Lori Hernandez 2/25/25 Lori Hernandez 2/25/25

The Secret for Stunning Bouquets

Creating beautiful bouquets is simple when you have these 3 ingredients.

The Secret for Stunning Bouquets

“When you plant a cut flower garden, be sure at least 1/3 of the plants in the cutting garden are grown for foliage/greenery.”

When I read this years ago, I scoffed at the idea. Yeah right. What did this person know? I wanted to grow a FLOWER garden, not a bunch of boring foliage and greenery.

I went ahead and planted the garden the way I wanted to… because I’m stubborn like that and think I know better than everyone else. Ha!

By mid-season, I was sheepishly standing in my garden with a bunch of Cosmos, Zinnias and Sunflowers, but sorely missing what I needed to make the beautiful bouquets I had imagined myself crafting.

It was a humbling moment… but my daughter and I were having fun and learning.

My bouquets were pretty uninspiring and quite honestly… they looked like something my 5 year old daughter had thrown together. ;) They were a mish-mash of whatever I could find, no structure or design. One of this, one of that… an eclectic, hodge-podge mix.

I’d started growing flowers with the intention of sharing them… but I was embarrassed by my frumpy bouquets that were obviously missing something (they were missing a LOT, actually). I knew I had a lot to learn!

I want to make sure this doesn’t happen to you, friend! I’m going to teach you a simple formula to make sure your “bouquet dreams” match your “bouquet reality”.

THE PROBLEM

It’s SO EASY to page through all the seed catalogs and go ga-ga over the big beautiful blooms… and completely overlook the vital elements you need to craft truly stunning bouquets.

Most new growers go for big and flashy flowers. I get it. The Zinnias, Dahlias and Sunflowers are show stoppers. No wonder they demand all our attention! We can’t take our eyes off of them!

But those flashy flowers alone aren’t enough to give us the full, lush look we’re going after.

We need more. But what?

THE SOLUTION

I like to keep things SUPER simple. When we create bouquets and arrangements at Three Acre Farm, we divide the ingredients in 3 basic categories:

1/3 Focal: The main flowers that capture the most attention.
1/3 Filler: The other flowers that compliment the Focal flowers
1/3 Foliage: The greenery that creates the foundation for the Focal and Filler flowers

My daughter and I taught a class about this topic at Fredrick Meijer Gardens over the summer (she’s all grown up now!).

The audience was delighted when they saw how easy it is to create a beautiful bouquet when you have all your ingredients divided into 3 buckets/categories:

One for Focal flowers
One for Filler flowers
One for Foliage

When my daughter and I make our bouquets together, we begin by pulling out our buckets of Focal, Filler and Foliage “ingredients” to make our bouquet recipe.

We lay all the “ingredients” out in front of us, just like the “mise en place” (French for “put in place”) concept of cooking/baking, which means everything is prepped and ready to go (stems have been stripped of leaves, rubber bands are ready, paper bouquet sleeves are set out, buckets for bouquets are prefilled).

We move down the workbench building the bouquets assembly line style, starting with Focal, adding interest and volume with Filler, and finishing with Foliage.

FOCAL + FILLER + FOLIAGE = COMPLETE BOUQUET

Most beginner growers make the mistake of only growing Focal flowers. They wonder why their bouquets look nothing like the full, lush arrangements they see on Pinterest.

My goal today is to teach you how to show some love and appreciation for the Filler and Foliage ;)

Let’s explore these 3 ingredients and how they work together to create lush, full bouquets.

*NOTE: These are “loose” categories and some plants can actually fit into multiple categories, depending on their size or stage of harvest.

FOCAL FLOWERS

Focal flowers are the big, flashy flowers that everyone loves to drool over. Because they are so big and bold, you’ll only need a few Focal flowers in your bouquet.

Examples of Focal flowers:

China Aster
Dahlia
Lily
Peony
Sunflower
Zinnia

FILLER FLOWERS

Filler flowers don’t get enough credit! The word “filler” makes them seem insignificant, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth.

