Our 2021 Spring Cutting Garden

Hello there!

So it’s officially spring and unlike the springs of yester-year (yester-season?) I am actually on top of our spring flowers this year.

Spring cut flowers can be tricky - they can e temperamental, tricky to germinate, and with our springs usually being short and hot spring flowers don’t usually fare well if planted at our last frost date (which is when many people plant them) and a lot of people have issues growing them as a result, but if planted earlier on (fall, winter, or very early spring) they do much better.

So I did that. I planned out a small cutting garden, purchased seeds and grew them on and planted them out with some row cover on top of the beds, and now we’re getting ready to truly start our spring off correct!

If you’ve read read our 400 Square Foot Cutting Garden (or Flower Farm) then you know that it’s not only possible to grow quite a few flowers in a very small amount of space but that you can grow quite a wide variety of flowers as well.

We’re growing a spring garden (with cool-loving species like ranunculus and larkspur) as well as a summer/fall garden (with heat-loving species like zinnias and dahlias). We’re also growing a lot of new varieties or species this year. Partially because we wanted to try something new, but partially also because it’s good to always push yourself as a grower to try things that you haven’t tried before - especially varieties that other people are big fans of (if only to see what all the fuss is about!)

So we’ll be talking about our spring cutting garden first, and then our summer/fall cutting garden next. I’m really excited for our spring garden and can’t wait to share all the awesome varieties of flowers we’re growing this year.

All of these spring flowers have been carefully researched, trialed, and then selected to make it as part of our lineup this year in the cut flower garden. All are very productive, are easy to grow and do well in our climate here, so we should be up to our ears in flowers in just a short period of time!

Here’s what we’re growing this year for our spring cutting garden

Anemone ‘Mistral Rarity’

There are Anemone coronaria and then there are Anemone coronaria.

Okay, typing that out made less sense than if I spoke it out loud. Realizing that now, what I should say is that there are anemones, and then there are these specially selected, hybridized anemones imported from Italy that are very impressive. Vigorous, tall-stemmed with larger blooms, they will outperform the regular anemones you get at the garden center especially as cut flowers.

We’ve grown the regular ‘De Caen’ anemones in the past and have used them in short arrangements - they’re super cute and do well for us - but these ‘Mistral’ series anemones are really impressing us as far as their vigor and growth rate and are sending up gigantic leaves that promise big and tall flowers. ‘Mistral Rarity’ promises to be a beautiful color - a magical pale lilac/lavender pink with hints of blush and rose.

We’re only growing a few of them this year (we ran out of space since we weren’t planning on them being available) but given how vigorous and impressive they are, we may be ordering quite a few more next year. I’ll keep you updated on these crazy anemones when they come into bloom!

Bachelor Buttons ‘Classic Mix’

If you’ve been reading for a while, you’ll know that we love bachelor buttons for their extreme productivity, long bloom period and wonderful compound flowers that just add a beautifully elegant and wildflower-esthetic to any arrangement they are a part of. Easy to grow, prolific and tolerant of drought and crappy conditions, I like bachelor buttons because they’re scrappy and vigorous and don’t require the pampering that other cut flowers do.

My only problem is that I like too many of the varieties to really pick just one. There’s ‘Black Ball’ that is a dark burgundy-violet coloration that is stunning - the color of ‘Queen of the Night’ tulips or ‘Rip City’ dahlias or ‘Beaujolais’ sweet peas (which it pairs well with of course) as well as ‘White Ball’ that is quite the opposite - a snowy bright white that is reminiscent of a pale thistle or dandelion, also adding an airy elegance to arrangements and works quite well for the paler, muted color palettes of wedding design. There’s also the ‘Classic Fantastic’ mix that has the traditional dark denim-blue coloration, but also a pale periwinkle blue/dark blue center and a pale white/dark blue center that is the perfect blue flower for spring.

