The truth about Catchfly Gardens is that we don't have much space to work with. That means we really need to examine and evaluate every single thing we plant. Last year involved a lot of trial and error. We loved the neat little blue balloon flowers we purchased at Phipp's May Market, but the stems were way to short to use for arranging. We loved the fluffy purple phlox we bought at Chapon's Greenhouse in the South Hills, but when cut, the flowers closed up and fell apart. Each and every plant we try needs to be tested not only for how proliferous they are, but how the flowers hold up to our purpose.
Moving into the new year, we have spent countless hours during our off-season making charts to determine the quality, worth, and growing-season of each plant. We plan to really pack them in this year.. We are creeping up the driveway with potted plants this year to really maximize our space.
Recent additions include a bounty of new seed varieties, purchased from Floret Farm in Washington State. Erin Benzakien is a role model for all flower farmers, not only for her breeding of beautiful new varieties, but she provides a bounty of advice for novice farmers who want to get as much beauty from their land as possible. Our purchase from Floret includes some new zinnias and cosmos, as well as some really exciting--and edible--options: red currant tomatoes and black opal basil. We are so excited to add unique and tasty elements to our designs!
We also ordered a new crop of perennials from Bluestone. Get ready for some classic sedum and fluffy football mums in the fall!! Olivia also snuck in a pot of sweet autumn clematis--these delicate, sweet smelling miniature blooms will soon grace the banisters of our front porch.
That's all for now! We're almost ready to start sowing some seeds inside. This is an essential step and ensures much more success once hardier seedlings are brought outside and buried after there is no more risk of frost. We can't wait to get growing and get some new pictures of the beds in action!