Valentine's Day

“Whatever you do, please don’t get me red roses.” 

Do you ever have moments where a memory from long ago hits you, and you realize that perhaps the life path you’re on that seems like it came out of nowhere actually might have begun way before you ended up where you are?

That red roses comment is one I made to my new love at the time/now husband around the year 2000. We had met the previous December and I was feeling brave enough to give him the huge hint that I’d love a little something for Valentine’s Day…I just didn’t want the most common and popular gift.

At the time, it had nothing to do with he fact that red roses were completely out of season or flown thousands of miles to get here and sprayed with lots of chemicals and bred to look like stick straight flower statues that looked nothing like how roses grow in nature. 

No, no. 17 year old Lindsey had no clue about any of that.

I just really didn’t like them, and it had to do with the fact that  - me, the girl who was never a trend setter but also never a trend follower - was craving to get something others around me weren’t. Something different and unique, making it seemingly more special. 

Plus, if I’m being honest and yet now a little embarrassed to tell you…I may have been giving him a little bit of a challenge to see just how well he listened.

He passed the challenge then and continued to do so. 

That first year there were gorgeous lilies. 

The next, hydrangeas.

Then, there were tulips. Oh how those tulips stole my heart. So much so that they became the thing for years to come. Pink ones, red ones, yellow ones. It didn’t matter, I always loved them.

But perhaps the best tulip story comes from the one time they were almost a flop. 

It was my second year in college, his third. He and I went to schools two hours apart and February 14 falling on a weekday meant that we wouldn’t be spending the day together. 

A knock came at the door of my apartment mid day, just as the girls downstairs had come up to hang out with me and my roommates. A man handed over a long box addressed to me and a half mocking/half sweet “awwwww” resounded amongst the group.

I opened the box so excited to see what he’d delivered to me this year, gently pulled back the paper, and picked up a bouquet of 24 tulips that immediately flopped over in my hands. 

Those awwwwww turned to oh noooooooos.

I didn’t have the heart to tell him and didn’t feel like being the person calling to complain to a flower company on what was their craziest day of the year, so I put them in a vase and we jokingly put them in the middle of the table.  “It’ll be a Valentine’s Day centerpiece we’ll never forget” we said.

And it was. 

Then, the next morning, to my astonishment, I awoke to find that the tulips were standing up straight and beautiful!  Turns out tulips can do well living out of water but will go limp as they wait for rehydration. So just giving them a few hours in water brings them back to life! 

That ended up being my first lesson in flower conditioning, and another big lesson for both of us : if you want to have flowers delivered that wow immediately upon presentation, it’s best to go the local route.

Funny that it took about 15 years for those lessons to be used for more than just purchasing flowers, but here I am today, a farmer florist who still loves tulips and am so very proud to be offering a local Valentine’s Day delivery option that will ensure your flowers won’t be gifted as a sad flop that’s awaiting a hydration miracle.  

True to form, I’m still not into red roses and won’t be providing those, but this year there is the offering of gorgeous white and pink, American grown tulips mixed in with dried Larkspur grown at the farm and saved since last spring.  

In short, it’s a fresh and dried bouquet in one, of which half can be saved and enjoyed for months to come as a reminder of your Valentine’s Day! Whether it’s being gifted to yourself or someone else, the promise is that it will be delivered in a fresh state ready to be enjoyed immediately.

Also, it’s worth noting that proceeds from Valentine’s Day orders are going directly into planting more pollinator fields at the farm. It’s my way of offsetting the carbon emissions from having flowers shipped cross county, and it’s also a way to improve the ecosystem in which my flowers are grown.  The more pollinators come to the property the happier the flowers are, which means the quality of what I can provide continues to improve. 

If you’re interested in purchasing a bouquet or a bouquet + flower subscription bundle, head on to the link below - and thank you as always for your love and support of local/American grown flowers. 