I can’t choose which ones to grow. So luckily for me there is a ‘Classic Mix’ that has the best of all worlds combined together. Solid colors, picoteed and bicolored and everything in between is included in shades of burgundy, pink, blue and white. They' will be perfect for the assortment of arrangements and flowers that I’ll be pairing with them - and I can’t wait.

Calendula ‘Ivory Princess/Bronzed Beauty’

I’ve been really taken with calendula this past year especially with a lot of the British designers using them so skillfully in arrangements.

The appeal of calendula isn’t hard to see - they have that lovely daisy-like shape with their compound form being very attractive and their open-faced center being the perfect focal point for the viewer’s eye to be drawn to. But I’ve been a bit averse to using them in the past because the bright saturated neon-orange pairs well with acid-green and bright fuchsia flowers, but tends to outshine or clash with other colors such as pale blushes and peaches and whites.

That’s why I’m excited about the new subtle colorations that are now available with these two varieties. ‘Ivory Princess’ is a pale ivory with touches of buttery yellow, while ‘Bronzed Beauty’ has a creamy ivory front facing petal that has tinges of pink and orange on the backside of the petals - both of which would pair well with the more subtle colors that I’m currently partial to.

Calendula are a great plant for us because they will bloom from May until our first frost - slowing down in terms of bloom production and quality in the summer, but still powering on through until November - and they serve as great focal flowers in spring, secondary flowers in the summer, and add textural interest and secondary flowers in the fall.

Prolific and easy to grow, they pair well with just about anything you put with them. They’re like that pair of shoes that go with anything - a chameleon flower that changes based on what you pair with them. Want to dress them up? Pair them with other elegant flowers like ranunculus or peonies or dahlias. Want to go a bit more farm-y and crunchy? Blue bachelor buttons, poppy pods and maybe some flower kale will work for a market bouquet. Interested in going a bit more subtle? Pair with phlox ‘Cherry Caramel’ and daucus and dried grasses for a more sophisticated and muted palette.

California Poppies ‘Pink Champagne’ ‘Appleblossom Chiffon’

California poppies are not new to me as a flower (they were one of the first flowers I ever grew from seed) nor is their drought tolerant nature, their prolific flowering habit and their semi-perennial growth habit lost on me. Despite their airy and lacy appearance, they are tough, scrappy plants that will take anything you can throw at them - drought, full blasting sun that bakes everything else around it, even insects and foot traffic and it will still continue to bloom and flourish.

Believe me, I had no idea that anyone would try to use them as a cut flower. But the introduction a few years ago from some designers convinced me that I needed to add them to our cutting garden to use in arrangements. Although they allegedly do not last that long in the vase - blooming for only a few days before shattering - they are a welcomed addition to any arrangement they are a part of because of their whimsy, texture, form and beautiful colors.

Indeed, in some of the photos that I’ve seen they appear to be the same shape as rose - a poor substitution for a small rose of course, but have the same overlapping silky petals that would comprise a rose. And while they’re not going to substitute for an actual rose in a bouquet, they could substitute for the spray roses that would be used to support the focal flowers.

This year I’m trying a few varieties, but I’m most excited for the pale blush ‘Pink Champagne’ - think the lightest, palest pale pink that reminds me of ballerina skirts - as well as ‘Appleblossom Chiffon’, another cultivar of the ‘Thai Silk’ series that comes in a bicolored mix of deep rose (almost wine-colored) paired with pale creamy-blush-rose that is simliar to the ‘Distant Drum’s rose coloration. These are both wonderful double-flowered varieties that will last longer in the vase than their single-flowering counterparts.

