April Flower Focus: Ranunculus

Ranunculus: the gorgeous rose like flowers that appear in spring flower markets and are wildly coveted by floral designers and flower enthusiasts. 

But can you believe that those same gorgeous non-native varieties that most likely come to mind are in the same family as the native adorable little buttercups that pop up everywhere here in Virginia during the spring? 

It’s true! Ranunculus of all varieties are part of the buttercup family!

The fancy variety, Ranunculus Asiaticus, is a native of Asia, and is often referred to as the Persian Buttercup (pictured above).

Our native varieties, Ranunculus Acris or Ranunculus Balbosus (pictured below), are much shorter and unassuming, but fun fact: they work beautifully as a (short lived) cut flower for bud vases (and for checking to see if you love butter of course….or was that just my childhood?!)

In Victorian times, to give someone a ranunculus meant that you found them to be charming and/or attractive. That could mean in just a friendly way, but if you want to make sure the message is received that you are physically attracted to that charm, then be sure the ranunculus bouquet is red.

For flower growers who wish to include ranunculus in your gardens, please be advised that here in central Virginia, they only do well when planted in the fall and overwintered. That’s because they really hate heat and frost, so if you plant them after the last frost, unfortunately our short springs mean that they’ll start blooming just when the heat really begins…which will quickly make them start to wither away, even if you keep them watered. 

So, if you see a potted ranunculus plant at a big box store or nursery, please note that it’s best to keep it in a pot to be enjoyed for a few weeks. If you put it in your landscape, unfortunately it won’t be beautiful there for very long and most likely won’t come back the following year.

This month they’re readily available from local flower growers, and they do last forever in the vase (sometimes up to two weeks!), so I do hope you’re able to get your hands on some!

Planting dahlia tubers indoors

Dahlias are the most gorgeous flowers that really hit their stride in late summer, making them the queen of early autumn, when most other flowers are beginning to pitter out.

If you haven’t done so already, there’s still time to purchase tubers (the thing dahlias are most commonly grown from)! And if you ordered them over the winter, you should start receiving them in the mail right around now. However….

don’t be tempted to plant them outdoors just yet!

Here in central Virginia, the rule of thumb for planting dahlia tubers outdoors is to wait until the last frost - or, if you want to go old school, until the tops of the mountains are green. So that typically means the last week of April. Or, the first week of May if you want to be extra careful.

That’s because dahlias are fairly quick to sprout once planted out, and they’re also very sensitive to cold weather. So, if you were to get the early spring bug and put them outdoors too soon, it’s very possible that a random cold night could kill the baby sprout and leave you without a dahlia.

That being said, just because you can’t put them outdoors just yet doesn’t mean you can’t start them indoors! Tubers are no different than seeds in that way: giving them warmth and sunlight (window light or artificial grow lights) indoors is a great way to give them a head start, so you’ll have a baby plant to put outdoors when all risk of frost has passed, instead of putting the tuber directly into the ground and waiting for it grow there.

All you’ll need is a 1-2 gallon pot, potting mix, a little bit of grit to help with drainage (which dahlias appreciate), and the tuber!

In case you’ve never grown a dahlia before, below is a picture of a tuber. Sometimes you’ll receive only have one little potato looking thing (dahlia speciality shops such as Swan Dahlias and other small farms will most likely send them this way), and other times you’ll have many small potato like things all connected together (most likely found in garden shops). The tuber pictured below is one I received that had even more pieces than shown here, but many were dangling by a thread. So, I cut those off and only left the strongest ones.

If you look extra closely on the left side of the tuber, you’ll see two tiny white dots. Those are called eyes, and it’s what is proof that this tuber is viable and will grow into a baby plant (or two in this case, as there are two eyes). If I wanted to take the time to carefully cut those two tubers apart, I could separate them and plant in different pots (or holes outdoors). For the sake of time, I’m okay with just putting this size of tuber into the ground and receiving two plants in one spot.