Thoughts on Weddings

Before becoming a flower grower and floral designer, my professional life was that of a photographer! For seven years I had the privilege of documenting all the details and moments of numerous weddings, and now I get to create pieces that will forever be frozen in time by other photographers. Regardless of the role I’ve played, a sense of humble gratitude has always accompanied the reality that I have the honor of playing a role in the exciting day where two people begin a new chapter in their lives!

Turns out that the couples who were drawn to my photojournalistic style of photography have much in common with those who are drawn to my fresh-from-the-fields garden style designs: they’re kind hearted people who value authenticity over having to adhere to a certain image, they want the day to reflect who they are without giving much thought to what’s on trend, and they have an effortless style and grace.

For visual proof, below are snippets from weddings both large and small I had the honor to be a part of in 2021. Only booking a handful of events each season allows for real connection with the beautiful souls who will always be vivid in my memory!

Thank you to those who invited me into your special day last year, and I look forward to designing for new flower loving souls in 2022.

contributing photographers: Hannah Malloy Photography, Amative Creative, Erin Edgerton

2021 Recap

What a year it was for Liliharp Flowers, moving to a new farm site in February and having the opportunity to transform 2 acres of never-before farmed land into a flower oasis!

Though starting anew wasn’t without its challenges - drought, deer, and bringing electricity to the farm were at the top of the list for 2021 - the highs most certainly outweighed the lows.

We witnessed pollinators appear and multiply before our eyes, hard red clay become lush soil full of earthworms topped with fields of flowers, brides and other visitors walk through the fields admiring the blooms, and workshop attendees create masterpieces amidst the shade trees. All this proving my favorite sentiment to be true: you have to believe it before you can see it, and how beautifully a vision that began in my mind became a reality with a lot of blind faith and, in this case, a lot of sweat equity too. Okay, and maybe a few round of tears thrown in as well.

As much as was accomplished in 2021, there’s still so much more of the vision left to achieve. So this winter is being spent not only on planning the fields for 2022 but also dreaming up fun ways to bring flower lovers to the farm at certain points throughout the year! We’re also completing an on-site design studio that will house lovely vintage vases and be a cozy spot for creating weekly bouquets and custom floral commissions. Small weddings, elopements, and parties are starting to make the year look exciting, and I’m so grateful to be able to create special floral pieces to enhance the feel a space by using seasonal garden style design - bringing my flower fields to you!

At the end of the day, the mission of Liliharp Flowers is to provide beauty in the form of flowers whilst helping preserve pollinators and nature as it’s intended to be, so thank you times a million for your love and support along this journey. You’ve proven that flowers create connection and connection brings joy - and joy is contagious. So cheers to ringing in a new year with a happy heart and a head full of dreams for the next growing season. Can’t wait to show you what the new year brings…

Growing Ranunculus

Ranunculus are the roses of spring, producing beautiful blooms that are whimsical and soft and colorful and everything else that makes flowers special.

Growing them can seem intimidating, but I’ve learned that it seems scarier in print than it actually is. Not that you’re not going to make mistakes to perfect the process - that’s inevitable no matter how much of a green thumb you have - but if you can just get them to make a little sprout indoors and have a cool but frost-free environment for them to rest in over the winter, you’re set up for a spring of beautiful blooms that continually shoot up for at least a couple of months.

Here are the five steps to planting:

• pre-soak the corms

• pre-sprout the corms*

• plant soaked or sprouted corms in container/raised bed/well draining spot of ground, 8-9 inches apart

• cover with frost cloth

• fertilize at the beginning of spring, keep watered, and enjoy your weekly harvests!

Now to break down those steps a little further (and please note these steps are for those living in growing zones 6 - 7):

Pre-Soaking Corms

When you receive your corms, they will appear to be shriveled up little aliens. Have no fear! Healthy corms will actually look slightly unhealthy, though please note that mold/discoloration/lot of missing “legs” would be a sign of poor corms.

To encourage the corms to start growing, you’ll want to soak them in clean water for 3-4 hours.

