Getting Back to Nature
Sparking the Joy with ...
Cut Flowers & Beautiful Vases for Every Aesthetic!!
Vases and Taking Care of Cut Flowers
Ordering Fresh
Flowers
(Farmgirl Flowers)
About ... Like gazillions of people, I love flowers, and there's nothing like a beautiful vase of cut flowers or a single stem to give you a little wink throughout your day, whether at home or at work. It is absolutely no wonder that 12.25 BILLION flowers were purchased in 2022, to the tune of $35.4 billion dollars! Whether you, or someone you love, paid for those flowers, undoubtedly, they were expesive, so it's worthwhile knowing how to take care of them.
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I've included a few fabulous vases for any space, but of course, there are many out there that you can find to fit your style - just click on any image to take you to dozens more. From elegant, to formal, to fun, to farmhouse, to a jar or pitcher from home - every choice is a good one when you're filling it with flowers!
Little Story ... My tried and true method for caring for cut flowers is the same method shared with me 15 years ago, by a lovely, older woman at a small, charming farmer's market near our Lakehouse. This very kind lady was selling organic produce and gorgeous bunches of zinnias and sunflowers. I selected two bunches of pale coral, peachy pink and creamy white zinnias. As she wrapped the flowers in newspaper she asked if I knew how to take care of them? I thought, she's trying to use the old 7up added to the water trick, so that's what I repeated back to her with great confidence.
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But I was mistaken. She told me not to put anything in the water, as it will promote bacterial growth, that shortens the vase life of flowers. She said, "just add hot water, as hot as you can stand, to a clean vase." Also, she said to be sure to cut the ends when I got home and change the weater everyday. When I returned to the house with my bouquets, I followed her directions, exactly. Zinnias are not known for their fortitude and lonegevity, but they lasted 10 days which I couldn't believe! Needless to say, I've been using her advice ever since. Just in case you are new to cut flowers, I've jotted down the simple process below.
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P.S. Poppies, lilacs and hydrangea are trickier, so do not use this method. Also, with the holidays just around the corner, know that pine branches tucked into your flower vases, will be gorgeous, but the sap from the branches will slowly kill your flowers. I just keep removing the flowers that die and replace them with new flowers if we are still entertaining into New Year's.
Taking Care of Your Cut Flowers
1. Start with a clean vase.
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2. Take each stem of your bouquet (flowers and greens) and remove any extra leaves that will be
be under water - the foilage breaks down and adds bacteria to the water.
3. Make a fresh cut to the stems of the flowers and greens, on an angle. This helps the stem vacuoles take up more water.
4. Add the very, very warm water to the vase and place the flowers in the water.
The warm water opens the vacuoles further, allowing the stems to take up the maximum
amount of water. Filling the vacuoles to maximum capacity, creates pressure in the cells
that prevents the flowers and greens from wilting.
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5. Each day, change the water and give the stems another little nip, on the angle,
to keep those vacuoles full. ​
Marvin! Time to Plant the Daffodils!
About Marvin ... that's my dad and we learned to plant daffodils (along with dozens of other things) by his side. We used the soil prep that my dad called "the magic." No matter what was planted - flower pots, fruit trees or the garden, all of the soil was enriched with just the right amount of composted manure, egg shells, bone meal and /or coffee grounds. Of course they canned or froze everything they grew in the garden, so I can "put up" tomatoes like nobodies business! LOL! People would say my parents had green thumbs because the garden, the orchard and our flower pots were SPECTACULAR, and they did!!
When to Plant
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Zones 4 - 5: September to October
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Zones 6 - 7: October to Early November
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Zones 8 - 9: November to Early December - Plant "Jonquil Daffodils"
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Zone 10: Late December to January
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Western Zones 8 - 10 (where it's cooler at night): Plant 'Barret Browning' & 'Thalia'
Where to Plant
In the sun, to partial shade.
How to Plant
For the burst - Dig a hole approximately 12 - 14 inches wide. For depth, the rule of thumb is to add 2-3 inches to the actual length of the bulb. If a bulb is 3 inches tall, add 2 -3 inches, so the planting depth is roughly 5 - 6 inches. (Thi's is how I do it, I'll post a photo when they come up in Spring.)
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Feeding the bulbs at the time of planting - Bulbs need phospherous as they rest. We have always used bone meal. Some people say bone meal attracts varmints in your flower bed, but that's never been an issue for us, although we do pour the contents of an open bag, into a resealale container. After the hole is dug, work some compost into the soil that you removed. Sprinkle the empty hole with bone meal or phospherous (do not use super phospherous).
Placing the bulbs in the ground - Some folks say to plant the bulbs 6 inches apart, but I plant them 2 to 3 inches apart, sometimes less if necessary. Bulbs should be placed with the tip of the bulb facing up, toward the sky and the base of the bulb nestled in the ground. I usually place 10 - 15 bulbs in the hole, for a big burst. Cover with the composted soil and tamp down gently. Water after planting, to get the roots to set. Then sit back and wait for the little darlin's to start poking through the late winter cold and snow in March and April!!
About Daffodils
Daffodils are PERENNIALS so they come up each year. Once the snow would melt and little green tips poked through the soil, Marvin would sprinkle a little bone meal (phosphorous) on the soil, where the daffs were planted - I do the same. The bulbs will continue to propagate, so your display will become even more spectacular as the years go by. Huge bonus - unlike tulips, which I have a love-hate relationship with, these little beauties are deer, squirrel and rabbit resistant.