The mistake that led to total garden failure - and how I fixed it.

In February of 2023, a stroke of inspiration (most likely brought on by winter doldrums) told me to start planning a new garden space at the farm. Growing flowers in rows was starting to feel like an assembly line that was crushing my creativity, so I thought that the solution may be to designate a small square of space to create somewhat of a cottage garden - complete with a little stone path, vine wall and teepee, flowering perennials, and annuals sown throughout them.

So as winter began to fade, the garden plan was born. I kept the overall vision simple by choosing a mix of about 10 varieties of plants that I would repeat throughout the space, and all was installed by April 1. It was a hopeful space and in my dreams it was sure to become a lush and gorgeous getaway spot.

However, by the end of the season, this is what I was left with:

September 2023- not much better than April 1, 2023

The result was depressing and slightly defeating, but as gardeners do, I had to assess what I did wrong - and when I realized the biggest mistake I’d made (and fixed it this spring), the result at the same time as last year’s failure was this:

September 2024 - I chose a mainly green and white color scheme, which created a nice sense of calm within the space

So what was it that made such a drastic difference?

Location, location, location.

In 2023, I had failed to realize that WHERE I put the garden was just as important as what I put in it.

My initial thought had been to tuck the garden away from the hub of the farm so as to create a quiet zone I could escape to when a break from the grind was needed. 

In theory, it made sense to have a spot that completely took me away from the never ending tasks of of the planting, weeding, harvesting, and floral designing. 
In reality, those tasks are imperative to my daily routine and are always at the forefront of my mind - so putting a project so far outside the realm of where most of my existence at the farm was happening set it up for failure.

Very quickly the space feel victim to the old adage “out of sight, out of mind,” and demise ensued.
So by making the decision to start over in an entirely different spot - right next to the main field at the farm - I set myself for success in two ways:

Not only did I remember to actually take care of it because I walked by it frequently, but I also remembered to ENJOY it on a daily basis.

When a lush green space with a little chair is something you’re forced to see, at some point you’re going to let it beckon you in for a moment. I’ve stood in that space almost every day to simply watch the bees or follow the vine trails. Even if it’s just been for five minutes, it’s been five minutes of calm I was gifted thanks to the change of location.

In summary, please learn from my mistake and be sure to choose a garden spot you simply can’t ignore - even if it’s a patio garden, make sure it’s a patio that is part of your daily existence!

By choosing a space that’s already part of your day to day life, the garden will quickly become an enjoyable part of your routine instead of an added chore you’re likely to neglect. Then all the effort and time spent in tiny daily time spans will be greatly rewarded in the form of a beautiful space that you (and the pollinators) will never forget to enjoy.

Which brings me to one more quick tip to help give you success (and take some work off your back in the spring): if you can find the time, starting a garden by planting perennials this fall will not only help lay a foundation for which you can plant annuals amongst next spring, but it will also allow those perennial roots to strengthen so they won’t have to be babied in the spring. You’ll gain about 6 months of growth by planting in fall versus in the spring, all thanks to giving them a nice time to rest while the magic is happening underground.

Favorite perennials for planting in October and November include peonies, hellebores, flowering shrubs (forsythia, mock orange, ninebark, abelia), and clematis vine.

Hope that’s helpful, and as always, you can schedule a garden consult if you’re hoping for more customized advice on how to create a garden that thrives and inspires.

foraged greenery for August flower arrangements

Though I love to grow greenery and herbs for floral arranging purposes, there’s something fun about going into nature to find wild and rambling bits - especially at the height of summer season, where so much can typically be found.

So today I’m sharing my top three favorite foraged greenery to look for in the month of August here in central Virginia. Starting with….

Elaeagnus

Elaeagnus (also known as Silverberry or Autumn Olive) is a non native you’ve most likely seen along roadways or in open fields in Virginia.  You may have even seen small shrubs of it for sale at a nursery, but it is one that I would not recommend planting due to its highly invasive nature. Seriously, plant one and you may end up with 100 in just a few years. Which isn’t really a good thing since it often keeps other beneficial and native pollinator plants from growing in its shade.