Filler flowers complement and enhance the Focal flowers and make up the bulk of the bouquet. We grow entire fields of Filler flowers to make sure we have enough.

Examples of Filler flowers:

Ageratum, Amaranth, Ammi (False Queen Anne’s Lace), Celosia

Cosmos, Globe Amaranth, Salpiglossis, Scabiosa

FOLIAGE

Foliage is structure, the foundation that supports the bouquet (figuratively and sometimes literally).

If you ever look at a bouquet and think “Something is missing…”, 9 times out of 10, it’s missing Foliage. The Foliage enhances the beauty of the Focal and Filler flowers.

Examples of Foliage:

Assorted Shrubs/Bushes/Trees (Baptisia, Eucalyptus, Ninebark, Sem False Spirea, Smoke Bush, Spirea, Viburnum, etc)
Herbs (Lemon Basil, Lemon Balm, Mint, Oregano, Sage, etc)
Ornamental Grasses (Frosted Explosion, Green Drops Grass, etc)
Peppergrass
Scented Geranium

Buckets of Focal, Filler and Foliage prepped for our Stunning Centerpieces Class

Want to learn how to choose the best Focal, Filler and Foliage to grow in YOUR garden?

Join “Cut Flower Confidence” , where you’ll learn to use my exclusive D.R.E.A.M. Framework to choose the best cut flowers for YOUR skill level, YOUR climate and YOUR resources.

Learn more

USING THE 1/3 RULE TO PLANT YOUR GARDEN

This Focal + Filler + Foliage Formula is not just for bouquet making.

I use this same formula for selecting seeds and planning my garden layout… AND YOU CAN TOO!

Plant 1/3 Focal flowers
Plant 1/3 Filler flowers
Plant 1/3 Foliage

When you’re paging through your seed catalogs and eagerly circling all the Focal flowers… I’m here to gently remind you to put down the Sharpie, friend, and start considering some Filler flowers and Foliage too ;)

I know, I know… growing Filler and Foliage isn’t as exciting as growing the Focals… but TRUST ME. Your future self will be so glad you had the forethought and wisdom to do it anyway.

GET STARTED

Now it’s time for you to get to work!

1. Read this blog post again to make sure you understand the importance of “Focal, Filler and Foliage”.

2. Start your seed/plant “Wish List”, divided into 3 categories: Focal, Filler, Foliage.

3. Order your seeds and get growing!

READY FOR MORE?

If you’re serious about growing the garden of your dreams this year, but you’re confused about what Focal, Filler and Foliage options to choose…

Then you need Cut Flower Confidence! It’s packed full of lessons, printable resources, spreadsheets and more to help you decide WHAT to grow, so you can build beautiful bouquets! Click the button below to get started today.

get started Here!

Lori Hernandez 2/19/25 Lori Hernandez 2/19/25

2024 Potager Garden Report

We built a Potager Garden! Read about it here!

This past summer, we created a Potager Garden at Three Acre Farm.

Over the growing season, I posted loads of photos and updates on my Instagram Stories, with the promise that I would eventually share a detailed Blog post illustrating the process of creating, building and planting the Potager Garden.

Ready to learn about the Potager Garden?

Let’s begin!

Warning: This is a LOOOOOOOOOONG post with lots of photos. ;)

WHY WE BUILT A POTAGER GARDEN

Before we started Three Acre Farm in 2017, we were homesteaders.

Homesteading has many definitions, but for us, it meant growing as much of our own food as possible. I trained as a Master Gardener and learned how to grow dozens of different fruits and vegetables. It was a full-time job managing my garden during the growing season!!!

**Half of my original vegetable garden back in 2015 before I started Three Acre Farm**

When I started flowering farming in 2017, working for Three Acre Farm became my full-time job… and I could no longer homestead and manage my giant vegetable garden. After years of neglect, we abandoned my old vegetable garden. It was just too much work.