More importantly, California poppies are one of the more substantial and longer-lasting poppies that you can use in floral design (along with Icelandic poppies). The breadseed/opium/Papaver somniferum/Papaver rhoeas varieties (such as the stunning ‘Amazing Grey’ cultivar) are beautiful and gorgeous, but they are TERRIBLE as cut flowers, so I’m excited to use the California poppies with their elegant curving stems, airy silvery, ferny foliage and delicate blooms in arranging. Despite the fact that California poppies aren’t anywhere close to being related to other poppies (Eschscholzia vs. Papaver) they at least share the same wondrous beauty with the other poppies. And while you won’t find me bundling these into market bouquets, they’ll be perfect for wedding work and more delicate designing.

Cerinthe

While some people love bupleurum and bells of Ireland for their foliage plants in spring - and to be fair, they are both pretty plants - I love cerinthe so much more. The smooth, glaucous appearance of their foliage and nodding heads are such a cool and odd and striking material when using in arranging, and I liken them to the same color as eucalyptus (but a lot easier to grow).

We also can grow cerinthe for an extended period here in our growing environment - the cool nights and low humidity keep them from going over - and we had some of our plantings grow and flower all the way until our first frost in November. Quite a spectacular feat from what would otherwise be a pretty humble plant!

Cerinthe works well as a foil against those airy flowers like larkspur and orlaya, but also pairs well with ranunculus and poppies and other big fluffy large-petaled flowers too. It hasn’t really met another flower that it doesn’t like, somehow contrasting with it but also complimenting at the same time - like the BFF you don’t have but you wish did.

Clary Sage ‘Blue Monday’

I love clary sage because it is so easy to grow. Germinating in just a few days from seed, this salvia does very well in just about any condition so long as the soil is free-draining. A funny little plant, it looks more like a perennial sage up until it starts blooming - during which time it suddenly rockets upwards into wooly silvery-green stems that then go on to color up into shades of white, pink and purple (or blue in this case).

I chose to only grow the blue this year because I found the other colors to be just kind of meh - while the blue color is such an intense and wonderful color that I can’t help but add it to arrangements as a lovely foil or contrast or complimentary element.

Better too is the fact that it is naturally drought tolerant but it does very well in the heat and sun here even during last spring. And if kept deadheaded it will continue to flower for us straight through until autumn, although I don’t necessarily keep it around that long (it usually gets pulled for something else to go in its place). And man, I can keep cutting and cutting from it all season long and it continues to produce for us - how cool is that?

It also can be used both as a spire/line material and a foliage material, sometimes fulfilling the role of both in an arrangement. You can also dry it if so inclined, or cut it before it colors up for more of a neutral tone - whatever floats your boat.

Daucus ‘Purple Kisses’

Daucus carota - aka wild carrot, aka “true” Queen Anne’s lace - is a staple wildflower in the UK and has accordingly followed us here into the US as a common flower for arranging with.

In particular, the strain ‘Dara’ has become popular with flower farmers for not only its ease of habit and long bloom period but also its dark burgundy-purple flowers that are lovely when paired with other dark blooms such as the dahlia ‘Karma Choc’ or ‘Velvet Queen’ sunflowers. ‘Purple Kisses’ is the knockoff version of ‘Dara’ but is more widely available and is just as beautiful and productive and is usually available for far cheaper, so why not use it?

Starting off as a short rosette of ferny leaves, it will grow over the cool period of spring into a larger plant that will then start sending up tall and graceful stems that unfurl into a beautiful lacy umbellifer-shaped flower that works well as an airy filler and will keep giving all season long in the form of airy flowers, fuzzy buds, and crazy-weird-birdnest-looking seed heads that look alien in form and design but will last absolutely forever and can even be dried for later use in winter design.

We’re growing ours out into 2” pots so that we can have larger, more robust transplants later on, and they’ll be spaced a good 12” apart to given them a lot of space. Even just a few plants can provide quite a few blooms if taken care of, and it is indeed important to ensure they are kept harvested in order to keep producing more flowers.

If you’re behind on seed starting, feel free to also plant some carrots from the grocery store (the ones with the tops still on them). They’re technically just a dormant root that will go on to grow into a plant and flower very nicely in the summer all the same.