Some suggest that you leave a small bit of water running into the container as they soak to help keep the water oxygenated, but truthfully I don’t have the time or means to do that for my many corms and have still had success! I would just say that if you don’t keep the water running, then taking them out at the 3 hour mark is best.

Pre-Sprouting Corms

*Though soaking is a step not to be missed, pre-sprouting is optional. However, by doing so you’ll know for sure your corm has a fighting chance at growing and you’ll get blooms a few weeks earlier than it you don’t.

If you DO opt to pre-sprout:

As the corms soak, cover the bottom of a 2-3 inch tray with fluffy, moist potting soil (Southern States has seed trays for under $2 a piece or aluminum foil pans from the grocery store work great for this step, too!). Moist isn’t my favorite word but it’s truly the best one to describe how you want the soil to be: not so wet that you could make a mud pie with it but wet enough that the water within it is evident when you touch it.

After the corms have soaked, place them in the tray spaced close together (approximately 2 inches apart) with their tiny legs facing down. Then, cover with another layer of moist potting soil.

Place the tray in a cool, out-of-direct-sunlight spot (55-70 degrees) and check in a couple of days. If soil feels dried out, spritz with water but again, be careful not to add too much (can you tell rotted/drowned more than my fair share of corms and am hoping you learn from my mistakes?;)

Corms take 10-14 days to sprout, so continue to check every couple of days to maintain consistent moisture. If you do spot any moldy corms (it’s totally fine to pull one up to check!) remove that one, discard it in the trash (not compost pile) and gently loosen the dirt in the tray to make sure there’s consistency with the wetness.

Plant Sprouted Corms

You’ll know your corms are ready for planting when they have one or a few tiny nubs showing out of the top (I compare it to new baby teeth poking out!) and many white, dangly roots coming out around those tiny little legs. This is the time you could plant them, but can wait to plant them until they have an inch or two or stems/leaves shooting up if you want a boost on growing earlier in spring. I plant some at the earliest stage (lots of roots and just a nub of a stem) and others at the later one (tiny leaves have appeared) to stagger the start and end bloom times.

Plant the corms in your preferred outdoor spot, 8-9 inches apart and 2-3 inches deep, roots down/shoots up!

Whether planting in beds, pots, or ground, adding organic compost is great for ranunculus, and a new favorite of mine is Leafgro, which can be found at Lowe’s. It’s made in Maryland, has a wonderful texture, low odor, and I do believe has contributed to healthy plants for me!

If planting in the ground, just be sure you’re choosing a spot that isn’t prone to standing water and definitely amend with compost. Heavy clay isn’t always a friend to ranunculus, especially if Virginia decides to have as snowy winter.

If planting in pots, you’ll want to move them outside so they don’t continue to grow via the spring like temps in your home. The idea is for them to remain dormant yet maintain strong roots throughout the winter.

Cover with Frost Cloth

After tucked into the soil, cover the plants with a frost cloth that hovers slightly over the shoots.

Pots do well to overwinter on porches, but still cover them just to be sure they’re not kissed by frost.

Fertilize and Enjoy

After the last frost of the season, remove the frost cloth, fertilize the plants (I love Plantone or Dr. Earth Flower Girl), and begin to water every few days. Once the blooms start to show, harvest them at the marshmallow stage of flowering, i.e. blooms are slightly opened and a little squishy but not fully spread, cutting at the base of the stem. Harvesting frequently encourages more blooming so cutting frequently is encouraged.

Ranunculus have a long vase life, especially if you change the water every few days and give the stems a fresh snip!

Early Spring Planting In Virginia

Happy first day of spring! I know this is a crazy time of life for most of us, full of uncertainties and fears, but I personally believe there’s nothing like spending time in nature to regain a sense of calm and remind yourself that there is still beauty and wonder to behold even in the dark times. And if we want to get really deep, I’ve also always loved the comparison of seeds needing the darkness to reveal the strength they have to claw their way up to the light and bloom anew.