**Neglected vegetable garden. So sad! This is the space we transformed into the Potager Garden.**

But I couldn't imagine life without a vegetable garden. Just like many of you, gardening is my hobby.

After a long day of farming, I look forward to spending time relaxing in my garden!

So we begin to reimagine what a “hobby” vegetable garden could look like for me…

I wanted it to be smaller, more manageable and most importantly, I wanted it to be BEAUTIFUL.
I wanted it to be a space of refuge and relaxation to help me unwind from the stress of farming.
I wanted it to be a place to nourish my body, mind and soul.

WHAT IS A POTAGER GARDEN?

I began researching different types of gardens and came across the concept of the “Potager Garden”.

“Potager” is a French word that literally means “for the soup pot”. It’s pronounced po-ta-jé.

These types of gardens are sometimes called “Kitchen Gardens”, since they are:

often planted close to the kitchen, almost as an extension of the home
full of veggies, fruits, herbs and flowers for the kitchen table

Another distinguishing feature is the emphasis on symmetrical design, a tradition that goes back to Medival times. Not only do these gardens value “function” (producing food), but they also value “form” (design, layout, aesthetics, beauty, etc). In other words, the perfect intersection of function and form, which is the ultimate goal in design.

I purchased the book “Designing The New Kitchen Garden” by Jennifer R. Bartley and I was absolutely mesmerized by the history, design concepts and functionality of the Potager Garden (I believe this book is out of print, so check your local library).

**Fantastic book that includes the history of Potager Gardens**

DRAWING THE PLANS

It took me about 2 years of sketching, dreaming and scheming to finally come up with the final plan for my new Potager Garden.

In the end, I went with a design that focuses on a central element (the fountain), 4 smaller beds and 4 larger beds.

**Original Sketch, complete with coffee stains and dirty finger prints ;)**

The inner smaller beds are 4’x4’.

The outer “L”-shaped beds are also 4’ wide but we adjusted the length on some of them to accommodate the grape arbor that would be installed at the entrance of the garden.

The entire garden is roughly 40’ x 40’.

We had a list of “must-have” elements to consider:

Proximity to the house. Ideally, I’d be able to walk out to the garden and harvest herbs and produce while cooking dinner.
Full sun and fertile soil
Spacious layout (we made sure we could easily navigate wheelbarrows around all the beds)
Raised beds made from long-lasting materials (we chose Oak beams. My husband found someone on Facebook Marketplace selling rough-sawn beams)
Central water source
Vertical elements, such as arches and obelisks to create a “garden room” space that would feel 3 dimensional
A fountain. It’s so soothing and relaxing to listen to the fountain while working in the garden!

BREAKING GROUND & BUILDING DREAMS

In Michigan, where I live, most people plant their vegetable gardens in mid May.

Springtime on a flower farm is absolutely INSANE and we knew there was no way we’d be able to get the Potager Garden built in time for May planting.

So we decided to wait until AFTER the majority of the farm planting was done to begin working on the Potager Garden.

This means that construction started around late May and planting began in mid-June, about a month late.

**1st Bed being constructed on May 27, 2024**

**2nd Bed construction on May 30, 2024**

My birthday is in May. All I wanted for my birthday was a fountain for my garden… but they are quite expensive! My husband, the “King of Facebook Marketplace Finds”, found this used fountain for me for my birthday. It doesn’t look like much when it’s in pieces but it’s beautiful when it’s arranged!

Sorry, I can’t tell you where to buy a fountain. You’ll likely have to look locally, as they would be incredibly expensive to ship.

As soon as John finished the outer beds, he began filling the beds for me so I could get plants in the ground ASAP. I was chomping at the bit to get my tomatoes and peppers planted!