Foxglove ‘Foxy Mix’

Although I really loved the ‘Dalmation’ and ‘Camelot’ series of foxgloves (including the soft and rosy and beautifully colored ‘Dalmation Apricot’) I really wanted to give the ‘Foxy’ series a try. The OG first year flowering foxglove variety (which is in contrast to the usual biennial or perennial nature of most foxgloves) which has the vigor and blooming nature of an annual flower, I believe that either production has increased or the patent has been lost on the ‘Foxy’ series, making them seriously cheap in comparison to the other cultivars.

Either way, I’m pleased with growing the ‘Foxy’ mix. A mix of white, purple, pink and peach/cream colors, they germinate readily and quickly and grow into some really nice and healthy seedlings with little effort on my part. We’re letting them experience some of the cold and freezing temperatures in the hope that they’ll receive even more encouragement to bloom early and readily (foxgloves respond very well to freezing temperatures for an extended period of time in order to influence blooming the first year) but the ‘Foxy’ series are known for flowering their first year so there shouldn’t be an issue there.

First-year-flowering foxgloves like the ‘Foxy’ series are also much more vigorous as far as their flowering habit. From talking with other growers, I’ve found that these FYF varieties will continue to bloom all season long (as opposed to just the initial one bloom from the biennial varieties) so long as you keep them harvested. Although the subsequent flowers will be much smaller and less impressive compared to the initial blooms, they will actually be much more useful for floral design work because they’ll be in scale accordingly (as opposed to being gigantic 36” spires that are impressive for flexing your growing skills on the ‘Gram but are difficult to work into an actual arrangement).

Icelandic Poppies

The queen of the spring cutting garden and one of my all time favorite cut flowers to grow and design with, Icelandic poppies are finicky but well worth the effort. Started back in December, some of our seedlings are just starting to get big enough to really be properly called a plant instead of a sad bundle of thin leaves loosely associated together (seriously, the seedlings look terribly pathetic until they get large enough to start forming a proper rosette of foliage. I’m embarrassed to show you a photo of them, they’re that bad).

I have to remind myself every year that it’s only a matter of time before the Icelandic poppies start growing more foliage and start getting big and vigorous and will start blooming. Because when they start to bloom, hoo boy - that’s a bloom! Translucent silky papery petals unfurling to reveal that bright lime-green interior and bright yellow stamens like a peacock unfurling its tail, there is everything to love about these flowers.

Icelandic poppies and I go way back (cue montage of me and Icelandic poppies hanging out) and we have a great relationship together. Back when we were doing subscription bouquets, they saved my butt quite a few times, and if they make it into the summer we use them quite a bit for wedding work. Long lasting in the vase when harvested properly (before the bees get to them) they just bring me so much happiness every single time I see them.

Next year I will have to get these started and planted out in autumn. But this year promises to be a decent year for them as well - and I’ve started an additional flat of seedlings just in case the first batch don’t turn out, they’re that important.

Larkspur ‘Misty Lavender’

While we’ve grown lavender casually in the past (and I deem casual growing just allowing larkspur to grow where it has reseeded) this was the year where our winter was too dry for us to have any reseed in its usual place.

So, I’ve taken it on myself to actually grow larkspur from seed in cell trays. A trying experiment for sure (I only had around 50% success) but still a decent success for growing what should ideally be direct sown in the autumn and grown through winter (which we had plans of doing but those plans never really did materialize, the way that plans usually happen in the fall).

I decided to grow one of the ‘specialty’ varieties of larkspur in one of those rare-to-find colors that’s a bit more expensive and a bit more finicky when it comes to germination, but will be well worth it when it’s actually in place and growing, and thus the decision for ‘Misty Lavender’. This beautiful variety is a pale lilac with hints of pearly grey and an almost metallic sheen to its coloration (not quite, but almost there) that ironically is the same color scheme as the ‘Mistral Rarity’ anemones (which I wish I could say that I perfectly paired together but it just so happened to be coincidental. I’m usually one for planning and coordinating these color combos but not this time).