SO if you’re looking for a way to get your hands in the dirt and meditate on some goodness, below I’m sharing three hardy annuals that can be directly put into the ground today* and will start growing quickly, giving you something to cheer about and look forward to!

All three can be purchased via my favorite Virginia seed company Southern Exposure Seed Exchange : their seeds have always been top quality that I can rely on germinating well AND they mail them so adorably packaged that opening the box will give you an endorphin boost before even planting the seeds.

I’ll also add that these flowers are kid friendly to plant meaning that you can’t really mess them up (aside from forgetting to water) AND extracting seeds from them to use in the future is really easy, so they’ll be witnessing and experiencing the cycle of a plant life first hand!

Alrighty, starting with my favorite…

Nigella

Nigella damascena, also known as Love in a Mist, is a flower I knew nothing about a year ago and is now a forever favorite. It has a delicate and wispy appearance that gives it an almost etherial presence when in bloom, and if left in the field, the blooms fall away to reveal unique pods that resemble a beautiful sea creature. The meaning of the Nigella flower is equally as beautiful, as it’s said to represent harmony + love and is a symbol of the love that bonds people together.

Planting Nigella couldn’t be easier because it resents transplanting and therefore requires no indoor or greenhouse germination. All you have to do is plant the tiny seeds by covering them very lightly (they do need light to germinate but some dirt keeps them from being washed away or eaten). Keep the area moist and do attempt to weed regularly as they grow. (Side story: Trust me on this one, as last year I thought my Nigella seeds hadn’t germinated and almost just haphazardly pulled up the entire row that I thought were weeds. But thankfully before I destroyed everything, I happened to notice a unique looking leaf popping up through the overgrowth and then discovered that there were seedlings there trying to grow but were being smothered by the faster growing weeds. So I quickly pulled up the weeds and within 5 days the plants took off and my love affair with the plant began. )

Please note that Nigella isn’t a cut and come again flower like zinnias and cosmos, so if you want a continual harvest, be sure to save seeds to plant again a couple more times between now and June.

Bachelor Buttons

Another hardy annual that can be preserved through drying is Centaurea, also known as Bachelor Button or cornflower. It really is as cute as a button and equally easy to grow as Nigella. Symbolically Bachelor Buttons are known to represent purity and feelings of good fortune.

The seeds should be sown directly in the garden in as early spring as possible (or can also be successfully overwintered). Once they emerge, be sure to thin out the seedlings to give them adequate space to grow. They become quite bushy at the base before revealing the delicate stems of the flowers! I’ve also learned that deer do find them to be tasty, so if you don’t have a fence, tucking them amidst some marigolds or using an all natural deer repellent around the space should help keep them safe.

Also note that these are also not cut and come again, but I’ve found that Bachelor Buttons don’t prefer extreme heat, so you may only want to do one planting of these.

Dill

I’ve loved dill as a spice my entire life, but sadly had never seen it in bloom until last year when I decided to grow it. Its firework appearance and tiny little dots of yellow left me in awe, and the fun part about this herb is that it works just as well as a cut flower as it does a garnish. Just as with Nigella and Bachelor Buttons, dill dries beautifully, so I’d recommend saving a few for fall arrangements or do gather seeds for next year’s harvest!

Hope these three suggestions give you an excuse to get your hands dirty, and I’d love for you to share progress pics if you do decide to plant! Just tag me via Instagram @liliharpflowers so I can re-share the joy of all the growing that’s happening around us!

*please note that I’m in central Virginia and am offering suggestions based on my zone, so please be sure to check the recommendations for when to plant these in your area if you’re not close by!

The Beginning

last night my oldest, Lily, was telling me about something that had happened in her day, and at the end of all her descriptions she got to the point she wanted to make. then she gave a little laugh and said “huh. maybe I could have just said that part, but sometimes I just can’t stop rambling on and on and on.” at which point I started laughing because she 100% got that honestly.