He filled the raised beds “lasagna style” with a mix of the following ingredients:

Sand - for drainage. We used sand from our property, since our farm’s “soil” is pretty much like sand box sand ;)
Old leaves - we keep a gigantic pile of old leaves for planting and mulching, because leaves are INCREDIBLE organic matter
Native Soil - when we took apart the old vegetable garden, we set the soil aside to create the new Potager Garden beds
Goat & Chicken Compost - we keep goats and chickens on the farm. Their manure and bedding is composted for about 2-3 seasons before we use it. This stuff is BLACK GOLD and plants love it.
Leaf Mulch - we keep separate piles of old leaves. After 2-3 seasons, it breaks down into beautiful light airy mulch, full of beneficial bacteria, minerals and organic matter
Woodchip Mulch - our local arborist/tree trimmer drops off loads of chipped leaves, branches, trees

**Putting Tomatoes and Peppers in on June 12, 2024.**

The woodchip mulch on top serves 3 purposes:

Conserves moisture. They help keep the soil from drying out in the hot sun.
Weed deterrent. Bare soil WILL grow weeds, so always keep the soil covered with some sort of mulch
Soil Improvement. As the chipped twigs, leaves and woodchips slowly break down over the years, they add fertility to the soil and improve the soil structure.

Once I finished planting the outer beds in mid June, we started working on the inner beds and the bed for the fountain. During this time, we did a lot of walking around the garden, feeling it out, to make sure we left enough space between beds for wheelbarrows, benches for sitting, etc.

It looks like we could have made the pathways smaller, but by the time the garden was fully mature, I was SO GLAD we’d left more space!

**Setting up the inner beds on June 20, 2024**

**The inner beds on August 26, 2024. Good thing we left enough space between the beds!**

By June 27, we finally had most of the plants in the garden beds. It was finally time to start making the garden look pretty. We spent a lot of time weeding the pathways, then putting down a thick layer of mulch.

Some people may choose to lay down stone or pea gravel, but I prefer the look and feel of woodchips. We may add stepping stone or brick paver pathways some day… but for now, woodchips fit the budget ;)

**Mulching the pathways on June 27, 2024**

Even though we planted this garden 4-6 weeks late, we were SHOCKED at how quickly it grew. I was always worried about getting my garden in too late, but now I know better. Planting a few weeks before the Summer Solstice is fine! The long sunny days help the plants grow fast!

VERTICAL ELEMENTS IN THE GARDEN

Since this new Potager Garden was much smaller than my previous gardens, I wanted to make use of all available space to grow… so that meant growing UP! Instead of OUT.

I made use of vertical elements in a couple different ways:

Cattle Panel “walls” - I’ve been using this method for growing cherry tomatoes for years. We purchase “cattle panel” fence panels from our local Tractor Supply Co and secure them to rebar stakes driven into the ground. This trellis system creates a “wall “ of tomatoes.
Obelisks - these metal trellis structures are great for climbing plants.
Cattle Panel Arches - We used the 16’ long cattle panels from TSC and bent them into arches between the beds. We simply zip-tied or wired them to rebar stakes.

CATTLE PANEL “WALLS”

**“Wall” of tomatoes in the outer beds by August 3, 2024.**

GARDEN OBELISKS

CATTLE PANEL ARCHES

**Tomatoes growing on cattle panel arches**

PLANTS FOR THE POTAGER GARDEN

As a Master Gardener and flower farmer, I’m well aware of the rules about “plant spacing”. This refers to how much space should be left between plants.

Well, in the case of the Potager Garden, I completely ignored proper plant spacing and stuffed as many plants as I could in the beds. Ha!

I wanted to garden to feel lush, overflowing and abundant.

And it certainly did! It also led to a few issues, such as shorter planting being crowded out by taller plants and my tall plants getting SO big that their supports collapsed under the weight of them. Oh well!

Since I’m no longer homesteading and trying to grow our own food, I could be a little more discriminating in what I decided to grow. This garden is for feeding the body, the mind and soul… not just the body.

Mostly, I wanted to grow the ingredients for my favorite summer food, this AMAZING Cucumber Salsa. So naturally, I grew a lot of cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers and herbs.

Just for fun, I planted a wide variety of vegetables, herbs and flowers in the Potager Garden.