However, given that it’s so readily found already existing in nature, I would recommend foraging from it to use in floral arrangements. Not only does it look beautiful and have good vase life, but by foraging it this month (when the berries start to appear) you’re helping to keep those seeds from spreading all around. Also, the berries are edible, and though not the most delicious, that’s good news given that there’s no concern in bringing it into your home around pets and children! Of course you can also just take the berries off and discard of them (in a trash can, not a compost pile), if you wish to have just greenery visible.

A bridal bouquet made with elaeagnus as the greenery base (photo by Hannah Malloy Photography)

Once you’re done foraging from a particular shrub, at some point within the month, cutting it all the way back to the ground is best. I promise you it’ll grow back (you really have to dig it up to officially get rid of it), but again, cutting it back keeps it from multiplying at an unhealthy rate.

And if you’re at all curious to learn more about how this particular invasive species came to be so prevalent in our landscape, I found this wonderful article by Lewis Ginter:

https://www.lewisginter.org/elaeagnus/

Wild Blackberry Vine

Ah, the most exciting vine of summer. The fruit that appeared in July has started to fade by now, but the lovely vine of wild blackberry is still very green and wonderful to weave into arrangements: just be sure to take caution when harvesting, as the thorns aren’t very forgiving of fingertips grabbing onto them.

I personally harvest in leather gloves, and then before putting the stems into water, I strip the thorns by gently scraping with a knife or edge of scissors so positioning stems in a vase won’t be so threatening. The sturdy stems and leaves have a droopy but not-too-droopy form that makes it wonderful for creating a base layer in a vessel before weaving in flowers among them.

Virginia Ground Cherry (Physalis virginiana)

This one is a bit trickier to find than the previous two due to its short nature and easy ability to hide, making it all the more special when it does appear! Growing only 1-2 feet tall, you’ll most likely notice its tubular, off white/maroon tinged flowers first. Then, if you look more closely, you’ll find beautiful green paper lantern like orbs hiding under the leaves. Those contain either green berries or ripened red-orange berries (which typically occurs in late August).

To harvest for floral arrangement, cut as low down on the stem as possible and strip enough leaves so that there won’t be any sitting in water. Then, I would recommend arranging the flowers first and then tucking this ingredient in last, around the edges to allow it to peek out. It’s not the strongest stem, so using it as a base layer or grid isn’t recommended.  It’ll definitely be a conversation starter for anyone who sees the arrangement, and I’ve found it can last for up to two weeks in a vase!

Hope this is helpful, and happy foraging!

Four flower seeds to sow in June to enjoy a late summer harvest

Yes, it’s the end of June, and perhaps time got away from you this spring and you never got around to growing those flowers you intended to. Good news! You haven’t quite missed the boat on growing flowers here in Virginia. 

Below are four beginner-grower-friendly, cuttable flowers that will bring joy to you and pollinators alike. Simply purchase the seeds, which can all can be directly seeded into a weed free patch, and commit to watering them daily until they’ve reached their mature height.

Once established, watering only needs to happen 2-3 times a week for these tough heat loving flowers, and cutting from them regularly will encourage them to keep pumping out blooms from late summer to the first frost. 

Also, if deer and critters are a problem in your backyard, using an all natural deer repellant spray a couple of times a week will help them avoid attack so as to not destroy your flower garden dreams.

So without further ado, the 4 favorites are…

Cosmos

Tall and wiry yet full faced, cosmos add a whimsical element to the garden and make an amazing statement in a vase en masse.

There are many different varieties, and it’s important to note the height when choosing where to grow them. Favorite extra tall varieties are Afternoon White, Cupcakes Blush, and Apricotta, which may require some support so they won’t flop over during a summer storm.

A shorter variety that does well in pots or along flowering borders without any support is Xanthos, a lovely pale yellow and white color to weave into fall arrangements.

Zinnias

Zinnias are fast growing, bushy plants that are offered in almost all colors of the rainbow (except blue, whomp whomp).

