Peppers (jalapeno, banana, habanero), basil, rosemary, & parsley
It’s been three months since we sowed new seeds again for this year’s spring season. The raised beds which John built and installed last year , have been a great addition to the garden and investment as it has provided two spring and summer seasons of an abundance of fruit, vegetables, and herbs. The kids have their own bed to grow their choice of fruit and vegetables, and John has his own raised bed dedicated to growing peppers and herbs. The herb garden is truly a treat for the senses. I just love the smell of fresh basil and rosemary.
This year, I decided to try something different by growing purely flowers in two of four the beds for my very own cut flower garden. I’ve always been inspired by flower farmer Erin Benzakein of Floret Flower after reading her book a couple of years ago, Cut Flower Garden. My long time dream has been to have a large garden or acquire some land and grow a peony farm. Well, I finally got that large garden, so I can at least make a sliver of my dream come true on a much smaller scale with raised beds of flowers right? More land will come in due time.
First Peony, bloomed April 17, 2019 (planted March 2019)
Dahlia bloom June 3, 2019 (planted March 2019)
Because peonies and dahlias are my favorite flowers, I chose to plant and grow these as tubers and roots. I grew peonies and dahlias at our last home in Issaquah WA and they provided beautiful flowers in the spring and summer. The Texas climate is different from what I am accustomed but it is a challenge I am having fun and learning through trial and error. Our raised beds get a ton of full direct sun which the flowers need to grow and thrive. Since I planted these peony roots, I’ve received one early flower bloom so far. The dahlias on the other hand seem to be growing better as they are a later blooming flower too. I’ve received one dahlia bloom the last week of May, with four more stems and buds ready to bloom.
Baron’s Zinnias, planted March 20, 2019
A project I did with Baron to celebrate the first day of spring was to plant Zinnia seeds. These zinnia seeds were leftover seeds I had from last year when we started our beds to attract butterflies. A few flowers have emerged and the joy and surprise on Baron’s face when he saw them was priceless. His exact words were, “I didn’t know that was going to happen!” I replied with, “That’s the magic of gardening, you don’t know what will come out or happen.”
Edible Flowers
In addition to my attempt at growing a cut flower garden, I’ve planted seeds to grow edible flowers. John and they boys gifted me these adorable seed packets for Mother’s Day and I couldn’t wait to get them into some soil. The seeds have been planted for one month now and are sprouting well. Can’t wait to see some beautiful flowers soon. My plan is to use the edible flowers on summer salads and desserts.
I’ll share another update on how the raised beds and edible flowers are blooming in July!
Who else has peonies or dahlias in bloom? Do you cut them to enjoy in your home or do you leave them?