I’ve been putting off telling the story of how Liliharp Flowers all began because every time I’ve attempted to write it, my brain starts rambling on and and on and on. then I begin to struggle with just how far back to go. did it begin with the purple irises in my childhood backyard that I feel like may be one of my first real memories? is it when we bought our first house and I experienced the joy that planting flowers would bring me? is it when we sold our first house and I realized I wasn’t going to miss the house but only the plants? is it when or is it when I became a wedding photographer and realized I like photographing the flowers as much as the people?

but if it get to the heart of it, none of that is really when it all began.

it really all began when my grandma passed away.

she was a strong, lovely, amazing listener type of soul, with the kind of twinkling eyes that made you feel at ease when she looked at you.

one of the last times I saw her, she was sick and frail and didn’t seem very aware. but she was able to sit up in a chair, so as we went to leave, my girls and I took a photo with her and gave her big hugs. we then stood back to wait for the others to leave with us, and I looked away from her to listen to the conversation in the room. but when I looked over again, I saw she was staring at Lily and Harper with those kind twinkling eyes and this beautiful serene look. then she noticed me looking and gave me a firm wink and a gentle smile. It gave me chills and I couldn’t help but think that was her way of letting me know she’d be watching over them soon.

that was the last time I saw her with her eyes open.

two days after my grandma passed away, the girls and I were wandering through a local sunflower patch all alone, choosing blooms for a funeral arrangement, when suddenly we were surrounded by a mini flock of hummingbirds (technically called a “charm”-how charming is that?!) that followed our every step as we walked through the field. it went on for about five minutes, the birds darting in and out the space around us when we walked, then settling on leaves to rest when we stopped to cut.

after our frolic in the field we crossed the road to go pay for our flowers and told the cashier about the hummingbirds. to which she replied something like: “well you know, hummingbirds are known for being a sign of comfort and hope. and given that we rarely see one in the sunflowers - much less a bunch of them - I think those may have been sent just for you.”

which is where naturally I teared up and threw her off guard with a hug and a rambling statement about how my grandma has just passed away and I really needed to hear that.

now this is the part in the story where I tend to stumble as to how much to add, so I’ll attempt to put it in a nutshell: prior to grandma’s passing, I had begun to hate that the long weekend hours required of my wedding photography career were affecting the family time I had always said I would prioritize. I knew that taking a pause or switching gears entirely may be necessary, but I didn’t know what next step to take. which led to a lot of feelings of insecurity and confusion which led to depression and anxiety that I was really good at hiding on the outside but began manifesting in the form of physical pain on the inside soon after grandma passed away. however, instead of thinking the pain was at all related to my emotions - silly me - I became a bit of a hypochondriac who was convinced that something was physically terribly wrong. not surprisingly, two doctors couldn’t find anything wrong related to my symptoms, but then a third, who also couldn’t describe the pain, found what he thought to be a non related lump that needed to be further explored.

naturally hearing that made my world stop, and for 24 hours I walked around in a fog, my normal strong and fighting spirit starting to fade fast. I quickly recognized that if I was going to make it through the 2 week wait time for the diagnostic test without losing my mind, I needed to find something to keep me focused.

there’d been an online course on marketing that had sparked my interest earlier, so I revisited the site to sign up, but this time the first thing to pop up was a review from a former student who owned a flower farm. intrigued, I clicked on her website, and in that instant lightning struck. I’ll never forget standing in my kitchen when her site appeared on my phone and having a tunnel vision moment where everything around me went fuzzy as all the flower memories and the conversations of me telling people I wanted to live on a farm one day and the hummingbird experience ran at me like a movie reel. my entire body was covered in chills and yet at the same time I felt an overwhelming warmth from the peace that came from realizing I’d just discovered my new path.

so I walked over to my husband, Carl, and said “I believe I need to start a flower farm.”