There are also different shapes and sizes. Size-of-your face bloomers can be found in the Benary’s Giant Mix, sharp skinny quilled styles are found in Cactus varieties, extra fluffy flower heads are in the Zinderella varieties, and tiny, cute as a button sized blooms are produced from the Jazzy mix.

When harvesting the first stems, be sure to cut at least one leaf node down to encourage taller growing stems!

Sunflowers

A personal anecdote regarding sunflowers: when I was in middle school, the traditional yellow and brown giant sunflowers were all the rage. And I had this one friend who embraced it with her whole heart, decorating her entire bedroom in sunflowers and wearing them on her clothes and backpack. Said friend decided she hated me after I got a new haircut and the braces came off. In my mind it plays like a movie, me walking into school that morning after the little makeover and her saying to the person next to her “who does she think she is?” Then she commenced attempting to make my life a living hell from that point on for the rest of the school year.

Thankfully I had parents who raised me to hold my head high and not stoop to her level, so I managed to make new friends and ignore her as much as possible…and that did the trick of making her eventually stop. But the pain and ridicule she doled out definitely stuck with me for a while. Which is why that year, every time I saw a sunflower, my stomach sank because I thought of her. And that reaction just kind of stuck, which led to a long term hatred of sunflowers.

Fast forward many years later when I have begun my flower growing journey and suddenly I realize that there are SO MANY varieties of sunflowers! Striped ones and white ones and ones as dark as the night sky. Fluffy ones and short ones and ones that grow like a tree with lots of branches coming off of a central stalk. I about cried with joy. So now I grow them proudly and without a pit in my stomach….though I did actually grow the traditional ones that year as a reminder to let the past be in the past and to appreciate the tough times, for they actually can make us grow taller. Like the sunflower.

Now enough of the life stuff. As for where to begin if you want to grow interesting sunflowers you don’t see every day, I would suggest any from the ProCut series (Plum and White Nite are two absolute favs!), Rouge Royal, Sunfill Purple, and Teddy Bear.

Marigolds

Much like with sunflowers, before I was a grower, the only marigolds that came to mind were the short little red and orange ones most often found in nurseries. Then once again my mind was blown when I saw that there were taller, more sophisticated varieties to grow that would still be wonderful for attracting pollinators, detracting pests, and killing nemotodes….but would be more of a statement flower in the field and in arrangements.

At the farm we grow the Giant series (Yellow and Orange), White Swan, Red Gem, and Lemon Gem for arrangements (Red and Lemon Gem specifically for their lacy foliage).

Hope that’s helpful! If you need advice on where to source seeds, be sure to check out this post Finding Incredible Flower Seeds

Four mosquito repellent plants to add to your patio

Mosquitoes may be the most despised pest of the summer, and if you don’t wish to slather yourself in bug spray every time you go to sit on your porch, there are plants that do great in containers that can act as a mosquito barrier where you tend to lounge about the most. Bonus points for them being low maintenance!

Lemongrass

A tried and true plant that works well as a backdrop for other flowers in a pot (think lemongrass in the back, trailing flowers in the front). It’s willowy, easy to maintain, and edible : harvest stalks at the base when they’re 12” tall and chop to use for marinades, sauces, or any other culinary needs.

Citronella Plant 

Commonly known as citronella or mosquito plant, it’s actually a citronella scented leaf geranium (which is really a pelargonium but labeled as a geranium… confusing I know). Whatever you call it, this plant is so strongly scented of citronella that just one tiny touch with leave a lingering scent on your hands and does the mosquito repellent job well.  In fact, the oil of this plant is what is used in citronella candles!

Citronella plant is easy to care for. It only needs to be watered every few days (it hates being overwatered), and it has a lovely light pink bloom that emerges throughout the season. It’s best to deadhead these blooms and also take off any leaves that may wither.

Please note that citronella plant is only a perennial in zones 9-10, so if you live in Virginia like I do, this plant will need to be brought indoors for the winter (or plan to treat it as an annual). 