Now, to start this tuber early indoors, you’ll simply fill the pot up with compost about 3/4 of the way up, place the tuber on top, and put only about 1-2 inches of compost on top. Dahlias like to be planted shallowly! If your tuber has the leftover stem from the previous plant still on it (like that one does above : it’s the upright piece), then it should be sticking out of the compost a bit, as pictured below.

If you’re putting your pots in an unheated greenhouse outdoors like I do, and slugs have the potential to show up (which they always seem to do when they sense dahlias are nearby), adding crushed seashells or grit at the top can deter them from getting to the baby sprout once it arrives.

One more important thing to note: though a little misting won’t hurt, it’s best to not fully water the tuber until you see a sprout appear. This helps avoid potential tuber rot, and I promise that the sun and warmth will trigger the growth! However, once your baby plant appears, keep the soil moist (but not too wet).

Then, when the last frost has come and gone, find a sunny, weed free spot in your garden to plant it out! Or, an extra large pot on a sunny patio can suffice for its home too. All you’ll need to do is carefully lift the tuber with the baby plant on it and shallowly plant it into its new home.

Hope that’s helpful! I’ll be sure to share more on caring for your dahlia in future posts this summer.

March Flower Focus: Anemones

Anemone

Spring blooming anemones (not be confused with late summer blooming anemones I’ll tell you about later) are one of the first flowers of spring here in Virginia, given that most flower farms plant the corms in fall and overwinter them in unheated tunnels.

The eye of the anemones is what make them a stand out, especially the varieties with dark centers that add a stunning level of dimension. They last for over a week in the vase, and they are easy to arrange with given their sturdy stems.

Fun fact and quick warning to keep you from panicking if you see this happen: anemones are nyctinastic, meaning the flowers close up at night and open again in the morning.  So though your flower arrangement may begin to look different at sunset, it will regain its full faced look by morning light.

Anemone symbolism: In Victorian times, anemones represented forsaken love. Today it seems that symbolism is based more around the color of the anemone.

Red represents the traditional Victorian symbolism, whereas white symbolizes purity/new beginnings, pink symbolizes platonic love/friendship, and purple symbolizes protection from evil. 

Speaking of the color purple, one of my favorite works from Henry Matisse is Purple Robe and Anemones, shown below. I always say that anemones will convince any muted tone lover such as myself to embrace bright colors, and this piece is a perfect example of that.

Favorite Flowering Shrubs

Abelia (Summer/Fall Bloomer)

Abelia is one of the most perfect flowering shrubs, as it checks off all the boxes one is most likely looking to find in a foundational shrub. It is deer resistant, drought + heat tolerant, semi evergreen, and later flowering - meaning that it will give you a beautiful display of blooms when most other flowering shrubs have finished their show.  It’s also a pollinator magnet: I find hummingbirds and hummingbird moths every day on my Abelias when they’re in bloom.

There are several Abelia varieties to choose from, and it’s important to note that they can vary greatly in heights. There are compact varieties, such as Abelia ‘Rose Creek’, which grows to about 4’ high. This variety is perfect if you’re looking for shrubs to be placed near windows or in the middle of a wide border. There are also tall varieties that can be used to create privacy hedges or shrub borders. Abelia ‘Grandiflora’ is the perfect variety for that.

Mock Orange (Spring Bloomer)

Mock Orange (Philadelphus) is the most sweetly scented flowering shrub that is covered in rose like blooms during the early spring.  Though the flowering window is short, the shrub is a wonderful background plant during the whole season, as it’s covered in oval shaped rich green leaves.

Mock Orange is an easy and fairly fast grower, but please note that it has not proven to be deer resistant - at least at my farm. They are commonly nibbled upon and have had their flower show interrupted because of it. Thankfully this doesn’t seem to kill their spirit, as they continue to grow despite the many sporadic prunings. However, their maturity has definitely been stunted because of it.