Germinating larkspur was a bit more difficult - cold fluctuation temperatures around 30 F seems to be the key - but not impossible. They also seem to grow veeeeeery slowly in comparison to other spring seeds, but their mini-delphinium-like spires will be well worth it.

Despite the recommendation that larkspur be direct sown because they don’t like root disturbance, we grew ours out in 72 cell trays. They have these gorgeous healthy furry white roots that don’t necessarily branch and fill out the cell like other plants, but they do form a decently healthy root system that can then be planted out. I understand now why they do well in our environment even in the heat of summer - they have a very deep taproot that goes down really nice and far away from the hot surface of the soil.

Next year I may try direct sowing. But we should be good to go this year with our little flat of larkspur! I look forward to the color and airy texture and form.

Orlaya grandiflora

So I’ll admit, I didn’t think that orlaya was the bee’s knees until recently. I kind of thought it was a waste of space - just another umbellifer (along with ammi majus, daucus, ammi visnaga and flowering cilantro) that had a shorter bloom time and shorter stem. Why would I bother with something like that?

Well, I have been running more and more into different designers that have used it in quite an enchanting sort of way - the large petals and airy form is extremely lace-like and much more open than other umbellifer flowers, allowing for better pairing with other spring blooms.

But more importantly, it is extremely cold-hardy and will withstand temperatures down to -5 and below. For some reason that really resonated with me, and I’ve given this tough, beautiful, hardy little plant a spot in our cutting garden as a result.

I’m also excited for its seed production - orlaya seed only germinates when fresh and the older it gets, the more the germination rate declines - and it will allegedly reseed itself everywhere and I can just transplant seedlings where they need to go. I’ll let you know how things go with it, but the plants are looking super healthy and robust right now.

Phlox ‘Cherry Caramel’

So I originally thought that annual phlox Phlox drummondi was only a spring bloomer. Then I thought it was a summer flower, but then I got confused based on information that I was reading, so I decided to do some more research on the matter.

Well, as it turns out phlox is not only a spring flower but it is also a summer flower depending on where you live. It can survive temperatures down to around 15 F and produces well in the spring, but in order to get nice and long stems (with continued pinching and growth) summer is best for producing that type of growth because the heat and longer days causes the stems to get nice and long as a result. Trellising/netting or support is of course needed, but if you can cultivate phlox properly you’ll have such wonderful elements for designing with.

‘Cherry Caramel’ is the go-to and gold standard for phlox because of its ease of growth and wonderful color - one of those rare cases in which the beautiful bronzy-blush sport is actually the more vigorous of the varieties! - and how beautiful it is with its pretty rose face and elegant form.

Phlox wasn’t that hard to germinate. Dark(ish) place at around 70 F and they germinated quickly and readily into very vigorous small plants that will be planted out soon. I’ll be using a bit of netting to grow them nice and tall, but I also saw a tip from Gabriella Salazar of La Musa De Las Flores to individually stake each plant so that it gets nice and tall - doable on a small scale such as this small cutting garden (I love learning growing tips from other talented flower growers!)

Phlox will also bloom for us all the way until our first frost, and will be in pretty much every single arrangement I can think to put it in. I’m so excited.

Ranunculus ‘Tecolote Picotee Cafe’

Although I promised myself I wouldn’t grow ranunculus (they’re kind of a pain in the butt to grow here and they don’t usually grow for very long) we are actually growing a small amount this year.

It’s partially because we came across some old corms that had been laying in a drawer for a year, and I was curious to see if they were viable or not. It’s also because they’re not the usual peachy-salmony-pink mix that are so popular with flower farmers - they are the bold and intense coppery/red color scheme of ‘Picotee Cafe’ that are one of the most unusual and fascinating ranunculus I’ve seen.