and because he is the best human in the whole wide world who believes in me more than I’ll ever comprehend, he goes “fantastic!” (or something maybe a little less cheesy than that) and we said a prayer and started scheming a bit as to what that may look like. then we went to bed.

sidenote: there’s this important life tidbit I’ve come to know to be true through other experiences, which is… when a desire has been placed in our heart and we believe it can be ours, focusing on the how isn’t important. in fact, focusing on the how is often what gets in the way of dreams coming to pass, our limited human minds and capabilities blocking the spiritual flow (which I refer to as God) that is waiting for us to let go so it can deliver. It doesn’t mean that achieving our dreams doesn’t require work, it just means that when we trust that the work we need to do will be revealed to us and the tools we need to do the work will be provided by a spiritual force we’re putting our trust into, amazing things will happen.

(off my soapbox now)

so I woke up the next morning - in February, a person with no land to grow on (and even if I had it should have been prepped months ago), and no experience growing plants on more than a 2 square foot lot - choosing to believe that what was needed to begin my flower dream would be provided. and unlike some desires that take a while to manifest, this one didn’t test my patience because:

literally within 24 hours a phone call occurred that secured the land in a way better than I could have asked for, and the next week became a flurry of reading everything I could on the topic of growing flowers, buying seeds and supplies, starting said seeds and putting them in every spot that got an inch of sunshine around the house, etc. etc. etc.

then the date arrived for the x ray to learn more about the lump, and wouldn’t you know it: that night I dreamed about hummingbirds.

I’m beyond grateful to say that the test showed that all way okay, and the first week in April 2019, Carl and I turned the dirt - by hand - of the two beds that will forever be known as the spot where Liliharp Flowers began.

the growing season was as to be expected, full of triumphs, failures, and (many many) lessons. it also brought along with it amazing relationships and opportunities that again, I couldn’t have orchestrated on my own.

and perhaps my most favorite moments to reflect on are the times when hummingbirds showed up at the garden when my spirit was low or discouragement attempted to set in, like the time when one actually suspended in the air directly in front of me without drinking from the flowers and stayed for a minute or so as I watched in disbelief. other times they’d sit on the support posts for a second or drink from a flower right next to my head. after the second and third occurrence, I was almost scared to tell Carl or anyone else what had happened for fear they’d think I’d become a lying hallucinator. but as they say, the experiences were ones I couldn’t really make up, and I always saw them as a beautiful reminder that grandma was there.

in short, though losing her was one of the hardest life experiences I’ve had, her passing became the catalyst for a dream that I know she’ll always be a part of - and she has a really cute and fun way of showing her support.

so not surprisingly, when November came and all of the leaves fell from the trees, guess what I discovered? a hummingbird nest in the tallest tree overlooking the garden.

and one more fun little tidbit: lately I also just learned that people say hummingbirds can be seen as symbols of tenacity and endurance in pursuit of our dreams. I’ll take that one and run with it, too.

now after reading all of that, you may be wondering why I didn’t call it hummingbird farms. well, for one it’s probably taken, and two, I really wanted to honor my two girls - the ones that inspire me everyday to be the kind of woman who shows them how to go after their dreams - so Liliharp it is. Lily + Harper = Liliharp Flowers. The business and life journey they’ll have memory of seeing their mom go on as her close friends and family cheer her on from the sidelines and smiling spirits cheering her on from above.

they’ll also hopefully see that it is possible to make their part of the world a little more beautiful than when they arrived, that helping the earth in small ways can lead to big waves, to honor all living things no matter the size, and that there are many many people who believe in those same principles and are happy to join you on your quest to do good in the world. those of you who support our flower farm are in the group of wonderful people, and I can’t say thank you enough for choosing to buy local flowers. you’re making more of an impact than you know, not just on my family but on your local ecosystem and community, and I’m beyond grateful that you’re walking alongside me on this path. the journey’s just beginning, but I know it’s going to be a great one, and I appreciate you for being a part of the story.