I can have something 

beautiful to look at.  Plant your tubers in June and

in the fall enjoy the presence of The Dahlia.

I know it is a long wait, but you will not be sorry.

The Dahlia is a perennial grown from a tuber that you plant 

like a bulb.   It can grow 3 feet tall and will bloom until frost.

The one draw back is you will need to dig your tuber up and

store it over the winter.

Dinner Plate Dahlia(which is in the photo)

I think that is my goal in growing flowers, to grow

a flower that has beauty.

The other part of growing flowers is to share with other people

who may want to have beauty in their own yards or on their

kitchen counter as cut flowers.

Have you ever looked at gardening as a way to express art?

Claude Monet was an Impressionist painter, he was one of those people I always admired.

He painted some of the most amazing pictures, but he also had an 

amazing garden.

Dahlia Painting by Claude Monet

Gladiolus

Gladiolus

This year I took the plunge and bought
500 bulbs, which was a lot for me.   I wasn't sure I would get them planted but I had always wanted to try growing them in succession with my flowers.  The glads got special attention this year, as the one of the most beautiful summer flowers.
So far, I have had peach, white, purple, and red.  I did leave some of last years glads in the ground but that did not go over very well as they are not flowering.  It could mean they are in too heavy of soil to their liking.  That is one of the struggles of growing bulbs in Kentucky as the soil needs amending.  but I will be digging them up as the weather cools.
I also had bought some in small quantities last year and they were planted at the beginning of the season.  The orange and yellow flowers are from that bunch.

I did cut some of the purple ones for showing florist in the city. It was because of a florist in Lexington that encouraged me to grow more flowers over 3 years ago when I had started this cutting garden by the house. This season made it our 4th growing season in this garden and the beds are starting to have some good health to them. I never thought then that I would plant 500 bulbs since I have always just planted flowers for pure enjoyment.  I always thought about sharing my love of cut flowers that my grandmother and mother passed on to me.
 So that is what I am doing.
I would like to be part of the community of growers in the US, and encourage people to buy from the local market.

Go out today and put some beauty in your house, bring the outdoors inside with some local cut flowers..