The main species of Mock Orange (Philadelphus coronarius), one most commonly found in historic gardens, can reach up to 12’ tall at maturity, making it a beautiful hedge if you don’t mind it being bare during the winter months. There are other varieties that are more compact, such as Philadelphus coronarius ‘Aurea’ (5-6 feet tall) and Philadelphus virginalis ‘Snowbelle’.

Spicebush (Early Spring Bloomer)

A native alternative to Forsythia, Spicebush (Lindera binzoin) offers the same lovely yellow blooms in early spring and can be used as a cut flower in arrangements. Glossy berries follow the blooms, and the foliage turns to a beautiful shade of golden yellow in the fall. Spicebush is easy to grow and tolerant of many conditions, and it is deer resistant.

Just as with Forsythia bushes, these are deciduous and are not as dense in foliage as other shrubs. For that reason, I like to plant these alongside evergreens or fuller foliage shrubs such as Mock Orange. Spicebush shrubs grow 6-12 feet all, so they are best at the back of a border or planted within a tall hedge.

Ninebark (Spring/Summer Bloomer)

Ninebark (Physocarpus Opulifolius) is a native, easy to grow shrub that blooms late spring-early summer. Depending on the variety, its flowers are white or light pink, and it also has foliage options of yellow green or dark burgundy. 

Personally I love the dark foliage Ninebark plants (such as the Summer Wine varieties), as they make an incredible statement in the garden, adding a bit of moodiness and depth to a space. I’ve found the dark foliage varieties work best planted amongst neutral tones of whites and beige, or muted tones of yellows, purples, and pinks - though it could also be a nice backdrop for bright reds!  

Virginia Sweetspire (Late Spring/Early Summer Bloomer)

Virginia Sweetspire (Itea virginica) is a native deciduous shrub that becomes heavy with white flowers in spring and has foliage that becomes a beautiful purply red in autumn. The most commonly found variety of Sweetspire is ‘Henry Garnett’, a variety reaching about 6 feet tall at maturity. Sweetspire works well alongside evergreens and shrubs and perennials with more of an upright habitat to complement its somewhat floppy nature.  It also is beautiful planted en masse. Unlike the other shrubs listed, Sweetspire thrives in dappled sunlight as opposed to direct sun, so it is perfect to planted alongside trees.

Bridal Wreath Spirea (Spring Bloomer)

Bridal Wreath Spirea is a mounding shrub with slim nodding limbs that are heavy with tiny white florets cascading down in mid spring. It grows about 6-8 feet tall at maturity and is easy to grow in full sun. Mature plants tend to be ignored by deer, but they may need protection in the first couple years after planting.

Bridal Wreath is the perfect name, as its long limbs bend easily to form wreaths or flower crowns. Petal confetti will be abundant as its flowering window closes, and the wind typically takes care of the piles that amass around it. 

My Five Favorite Dahlia Forms (and how to incorporate them into your garden)

Let’s be real: you can’t go wrong with a dahlia in your garden, no matter which one you grow. Their shrub like form adds depth to a space even when they’re not blooming, and their blooms ultimately become a beautiful garden firework show that ends the growing season, as they hit their stride when many other summer flowers have begun to fade.

That being said, there are many forms of dahlias out there. In fact, the American Dahlia Association lists 29 forms on their website, which can be a lot to swallow when you’re just beginning your guaranteed love affair with this magical flower.

Which is why I created this short list of the five dahlia forms that are perfect as your introduction to growing them, and at the end I’ll explain just how to work them into your flowering borders and gardens.

Ball Dahlia

The ball dahlia is aptly named for its perfectly symmetrical round shape comprised of rolled up petals that will create a flower ball.  They are a sturdy variety of dahlia that grow on strong stems and have the longest vase life of all other dahlia varieties.

Personal favorites: Cornel Bronze, Copper Boy, Boom Boom White, Linda’s Baby, and any in the Jowey Series (they come in a variety of colors)

shown above: Linda’s Baby (pink) and Maarn

Pompon Dahlia

Though they’re known as Pompon dahlias, I’ll forever call them “Pom Pom” dahlias in my mind because their small, cute round flower heads always make me think of those fluffy craft puffs.