Their colors - ranging from gold to dark burgundy with stripes and spots and ombre gradiations with orange, copper and red - are so different from anything else available this time of year. Although their colors would be more suited to the fall, it doesn’t stop me from using them in arrangements and admiring them in the garden! I would almost go as far as to say that the color is one of a more ‘mature’ color pattern - but that would imply that color patterns have any sort of maturity associated with them which is just plain silly to declare, so I’ll go as far as to say that it’s an ‘unusual’ color pattern that makes me like it.

I am excited for these not only because of their coloration, but also for the high incidence of open-blooming flowers. While many floral designers and growers strive for tight, multi-petaled buds (due to their appeal and longer vase life) we’re actually striving for ranunculus that have blown open and show their interiors because they work better with our design esthetic, appearing more like a poppy or a butterfly ranunculus (which unfortunately did not work for us this year - the corms rotted).

We started out corms out by presprouting (soaked in water, planted into damp potting mix until the buds started sprouting from the tops of the corms and putting out roots and shoots) and are growing them out in small pots until the danger of frost is past and they get planted into the ground. I don’t expect them to be necessarily super productive, since we’re planting them out in the middle of spring (they do best with a long and cool establishment period) but I’ll be happy to get some blooms off them.

Who knows? Maybe next year we’ll be inclined to plant more ranunculus because despite my previous assertion that they were a pain to grow, they are a lot of fun to grow when the winter is cold and there’s little else to do except play with ranunculus and anemones. We shall see how things go this year!

Scabiosa ‘Salmon Queen’

Weirdly enough, scabiosa has become somewhat of a weed here on our property. There’s something about the growing conditions which they just really like, and although there’s a 50% mortality rate for overwintering (which is not great) without cover there are still enough that survive the winter to go on growing into very large and productive plants that offer a multitude of blooms and then seedheads that then go on to produce more scabiosa the next year.

I love that I don’t have to cultivate them. The only problem is that the two strains and varieties that have reseeded themselves are the dark burgundy strain ‘Black Knight’ and the pure white strain ‘Snow Maiden’, which is great if you need any of those colors, but one of my favorite varieties is the pink-rosy ‘Salmon Queen’ which doesn’t seem to be quite as vigorous or hardy, so I have to dedicate a small plot to cultivating it and I’m growing it intentionally.

It’s funny how it’s usually the varieties and species of flowers we want to grow so desperately are the ones that don’t do well, while the other varieties and strains are nearly weed-like in their growth habit - but that’s usually a rule of thumb for gardening at large, no?

Scabiosa ‘Salmon Queen’ is the perfect pink jewel (with its deep pink, almost-red center and white shimmering stamens) to add to all sorts of designs and arrangements not only over the course of the spring but also during the summer. The unopened buds in particular are a favorite design element of mine, allowing a certain airiness and daintiness to any arrangement they are a part of. And our scabiosa love our growing environment so much that they bloom straight through until the first frost in the fall and even sometimes past that too. Truly one of the few flowers that not only survives here but thrives - I consider ourselves very lucky that it is so.

Strawflower ‘Tall Mix’

Strawflowers are technically a year-round flower (or at least growing-season-round flower) but we start them off in the spring in order to get the most of them and enjoy their blooms all season long. Despite being traditionally used for very traditional dried floral arrangements, we’ve found they work well as fresh flowers in arrangements as a secondary flower or a textural addition. Drought tolerant, easy to start from seed and with a very very long bloom period (and even being slightly frost tolerant) there’s a lot to love about strawflowers.

The strawflower we planted last year bloomed once, but totally ended up dying after that first bloom. As it turns out, the soil was super compacted and terrible in the area and the roots ended up rotting out as a result of the clay soil being a wet and compact mess. So this year we added compost into the ground to help the strawflowers (and other flowers that also had die-off from the roots) grow without danger of rotting. Note to self kids, don’t let your soil get compacted because it’s bad news for your plants. And always just continue to add more compost - I feel like 99% of the time most growing ills and issues could be fixed by adding more compost to the soil.