Basil
Cosmos
Dahlias
Tomatoes
Jalapeno Pepper
Lettuce
Mouse Melons (Cukamelons)
Nasturtium
Nicotiana
Parsley
Poblano Peppers
Pole Beans
Scarlet Runner Beans
Sorrel
Swiss Chard
Thyme
Verbena
Zinnias
Verbena

Here are some of the notable standouts, in no particular order.

Swiss Chard - When I designed the garden, I envisioned beds with colorful Swiss Chard spilling out of them. The reality exceeded my fantasy! Even when the rest of the garden died after the frost in mid-October, it still looked amazing. Swiss Chard is gorgeous, productive, tasty, cold-hardy, heat-tolerant and long-lasting. I harvested it from June - December. What’s not to love?!?
Cucumbers - I’ve been growing the Japanese variety called “Shintokiwa” for a few years now and I’m convinced it may be the BEST cucumber ever. I harvested for over 3 months from the same 6 plants. You can find the seeds at Nature & Nurture Seeds in Dexter, MI.
Nicotiana - This beautiful blooming plant was super popular with the hummingbirds. I love coming out to the garden each morning to watch the hummingbirds feed.
Lettuce - Marvel of the Four Seasons. This delicious lettuce is more heat tolerant than most types of lettuce. It’s great for spring, summer, fall or winter growing. It truly IS a marvel!
Verbena - These violet blooms are loved by pollinators.
Tomatoes - I’ve tried dozens of tomatoes over the last 20 years and here are my favorites: The Bumblebee Cherry Series (Pink, Purple and Sunrise), Growing in Place (currant type from Nature & Nurture Seeds), Early Detroit (from Nature & Nurture Seeds) and Cherokee Purple.
Nasturtium - I planted these along the edges of the beds so they would spill out. They added so much whimsy and playfulness to the garden!

**Nicotiana, Verbena and Zinnias… a pollinator’s paradise!**

**An eclectic mix of flowers, herbs and vegetables**

**“Growing in Place” tomato plants. Only 2 plants were grown on this arch! They are prolific!**

A GARDEN FOR ALL FOUR SEASONS

What I love most about the Potager Garden is the structural elements.

Unlike a tilled-up patch in the dirt that looks nice for just a few months (a traditional garden), a Potager Garden has year-round appeal.

Because the beds are permanent, the Potager Garden can become a home for perennial herbs, flowers and vegetables.

The structure of the garden is pleasing to the eye, no matter what season or what is growing (or not growing) in the garden.

WHAT’S NEXT

We still have quite a bit of work to do to “complete” the Potager Garden project, including:

Fencing it in so my chickens don’t eat all my tomatoes ;)
The glass greenhouse featured in so many of these photos needed to be removed. We built a new garden shed and that will need to be incorporated into the Potager Garden.
Adding a few more small beds to the west for perennial herbs (in front of the new garden shed).
Rebuilding the grape arbor and training the grapes to grow on the Potager Garden fence.
Adding more vertical elements, such as a cable system suspended over the garden to encourage birds to linger in the garden (and eat all the pests that try to eat my veggies!).

But that’s the joy of gardens… they are always a work in progress, never fully complete.

They are full of endless opportunities for change and growth!

I hope you enjoyed this report on the Potager Garden.

I’m sure I’ll be adding more updates in the future!

-Lori

Lori Hernandez 2/5/25 Lori Hernandez 2/5/25

Winter Sowing

Dreaming about spring? It’s time to start planting your “cold hardy” annuals!

Winter Sowing

[Note: This post introduction was written on January 22, 2019]
When I woke up on Monday morning, it was -9 degrees Fahrenheit.

Yup. -9.

And guess what? I planted seeds on Sunday. In the middle of the winter.

No, we don’t have a heated greenhouse and no, I’m not growing the seeds indoors with grow lights.

Instead, I’m using a seed-starting method called “Winter Sowing”.

What is Winter Sowing?

Winter Sowing is a method of starting seeds in the winter that does not involve a greenhouse, heat mats or grow lights. This is a fantastic method for people who are tight on space and don’t have room to start seeds indoors.