Basil

A wonderful culinary herb that doubles as a mosquito (and fly!) repellent. Basil is fairly easy to grow: just give it lots of sun + good drainage, and take off any yellowing leaves throughout the season. All varieties will do the job, so have fun choosing those that you love the most! Personally the purple varieties are a favorite for adding some dark contrast to a mix pot of flowers or herbs.

Marigolds

Marigolds are one of the most helpful flowers you can grow, warding off not just mosquitoes but flys, tomato worms, and thrips (to name a few). There are many varieties to choose from, and I would recommend choosing a shorter variety is you’re wanting to grow them in pots. French marigolds are a personal favorite! 

Just as with the citronella plant, it’s best to deadhead marigolds throughout the season to encourage new growth and keep them healthy.

Hope this was helpful, and happy mosquito-free lounging to you this spring and summer.

My Garden Tool Must Haves

If you were to put me a beautiful and lush deserted island where I could garden but could only have five things with me to do so (except for the seeds), this would be on my list:

Drain Spade

Best described as a short, skinny shovel with a curved end, this tool is all I use to plant shrubs, dig up annoying large weeds, and turn over the dirt before planting new seedlings.  It may have originally been made to help with efficient trench digging, but I call it the perfect garden shovel.

The one I have is an old wooden handled gem I found at an estate sale and is living a strong second life with me, so don’t overlook buying these second hand! However, this is a new one that gets strong reviews: 

Ashman Drain Space

Hori Hori Knife

The best hand tool for digging small plant holes and tackling mini clumps of weeds. The one linked below is by far my favorite due to the fact that it’s taken abuse from me (being lost in the field, left out in the rain, not cleaned off for weeks etc.) and yet has managed to stay strong for the last 5 years:

Hokuru Hori Hori Knife

Skin Care Kit 

It may be breaking the rules to bring a 3 item kit, but I’d argue that gloves, lotion, and sunscreen work together as one amazing tool because they protect the human and the precious extremities that are at the heart of all gardening jobs!

So in this kit would be:

Nitrile Coated Gardening Gloves

Yes, gardening without gloves can be wonderful and I definitely recommend putting your hands directly in the dirt from time to time. However, the split fingers that tend to happen when I don’t wear gloves for a full day of gardening result in distracting pain that takes away from the joy of growing flowers. So, for much of the day I wear nitrile gloves because they’re breathable, washable, and comfortable, allowing you to maintain good dexterity while protecting your skin.

Truth be told, I’ve yet to find a pair I didn’t like, so no brand recommendations here. Nitrile coated gloves can be easily found in any nursery, home good store, or online!

Lotion

To slather on before you slip those gloves on and after when you slip them off!  One that has been my forever favorite for almost a decade due to its natural ingredients, amazing creaminess, and lovely scents is Old Whaling Company. It’s a small batch body care company based out of Charleston, South Carolina, and it was started by a mom with a mission to solve her son’s eczema. My own mom discovered OWC at the very beginning, and it’s been exciting to watch them grow and evolve without the products ever losing the integrity they began with. And no, I’m not being sponsored by them to say this! I just really really love their stuff and the heart behind their business.

Sunscreen

Also not being paid to say this but this one has proven to be the one sunscreen that actually prevents sunburn on my fair skin after spending at least 8 hours at day outside…Sun Bum. Hands down the best and yummiest scented sunscreen (and if you’re interested in hearing a fun founder’s story, check out their interview on the How I Built This podcast;)

Snips

Straight blade snips are perfect for harvesting flowers in the field and designing with them indoors. I’ve had several brands and have FELCO to be the sturdiest and longest lasting.

FELCO

Pruning Saw

The perfect tool for pruning shrubs and trees - and also the perfect tool to cut downed limbs to create waddle fences (or any other charming makeshift fence). Corona (the tool company, not the beer one;) makes a wonderful folding one.

Corona Folding Saw

Anything missing from the list you’d include? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Also, I’m excited to say that anyone who books a garden consult with me this year is getting their own mini care kit that includes some of my favs … I’ll give you a hint: the one I rambled on about the most will definitely be in there;)

You can book a consult here to receive flower growing guidance, a bit of cheerleading, and the above mentioned kit!