Pompon dahlias are essentially a smaller variety of ball dahlias, growing on shorter plants and featuring round faces that are 2-3 inches versus the typical 4-6 inches of ball dahlias.

Favorite varieties: Tiny Treasure, Butter Cup, Amber Queen

Pictured above: Tiny Treasure

Dinnerplate Dahlia

Dinnerplate dahlias are true showstoppers, but I need to get technical for a moment: this is an unofficial label for dahlias that typically fall under the official labels of formal decorative or informal decorative dahlias. The easiest way to tell those two apart is by the petals. Formal decorative dahlias have flat, evenly spaced petals, whereas informal decorative dahlias have an irregular arrangement of slightly curvy or twisted petals. 

The reason these two groups began to be unofficially labeled as dinnerplate dahlias is because no matter how the petals lay, they both tend to produce very large flower heads- sometimes the size of a dinnerplate!

Due to their very large heads being held up by fairly skinny stems, dinnerplate dahlias can become a bit droopy on the plant. Their large flower heads are also prone to breaking off of stems easily when weaving them into flower arrangements.  Nonetheless, they’re still worth growing for the sheer fact that they’ll definitely be a garden statement AND make you feel like a gardening wizard. Holding a flower the size of your face that you grew yourself offers quite the grower’s high! 

Personal favorites: Cafe Au Lait, Great Hercules, Shiloh Noelle, Blushing Lady, Kelvin Floodlight

Pictured above: Shiloh Noelle

Cactus/Semi-Cactus Dahlia

Cactus dahlias have petals that curl into themselves, stand upright, and end at a point, thereby creating a spiky look that inspired the name.  They remind me a punk rocker hairstyle and I personally think they add the perfect amount of edginess to garden and flower arrangements.

How do Cactus and Semi-Cactus dahlias differ? Semi Cactus dahlias also have spiky petals, but unlike cactus dahlias, their petals only curl up less than half the length of the petal.

Many dahlias from this group present as a dinnerplate dahlia given their large size, so it truly is the quill like petal form that make them stand apart.

Personal Favorites: Myrtle’s Folly, Blackjack, My Love, Tsuki Yori

Pictured above: Tsuki Yori

Anemone Dahlia

Anemone dahlias have a pin cushion center made up of tiny florets, surrounded by a ring of petals that resemble those of daisies.  At first glance you may not even realize you’re looking at at a dahlia! They add a unique element to dahlia arrangements en masse, given their slightly non-dahlia appearance.

Personal Favorites: Platinum Blond, Totally Tangerine, Lifestyle

Pictured above: Totally Tangerine

Tips on using dahlias in gardens and flowering borders

When choosing where to place your dahlias, it’s important to note that every dahlia varies in height, typically ranging anywhere from 1-5 feet tall.

Dinnerplate, ball, and cactus dahlias tend to be in the 3-5 foot range, making them perfect for the back or middle of borders and gardens.

Pompons and anemone dahlia are typically in the 1-2.5 foot range, so they’re best at the front of borders or in large pots. Just be sure to give them a deep pot to grow in, as they like for their roots to be able to spread.  

Also, because dahlias are later blooming, planting them amongst spring and mid summer flowers such as daffodils and cosmos (which will bloom before them) is good for gaining full season interest in a space. 

If you want to give dahlias perennial flower partners to bloom alongside during late summer and early autumn, heirloom chrysanthemums and asters are two great picks.

Hope this inspires you to begin sourcing dahlias for spring planting, and be sure to check back to read about how to plant dahlia tubers - and seeds!

Naturalistic Holiday Tablescapes

Happy holidays! 

In this season which is meant to be celebratory and exciting but can often become overwhelming and stressful, I wanted to share a couple of tablescape ideas that are beautiful yet simple - and draw from ye olden days when seasonality was a necessity and nature was the guide when it came to holiday decorating.