Winter Sowing is just like it sounds - sowing seeds in the winter! As a general rule, you can begin Winter Sowing around the Winter Solstice (Dec 21) up until early March, depending on where you live.

Here is the basic concept:

1. Choose seeds from plants that are “cold hardy” (I’ll provide a list below). These are often plants that fall into the category of “Hardy Annual”, “Biennial” or “Perennial”.

2. Find a plastic container, such as milk jugs, soda bottles, lettuce “clamshell” containers, vinegar jugs, deep foil pans with clear lids, etc. Tall containers will need to be cut into 2 pieces, so you can access the bottom.

3. Poke drainage holes in the bottom of the container.

4. Fill the container with potting soil and sprinkle seeds on the potting soil.

5. Put the lid/top back on and secure it with duct tape. Make sure there are vents for air to escape and rain/snow to enter.

6. Place the containers in your backyard… and wait until spring!

Dara (Chocolate Lace Flower) is a great winter sown cut flower.

Why Winter Sow?

Depending on where you live, cold hardy annuals are planted either in the fall (climates with mild winters) or the spring (climates with harsh winters).

Hardy annuals are best grown as spring or fall flowers. They do NOT like heat and start to decline and die when temperatures rise in the summer.

In my climate (Zone 5b), it’s too cold to plant some hardy annuals in the fall.

If I wait until spring (March 21 - June 21) to plant the seeds, there isn’t enough time for the plants to grow and bloom before the heat of summer is upon them! Here in Michigan, it’s not unusual for the weather to fluctuate 60 degrees in a matter of weeks (or days!).

By Winter Sowing the hardy annuals, it means I have sturdy seedlings ready to go in the ground in early spring… which means I can get the plants to bloom BEFORE the sweltering heat of summer.

Winter Sowing is also a great way to use up “questionable seeds”, the ones you’ve had lying around for a few years and wonder if they are still good. You really don’t have much to lose… and lots to gain if they DO germinate!

IMPORTANT NOTE: Many people contact me in the middle of winter and ask why their winter-sown seeds are not germinating yet. Please note that winter sowing allows the seed to germinate, on its own, at the RIGHT TIME. The main point of winter sowing is tapping into the freeze/thaw cycles that help to break open the casing on the seeds.

Trust the process. The seeds know when conditions are right. You’ll likely notice the seeds begin to germinate when spring bulbs (daffodils, crocus, tulips, etc) begin to emerge.

“Green Mist” Ammi (False Queen Anne’s Lace)

“Cold Hardy” Plants

Not all flowers are a good candidate for Winter Sowing. Generally, it’s best to skip the heat-loving Annuals, like Sunflowers, Zinnias, Celosia, etc. and start those from seed when the weather warms up.

Be sure to look for clues on the seed pack, words like:

"hardy"
"direct sown as soon as the soil can be worked"
"direct sow in early spring"
"chill seeds before sowing"
"can withstand frost"

These are often plants that fall into the category of “Hardy Annual”, “Biennial” or “Perennial”.

Below is a list of “cold hardy annuals” that are good candidates for Winter Sowing. This list is by no means exhaustive!

If you notice certain flowers in your garden tend to “reseed” themselves or “self-sow” year after year, that is a clue that they might be good for Winter Sowing.

Corn Cockle (*Agrostemma*) performs best when winter sown.

Love-in-a-Mist (*Nigella*) is a great spring cut flower

Keys to Success

Basically, the containers are “mini-greenhouses” that will provide your seeds with the right conditions for germination.

There are a few keys to success here:

Drainage holes in the bottom
Clear or opaque plastic that allows light to enter
Vented top/lid to allow HOT air to escape and allow rain/snow inside. On a sunny day, your “greenhouses” will heat up quickly. Overheating/lack of adequate venting is the #1 reason why winter sown plants die - they can fry in hours, unless properly vented. Use a knife to poke holes or cut out vents. If using milk jugs, vinegar jugs, soda bottles, etc., simply remove the cap.
Adequate potting soil to retain moisture. You’ll need about 3-4” of soil in each container. Too little soil, and you risk the seedlings drying out quickly on a hot day.