Lastly, be on the look out for a fun Mother’s Day gift offering that will also include a few of the above favorites. Signing up for the newsletter is the easiest way to go about being notified when those offerings become available!

The best dry-able flowers for Virginia gardens

Flowers to Grow for Colorful Dried Stems

My daughter had a teacher who loved to say that cut flowers were wasteful and sad since all they did was die. My gift to her at the end of the year? A big bouquet of colorful dried flowers in hopes of brightening her outlook on life and changing her mind.

It’s true, flowers die. But not all of them die the same, and by growing flowers that retain their color and form for many years to come if dried properly, you can be sure that your work in growing them will brighten your home for many seasons!

So, today I’m sharing my top four dry-able flowers to grow, with the good news that Virginia is a place they easily thrive because of their love for the heat.

Also, all of these are highly deer resistant once they’re in bloom. Just be sure to give them some form of protection (netting/organic deer deterrent/barking dogs) while they’re starting to grow since it’s the blooms the deer don’t like…the green foliage they go for.

Oh, and if all of that wasn’t enough, they are all cut and come again flowers. Meaning that the more you cut stems or deadhead, they more flowers they’ll produce!

Below is a quick rundown of these lovely flowers (and if you want to learn more, be sure to follow along on Instagram @liliharpflowers to see these flowers in action this season!)

Statice

Truth be told, statice isn’t my personal favorite in bouquets because its stems are incredibly straight and the tops are flat, making it tricky to arrange with if you prefer movement like I do. It’s also a bit prickly when harvesting.  BUT I grow it year after year because its colors are vibrant when dried and they make excellent pieces for winter wreaths! 

For my fellow Virginia growers: This is one plant you should start growing right now (March) indoors and can put outside in just a couple of weeks. Statice is very quick to germinate, and since it’s fairly hardy once it’s about 2-3 inches tall, you can plant it outdoors before the last frost with a frost cover on it. That will allow the roots to start getting strong so the plants can grow quickly once warm weather is here to stay! 

Strawflower

Strawflower is the most fascinating flower and an immediate conversation piece in the gardens on in bouquets. They have multiple layers of papery bracts that open during the day and close during the evenings. They also close when water hits them! There are multiple shades of this flower available and I’ve yet to find a color of them that I don’t like. 

Celosia

Celosia is one of the easiest flowers to grow in Virginia: scattering its microscopic black seeds along the surface of soil and keeping it moist is all you need to do to see them germinate quickly and grow into the most beautiful different plumes and spikes (depending on which variety you choose to grow).

Celosia is grown as an annual and technically doesn’t overwinter, but it reseeds readily. Which means that once the heat comes back, you’ll most likely find a random celosia plant pop up around where you grew it last year. OR, if you want it to come back without doing anything, you can let it go to seed and shake the stems around when you remove them in the winter. In my experience, you’re guaranteed another patch.

Gomphrena

Gomphrena reminds me of tiny cotton balls sitting atop wiry stems, and it produces so many stems per plant that it can be hard to keep up with the harvesting here at the farm! I’ll think I’ve cut every possibly stem during morning harvest, and yet by sunset, the whole row is in full bloom again.

This is typically a low growing plant, so if you’re looking for an annual to serve as a border in your landscaping, this is a great one for that! In fact, on my trip to Colonial Williamsburg last fall, I discovered this was widely used within the Governor’s mansion landscaping.

I should also mention that is comes in more colors than white! Salmon is one of my personal favorites.

The best flowering vines for Virginia gardens

Vines are one of the easiest ways to add height and interest to your growing space, and here in Virginia, thankfully there are many easy-to-grow varieties to choose from.

Whether you train them to run up a wall or railing, have them cover a trellis or archway, or allow them to lazily flow out of a window box, I highly recommend trying your hand at growing at least one if you haven’t already!

Below are my favorite go-to varieties for making the garden AND arrangements beautiful (and please refer back to the posts regarding where to source annuals and perennials if you’re looking for reliable companies from which to source them).