(Quick side note: though I completely understand that decorating can sometimes be part of what feels daunting during the holidays, creating a naturalistic tablescape can feel a bit meditative. With the “nature as your guide” approach, there’s the chance to pause and go out in nature to gather ingredients. And once you have all you need to prepare, there are no perfect lines to form, no perfect balls of flowers to shape, and the end result is a lush reminder of how the simple beauty of nature is abundant in all seasons.)

So first up, a look best suited for a large table, as this one involves footed compotes, lush greenery centerpieces, and bowls of extras to create an almost cornucopia effect.

Above is a sample on a 4 foot table: I imagine repeating the look for a longer table (and be sure to leave space for the dishes and glassware;)

Materials needed to recreate a similar look

Brass bowls in an assortment of sizes (Note: a footed bowl thrown into the mix will add interest with height variation, but it may block visibility across the table. This is perfect if you have guests who should avoid one another! But if you wish to not impede anyone’s vision, placing the tall footed bowl smack in the middle and leaving extra space at its sides should allow people to see around it.)

Mixed evergreen branches (Shown above are juniper, magnolia, cypress, and nandina stems + berries)

Fruit (pears, pomegranates, oranges, lemons, and cranberries are personal favorites for the holiday)

Pins and brown paper (if you wish to create place cards for the table, as shown above)

Brass candlesticks and/or candleabras + taper candles (a collection with mixed heights adds interest)

Table runner (not required, and please know that it may need to be one you’re okay with ruining for the open pomegranate look - they stain horribly but are so worth the look they provide when cut open)

To create the footed bowl centerpiece

Place a large flower frog in the bottom of the compote so greenery will stay in an upright fashion. It will still droop in a natural way, but without splaying out too far into the eating space.

Add water.

Begin adding in the heaviest stems first, in a triangular shape to evenly distribute weight. In my case, it was the magnolia branches. Then do the same triangular additions with another greenery, making sure there is height variation and insuring that there is some “spilling” happening around the edge of the bowl. Continue until you use all of the different greeneries. Then, I typically save berries for last, as I did with the nandina in my arrangement.

Do a 360 check to make sure there are no obvious holes and add in as needed!

This could also be done with one variety of evergreen, though be sure to compensate for the lack of textural interest by really making sure you have height variation amongst the stems.

In the other bowls

A similar approach can be done as was with the compote bowl for a structured look.

I also recommend making beds of evergreens and topping with fruit, and/or creating bowls of only fruits and cones (such as cranberries and magnolia seed pods), and/or creating bowls of only one type of fruit (either whole or cut up).

How to create place cards out of fruit

For a naturalistic look, I use slightly rumpled parchment paper (I just ball is up a little and flatten back out) with raw edges to write names onto. Then, I use a pin to poke it into the fruit. Simple as that! I used two different colors of pears for this example, but a mixture of different fruits would be an interesting look as well.

Once you have all of the above pieces prepared, it’s time to lay them out! As mentioned earlier, placing footed compotes first is ideal to ensure they’re not blocking guests’ vision (unless you want them to). Then, begin placing the bowls about 8-12 inches apart in a slightly off centered way (not a straight line, more like a slightly curved snake). Add in the candlesticks amongst the bowls as you wish (working in odd numbers with those is best), and finally, add in loose bits of fruit such as sliced pomegranates and oranges to lay along the runner. Lastly, put out your place cards, table setting, and glassware - and voila. A feast for the eyes to compliment the holiday feast.

Looking for something a little more simplistic but just as naturalistic?

Ditch the compotes and plethora of bowls, and instead allow your candlestick holders to be the focus amongst a single bowl of evergreens, fruit, and cones.

Using candle holders with a bit of a gutter around the stem opening is a great way to incorporate cranberries (or nuts and other dried fruits) around the table without a big spread.

These glass star shaped holders are vintage but easily found on Etsy or in other vintage shops. Using tea light holders is also an option: use Stick Um candle wax adhesive to hold the tapers in place and then put the fruit around them!