Yarrow is a lovely addition to the cutting garden

“Mystery Rose” Chinese-Forget-Me-Not (Cynoglossum) is a beautiful spring flower

Preparing for Winter Sowing

Here is what you need to get started:

Cold hardy annual seeds
Winter Sowing Containers (milk jugs, vinegar jugs, soda bottles, salad clamshell containers, etc.)
Potting Soil (You should be able to find “Seed Starting Mix” at your hardware store)
Scissors or X-acto Knife
Screwdriver or nail for poking holes in bottom
Sharpie marker or labeling marker
Labels (Popsicle sticks, plastic plant markers, etc.)
Duct Tape

Here is how to prepare a milk jug Winter Sowing Container:

1. Poke holes in the bottom of the jug for drainage.

2. Cut the container open, leaving a small section intact, so the two halves are still attached, but you can open up the jug.

3. Fill the bottom half of the jug with 2-4 inches of damp potting soil. Gently tamp it in place.

4. Sprinkle your cold hardy seeds on top of the potting soil. For small seeds, simply press the seeds into the potting soil to ensure good contact. For larger seeds (like sweet peas), sprinkle some additional soil on top of the seeds and press gently.

5. Put the two halves of the milk jug back together and duct tape the halves in place.

6. REMOVE THE CAP from the milk jug. This is the vent that allows hot air to escape and rain/snow to enter

Use the same method for others jugs/bottles. For clam shell containers (pictured below), simply poke drainage holes in the bottom and cut vents in the lid.

Getting ready to Winter Sow some Bells of Ireland seeds!

Put Those Babies Outside!

Once you’ve planted your seeds in your Winter Sowing containers, now comes the easy part!

1. Place the milk jug outside in a place sheltered from the wind (so the jug doesn’t blow away) that receives sunlight.

2. Avoid placing the containers next to the house or under eaves, where rain could pour down and damage or flood the containers.

3. Check on your containers periodically. You want to make sure the containers do not dry out. If the soil is dry, drip a bit of water in the container or heap some snow on it.

4. Waiting is the hardest part! You may think your experiment has failed, but trust that those seedlings will emerge at just the right time. The constant “freeze/thaw” activity helps the seed casing to break down and allows the seed to germinate. You may find seedlings popping up around the same time you notice tulips and daffodils coming to life.

5. As the seedlings grow and temperatures rise, you may need to add more ventilation. Frying your seedlings is the biggest threat at this point. They need to stay cool. Those mini greenhouses get hot!

5. Once your seedlings are sturdy and have 2-3 sets of leaves, AND your soil is thawed enough to work with, you can begin transplanting your babies out into the big wide world! By this point, they should be properly “hardened off” (acclimated to outdoor conditions) and ready to go!

6. If you sowed your seeds thin, you can “prick” out the individual plants and transplant them. If you sowed your seeds thick, you may end up with a “clump” of seedlings (often happens with tiny seeds, like these poppy seedlings). No worries. I use a clippers to cut the clump into “hunks o’ seedlings” and plant an entire hunk.

I cut this clump into small hunks and planted a hunk in each hole.

Within a month or two, the seedling grow and look like this!

Hope this was helpful! Happy Winter Sowing!

Ready for More?

If you’re serious about growing the garden of your dreams this year, register for my online course, “Backyard Cutting Garden 101”. You’ll find everything you need to plan, grow, harvest and arrange your stunning blooms. I can’t WAIT to help you grow! Click on the button below for all the details.

I'm ready to grow!

Lori Hernandez 1/26/25 Lori Hernandez 1/26/25

How to Grow: Ageratum

Pronunciation: ah-jer-rah-tm

Ageratum is a wonderful addition to the cutting garden. While it never steals the show like other flowers, I like to think of it as a “supporting character”. It’s reliable, dependable and always shows up when you need it.