We’re just growing a plain-Jane mixed variety this year because I couldn’t decide on and commit to a single color. So, mix it is with white, yellow, orange, bright red, dark burgundy and pale peach/pink being included in the mix. It will be fun - I am brainstorming all the color combinations that I can put together with them.

Sweet Pea ‘King’s High Scent’ and ‘Nimbus’

I think I’ve finally realized that sweet peas are just a highly scented, highly ornamental weed.

Honestly, they are some of the easiest, most tolerant spring flowers we grow. Their seeds are huge and when given the proper conditions (a bit of heat, moisture and darkness) they pop right up and don’t stop growing. Thick, robust, vigorous seedlings are a welcome break from the more delicate, finicky flowers that are more common this time of year (Icelandic poppies I’m looking at you!)

When planted out into beds that are amended well with compost and given something to scramble up, they’ll do great for you. And if you’re in an area where spring comes early and you can’t get long stem length? No big deal, just harvest a portion of the vine instead. It’s what the professionals do, and actually ends up making your flower last a hell of a lot longer. Plus, you get the addition now of not only a beautiful flower but also wrinkly leaves that have the same texture as crushed satin and those wonderfully whimsical curly tendrils that add quite a bit to any design they are part of.

This year we’re growing two varieties - ‘Nimbus’ with the same flake-bicolored appearance of a pale lilac-grey interior and bold burgundy/purple striping on the exterior of the flower, as well as ‘King’s High Scent’ - a pale light-blue/lavender color that goes with just about anything and is of course going to be quite delightful when it comes to scent (if you hadn’t figured out by its name already). There’s also two random ‘Molly Rillstone’ seedlings that have been tossed into the bed because I had abysmal germination on those seeds, but still had two come up.

Viola ‘Brush Strokes’

Those of you who have been following us on Instagram may have noticed I’ve been designing a lot with violas. Although they’re not the perfect cut flower - their shape and form can be a bit odd, and their stems are usually not very long, 12” max - they have become one of my favorite spring flowers to grow and design with.

I think that they’re a natural choice for designing with because so many people associate violas with spring. We’re lucky enough to where we can fall-plant violas and have them overwinter nicely (without injury) and have them really start to grow and take off in the spring. As a result, we can get some really nice stems to design with from robust, overwintered plants that can produce nice long stems from their well-established root systems.

Violas are terrific as a cut flower because they are so sturdy and long-lasting. Although each individual bloom does not last long - 4-5 days maximum before it starts looking terrible - if you can cut “branch” off it will usually have individual buds that will continue to open, prolonging the perceived vase life for the entire branch. And the branch lasts a long time - 2 weeks on average for us.

I’m excited for the variety we’re growing this year specially for cut flowers known as ‘Brush Strokes’. Indeed, the pattern on each viola looks like it was water colored, with contrasting and complimentary colors bleeding into each other in flecks, swirls, swathes and patches. The color variation is great too - dark royal purple to gold to burnt-red-orange to cream and apricot, the range of colors and patterns means that you’ll likely be able to pair them with just about any flower out there.

We’ll be planting some directly into the ground, but I also have plans to grow a few in pots and planters just to experiment with the best cultivation practices. We’re cutting 4” stems from our violas right now in March, but I think as we get into May and June they’ll be reaching longer stem lengths that could potentially be used in bouquets (small nosegays, but again still enough to create a stem to hold onto) with Johnny’s stating that ‘Brush Strokes’ gets longer stem lengths of 8-16” (given that the variety was not bred for a low mounding habit like so many of the violas you can find these days are selected for).

Starting from seed was good, a really high germination rate and although the plants are growing slowly still due to the cold weather, they are coming right along as they should, getting large and more robust. We’ll be planting out the first batch pretty soon, with the second batch following a couple weeks later as they get a bit more size on them.