Black Eyed Susans for Summer Bouquets and For Growing!

January is seed sowing time at Springwell Gardens. And one of my favorites is Black Eyed Susan! It's funny to think that I am sowing seeds for summer blooms in the middle of winter.

And I got to thinking there may be a few other folks who would like to have a little summer growing in their homes too!

Black Eyed Susans are beautiful in garden inspired wedding bouquets and designs, but another thing about them is how easy they are to grow from seed.

I did an earlier post on growing flowers from seed- Growing Zinnias From Seed and a lot of the basics are the same. One difference though is the size of the seed- these are much smaller than zinnias and will just need to be pressed into the top of the growing medium. Another key for success for Black Eyed Susans (Rudbeckia by the way), is investing in a special light for growing. A good local source for the Raleigh-Cary, NC area is Garden Supply Company. These seeds should be started around mid February or earlier which means they will need a good indoor light source.

Growing flowers from seed is a great way to get a jump on the season and it brings a sweet breath of spring and summer to your wintertime! If you have any questions I would be happy to provide more information. And if you decide to start growing your own flowers from seed I would love to know!!!

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Paperwhites For Weddings

Paperwhite narcissus bulbs usually come to mind at Christmas time and during the early months of winter.

 

They are bulbs that are easy to force inside the home, with fragrant white blooms that bring a bit of springtime cheer to the winter months.
But with a little careful planning they can also be used for winter and early springtime weddings. Are you interested in trying them? Here's a quick primer then:
The best time to buy paperwhites is in the fall. You can keep them chilled in the vegetable drawer of the refrigerator until about five to six weeks before you plan to use them.
The bulbs below arrived in October and were placed in the frig until I was ready to use them in late January.

The picture above shows the freshly planted bulbs, and the picture below shows them about 2 1/2 weeks later. To keep the foliage from becoming floppy, I actually place the containers in a protected area outside on days when temps are in the 40's and 50's and bring them in when temperatures drop below 30 degrees.Paperwhites prefer the cooler temperatures. I have had potted paperwhites handle upper 20's when I forgot to bring them in, but I don't think they could go below 25 degrees!

 Below shows the containers four weeks after planting.

And the final picture shows one of the containers 4 1/2 weeks after planting. These containers were potted up to use for two consecutive Sundays at our church. Note: to keep the flowers looking fresh for both Sundays, I placed the containers in a cooler between the two Sundays.

Growing paperwhites for a particular date definitely takes some planning... So if you decide that it's worth it, (like me), what do you need to do to have paperwhites for your wedding?  
First buy more than enough paperwhites to fill your chosen container TWICE. The containers above held nine bulbs each. My FIRST choice for paperwhite bulbs is John Scheeper. Ideally you should get  your order in by August or September- these bulbs are known to sell out by October.
For containers with no drainage holes like the one above, you can line with a heavy duty garbage bag, add pebbles to cover the bottom one inch (this helps keep the roots from becoming waterlogged), then add MOIST potting soil. You want to make sure that you DON'T over-water since there is no way for the water to drain out. Nestle the bulbs into the soil with the neck sticking up, then add more pebbles or small stones to keep the bulbs in place. And LIGHTLY water each week.
BUT to be on the safe side (no waterlogged plants), I strongly suggest growing your bulbs in a separate container with drainage holes like a large plastic pot. Choose one that will fit inside of a more decorative container that fits the style of your wedding (look at images on Pinterest or Google for ideas). Make sure that it sets within the more decorative container with ease so that you won't have trouble placing it inside later.
Start the first batch of paperwhites at five-six weeks before your wedding date, and the second batch at four-five weeks before your event. Once the green tips start growing keep the bulbs in a cool room in front of a sunny window,  periodically turning the container. About half a week before your wedding, choose the best showing potted bulbs, water them well and let the pots drain. Place them in you decorative containers and enjoy! Just imagine how great they would look for your wedding on a place card or gift table, or maybe to decorate the your ceremony venue. There are so many possibilities for using them!

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Growing Zinnias from Seed

One of the most rewarding experiences for me is the opportunity to grow flowering plants from seed, and it can be for you too. An easy plant to start with is the zinnia, and now is the time to get your seeds for some GREAT summer blooms.
For years, I have used Johnny's Selected Seeds www.johnnyseeds.com/  for my cut flower zinnias. They carry the Benary's Giant Series (the best zinnia for cut flowers), and Johnny's offers them as separate colors as well as a mix of colors.
I purchase seed starting trays from the big box stores such as Lowe's or Home Depot. Many come with potting medium plugs (I take these out and save them for other seeds). I prefer to bagged seed starting mix for my zinnias and this is what I fill the trays with.

Simply pour some of the medium into a bucket. Mix with just enough water to make a crumbly mixture- you don't want it to be soggy wet.

 Fill the seed tray up with the mix, and tamp down a little. I then press a zinnia seed into each cell of the tray and cover with a little of the mixture and water. NOTE: the bottom has no drainage holes so be careful with your watering. You want to keep the mixture moist. You do not want to have the cell tray sitting in water. If this happens, carefully remove the cell tray and dump the water from the lower tray. 

In about three to seven days, you should see the zinnia seedlings starting to emerge.

 I use grow lights and a heat mat for zinnias. With the warmer weather coming you could place the tray in a protected sunny area outside, BUT be sure to bring it in overnight when temperatures drop into the 40's or below.
If you are concerned about forgetting your seedlings outside, you could opt for a sunny window, or delay planting until the temperatures are warmer at night. Zinnias can be planted outside anytime after our frost date of April 15th. I usually do several plantings up through late June.

You will be rewarded with tons of beautiful flowers. Questions- don't hesitate to email me!

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Garden Gatherings for Christmas Wreaths

Christmas wreaths are a favorite of mine. Each year I enjoy making several for family and friends. I used to wire all the greenery myself, but it has been such a time saver to purchase a fresh green Noble fir base and embellish with nature and garden gatherings and even a little produce from the store.

If a plant is going into one of our garden beds or border, it has to do more than look nice- it has to offer something that can be used. Over the years we have added a variety evergreen shrubs that are wonderful for cutting Christmas greenery from. They include:

Chamaecyparis pisifer "Golden Mops"

Chamaecyparis obtusa "Crippsii"

and Osmanthus heterophyllus "Goshiki"

Good sources for berries include nandina and holly bushes. And then there are the great finds along paths, sidewalks and among trees such as...

brown pods from wisteria vines, wooden-like pods from trumpet vines, peeling bark from Crepe Myrtles, 

sweet gum balls, dried flowers such as golden yarrow (from the garden) and Lady apples from the store

Add a bow... or not

 And enjoy!!!

Most of this material can be inserted into the wreath using a hot glue gun. Some, such as the apples, must first be mounted on a stake, then attached with hot glue. Multiple stems of gum balls are wrapped together with wire so that the unit can be glued in as one piece.
Questions- just email me!

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