Playing with candle colors is also a way to make a big impact in a small tablescape. Go with dark colors to add a moody pop if you want to keep with a naturalistic color scheme, or go with bright reds or greens if you’re hoping to add umph to the muted greenery.

Lastly, little sprigs of greenery placed amidst the candle holders adds another dimension and can bring cohesiveness with a bit of whimy to the overall look.

Hope you find this helpful, and please let me know if you have any questions!

Planting a Bulb Lasagna

How to have flowers like this👇🏻 from a single pot….

Spring bulbs are one of the easiest things to plant and are also the quickest way to ensure that you have a lovely ower show to signal the end of winter.

The only tricky thing about them?

They are often the target of above and below ground creatures who are looking for a winter snack, and they can take up quite a bit of space in the landscape - which means you may be faced with picking and choosing from only a few to grow.

Then of course there may be the obstacle of not having any yard at all, but you’re still wanting that tulips/daodil/(list all the other owering spring bulb here) experience on your patio or porch.

The solution?
Planting a potted bulb lasagna!

Simply put, it's a layered approach to planting bulbs in a pot, with the goal of choosing owers that bloom at slightly dierent times to get the most out of your pot.

They're easy to plant and require next to no care if left outdoors to the elements, and this guide will help you know what you'll need to plant and includes 3 recipes to get your started.

Materials Required

Pots with drainage holes

Clay pots and vintage metal containers with holes nailed into the bottom work beautifully.

Quality potting mix

Black Kow and Coast of Maine are two personal favorite brands readily found .

Grit (the stone kind is what I'm talking about, but the internal kind is helpful, too) and a few medium sized stones

My favorite British growers swear by using horticultural grit to aid in drainage in their pots, but here in the states it's not commonly mentioned. So, you may get a confused look if you ask for help finding it in big box stores. Thankfully since plain horticultural grit is really just ground up stone, you can use basic poultry grit (i.e. crushed granite) to achieve the same results - with the bonus that it's cheaper and easier to find than horticultural grit.

Spring Flowering Bulbs

Tulips, allium, daffodils (narcissus), crocus, snowdrops, fritillaria, hyacinths, and muscari are tried and true favorites for bulb lasagna recipes - and many of those varieties come in a wide range of colors! It's best to choose 3 - 4 varieties of bulbs that bloom at different times - early, mid and late spring.

Suggested recipes

Allium Arctic Snow
Narcissus Ice King
A mix of Fritillaria Meleagris and Allium Moly

Mondial Tulip (or any tulip of your choice)

Hyacinth Gypsy Queen (or any hyacinth of your choice)

A mix of Muscari, Snowdrops, and Allium Azureum

Fritillaria Persica

Darwin Blushing Bride Tulip (or tulip of your choice)

Hyacinth White Pearl

Iris Reticulata + Snowdrops

Steps for Planting

1. Put a few medium sized stones loosely spaced in the bottom of the pot. This will help ensure water drains freely at the bottom.

2. Create a mix of compost and grit which you'll use to make your layers.

3. Put a layer of the above mix into the bottom of the pot.

4. Place the largest bulbs onto that layer, spacing about 1 inch apart.

5. Cover with compost.

6. Place the second largest bulbs in the second layer (with the exception of the

   tulip/hyacinth recipes - hyacinth bulbs will be larger than tulips, but since

   they're shorter, I put them in the second layer).

7. Cover with compost.

8. Place the smallest bulbs on the top layer.

9. Cover with compost.

10. Water with a gentle spray or watering can.

11. Place in a sunny spot that preferably will be moisture from morning dew, rain,

    and snow throughout the winter. If you only have a porch, putting it at the edge of the porch should suffice, but be sure to make sure it doesn't stay bone dry for more than a week or two at a time.

12. If there is concern of squirrels digging in your pots, cover with a layer of bird netting or chicken wire to deter that from happening (but be sure to remove it as soon as you see green shoot start to appear).

13. Patiently wait for spring blooms and enjoy!