Annual Vines

Firecracker Vine (Mina lobata) 

This gorgeous flowering vine is one that doesn’t have color until late summer, but the mini banana looking plumes that adorn its graceful green foliage starting in August is well worth the wait.  It’s easy to grow in full sun, has shown itself to be mainly deer resistant, and has flowering stems long enough to put into mini bud vases.

Black Eyed Susan Vine (Thunbergia)

It may be a slow grower, but once Thunbergia takes off, it will reward you with blooms from early summer to first frost.  These are offered in varieties of yellows and oranges, but my personal favorite is the less commonly seen white flower with black eye variety.  

Planting tip: Start seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before last frost and transplant outdoors in late April to enjoy a longer bloom time.

Cypress Vine (Ipomoea quamoclit)

One of the easiest flowering vines to grow, this dainty vine is a hummingbird’s dream. It featuring daily fern like foliage and small tubular flowers in either red or white.  

Moonflower

This one will blow you away with its giant white blooms that are at least the size of a human hand - sometimes even the size of your face! The magic of them is that blooms only open near sunset, so if you’re someone who isn’t home during the day, this is the vine that can be enjoyed in the evening as they glow beautifully in the moonlight (hence the name!).  

Mexican Sour Gherkin (Melothria scabra)

Though this isn’t a flowering vine, this vine from the cucumber family is sure to add interest to your garden as well as arrangements. Also known as mouse melon (thanks to the fact that the fruit literally looks like tiny watermelons on the outside) it continually produces all season long if you continue to pick the fruit or cut pieces of the vine to put into vases. I personally find the fruit a bit bitter to eat right off the vine, but there are great recipes out there for ways to pickle it or enjoy it in cocktails!

Hyacinth Bean (Dolichos lablab)

Ruby Moon and Silver Moon Hyacinth Bean vines are two of the most prolific bloomers you can grow. Yes, they will turn into beans (which are edible if cooked thoroughly and consumed in small amounts), but personally I grow these for the flowers. They produce long slender stems topped with multiple blooms that look lovely in bud vases and arrangements! Unfortunately, these are not very deer resistant, but they will bounce back if they happen to be attacked once or twice in early to mid season. I know that from experience;)

Perennial Vines

Clematis

Clematis is a quintessential cottage garden vine given that its broad leaves and striking flowers add instant charm to a space. They grow beautifully without much help from you aside from training it to climb where you’d like, and they come back fuller every year without being so aggressive that they take over a huge space.  It’s perfect for adorning mailboxes, light poles, and railings!

There are many colors and forms of this vine available, but when choosing which to grow, be sure to look at their bloom times.  Some Clematis bloom mid spring, others mid summer, and a few in late summer.  Getting a mix of all three will give you a constant full season blooming show!

Quick note: My personal favorite to plant for late summer is Clematis Virginiana, or Virgin’s Bower, as it is a beautiful white flower variety that is native to the eastern states. Please note that it has a non-native look alike, Clematis Paniculata, that can be aggressive and damaging to native plants - so please be sure to look carefully at the label when buying!

Passiflora (incarnata L.)

This exotic looking purple blooming vine is actually a native that you may have seen growing along the side of the road. The flowers are fragrant and bloom over several months, and this vine is quite the spreader (i.e. be sure you plant it where you want an abundance of vines for years to come!) It can handle trailing along the ground if you prefer to not trellis it, as pictured above.

Major Wheeler Coral Honeysuckle

This is a native honeysuckle that will grow abundantly yet not cause the harm that some non native honeysuckles can do. The tubular flowers typically bloom from April to June, and the foliage is wonderful to weave into arrangements all season long.

Trumpet Vine (Campsis radicans)

This vine is absolutely stunning and hummingbirds go mad for it! However, I have read that it can be a bit like English Ivy in that it has the potential to be intensely aggressive and has potential to cause structural damage if not maintained properly. Here’s a wonderful article outlining all you need to know about it before deciding if it’s right for you (or plant in a large pot if you want to avoid any potential harm!).

Southern Living’s Tips for growing Trumpet Vine

As always, happy growing! And please let me know if you have any questions.