Future Blooms

I wanted to share a bit about what I’m growing out for future cut flower seasons.

But before we get into that, I suppose I’ll drop a few lines about myself. I was introduced to gardening at about six, picking and pruning raspberries with my aunt. That soon grew into summers creating outdoor landscapes with my cousin and her husband—including hauling rocks to build up a lakeshore at age eight (some might call it child labor, but I loved every minute). Those early years led me to run a vegetable CSA for three years and spend eight years on a commercial flower farm in California. I’ve always been happiest physically creating natural, living spaces with plants, and now I’m putting all of it into Shire Flower Farm.

A good part of the first year went into building up staple woodies and perennials that hold their own in the vase. On the woody side, that includes things like ninebark in several color palettes, forsythia, mock orange, smoke bush, and quince, to name a few. Among the perennials I’m increasing are ITOH peonies in coral, yellow, soft lavender, and pink shades, plus reliable fillers and bloomers such as wild quinine, gooseneck loosestrife, baptisia's, digitalis, columbine, lupine, epimedium, English lavender, so many bearded iris varieties I can't count and others.
Left to right: Epimedium 'Songbirds', Gooseneck loosetrife, Epimedium 'Orange Queen'

Last year I had the good fortune of meeting a longtime flower farmer (and now dear friend) who was retiring. I spent a full season digging, dividing, and moving perennials from her farm to mine. In addition to that, many plants are also started from seed or taken as cuttings, so there are different stages happening at once. The ones that were dug and divided only last year may not produce as strongly this first season while they settle in, but I’m looking forward to seeing them gain momentum.
Left to right: Hellebores post transplant, bareroot Physocarpus (Ninebark), seedling

I’m also starting quite a few lesser-known varieties from seed just to see how they perform as cut flowers. Many are still new to me, so rather than list them all here, I’ll mention a handful that caught my eye for their potential airy movement and texture: Althaea cannabina, Leycesteria formosa, Salvia nutans, and Ranunculus acris 'Citrinus'. I’ll be testing vase life and stem qualities as they grow. Others will be revealed as they show promise.
Left to right: Althaea cannabina, Leycesteria formosa, Ranunculus acris citrinus

One personal side project I’m enjoying is experimenting with Althaea × Alcea hybrids. I have a couple of leads on sourcing the existing (but ever-elusive) ‘Parkallee’ cultivar, and I’m also playing around with some hybridizing just for the curiosity of it. Hollyhocks have always been a favorite of mine, but they’re notoriously poor as cut flowers because of their short vase life and susceptibility to rust in the field. ‘Parkallee’ and its relatives offer an intriguing, rust-resistant alternative with late-season soft peach tones and a strong perennial habit. If you’d like to read more about this plant that inspired the project, here’s a nice write-up: https://thebloominggarden.wordpress.com/2014/08/20/a-special-hollyhock/
Left to right: Althaea officinalis, Alcea seedlings, Alcalthaea suffrutescens 'Parkallee'

You can follow the progress—the wins, the experiments, and the everyday reality of it all—on my Instagram. I’ll post photos from the field as things develop through the seasons.