The blooms are cheery, adorable and delightful in bouquets. With multiple blooms per stem, they quickly add mass, texture and visual interest to your arrangements.

Many varieties of Ageratum are bred as short “bedding plants” used in landscaping. You’ll want to avoid these varieties for the cutting garden and choose varieties bred for cut flower use instead (varieties that grow at least 24 inches tall).

A few years ago, I heard another flower farmer mention she grows Ageratum almost exclusively for its beautiful, prolific foliage.

In the photo below, you can see that we used Ageratum foliage as our primary foliage for these beautiful bouquets!

**Ageratum** foliage used as our primary foliage in these beautiful bouquets!

If you’ve ever grown a cutting garden, you know that finding good Annual type foliage sources is quite difficult! Lack of good foliage options seems to be a nearly universal problem for cut flower growers. Ageratum is a perfect solution to this problem. The more you harvest from the plants, the more they will grow.

Since Ageratum is a “dual-purpose” plant (flowers AND foliage), it earns a place of honor in every cutting garden.

Ageratum is sometimes called “Floss Flower”, which I assume refers to the fact that the flowers are thread-like and resemble embroidery floss… but I could be wrong. ;)

Let’s look at the Pros and Cons of growing Ageratum for cut flower use.

PROS

They are easy to grow from seed. In fact, Ageratum self-sows so well on my farm that I don’t even sow seeds in trays anymore. I simply go look for “volunteer” seedlings coming up each spring, dig them up and transplant them where I want them.
They are one of the best cut-and-come-again plants that will continue blooming for a long period of time if harvested regularly. The more you harvest, the more they will keep growing flowers and foliage.
They are very heat tolerant and perform well in hot climates.
They add wonderful texture and interest to bouquets.
They are easy to harvest and long-lasting in the vase.
They have little to no pest or disease issues. If you’re looking for a carefree, no-fuss flower, Ageratum fits the bill!

CONS

They come in a limited color palette (mostly cool colors such as white, purple, blue, violet and pink).
They will stop producing flowers if you stop harvesting them (which is true for most cut flowers).
They are not the most exciting flower. If your space is very limited, you may want to choose a flower with impact.

CHOOSING SEEDS

Here are a few of my favorite Ageratum to grow for cut flower use:

“Timeless Mix”
“Tall Blue Planet”
‘White Bouquet” (particularly useful as a white flower. White goes with everything!)

HOW TO SOW

Ageratum is a heat-loving, summer-blooming flower. It’s best to plant them outdoors after the threat of frost has passed.

Transplants or Direct Sow?

Ageratum can be started in seed trays and transplanted or direct sown in late spring. Transplanting is the preferred method, as the seeds are very tiny and difficult to direct sow.

Sow seeds in trays about 6-8 weeks before your Average Last Spring Frost Date. Keep them in a warm place while they are growing.

Transplant the seedlings outdoors after your Average Last Spring Frost Date.

Seeds are tiny and I recommend sowing them using the “toothpick method.” Pour the seeds into a container, lick the end of a toothpick and use the toothpick to remove seeds one at a time. Sow 1-2 seeds per cell. Barely over the seeds with a sprinkle of potting soil or vermiculite.

Like many Annuals, I recommend sowing 2-3 successions of Ageratum, 2-3 weeks apart to ensure you have a steady supply of blooms over the season.

PLANT SPACING

Grow Ageratum at 9-12 inch spacing for best results.

GROWING ON

Ageratum is quite carefree and easy to grow. Like most cut flowers, they appreciate consistent feeding and watering.

Plants should be netted or supported to prevent them from falling over.

Pinching is not required but can be useful as it causes the plants to branch more abundantly. I usually pinch half of the plants and leave the other plants as is. This helps to stagger the blooming time, so I don’t have all the plants in bloom at the same time.

STAGE OF HARVEST

Harvest when the flowers are ¾ of the way open, not in “bud” form. Be sure to cut low into the plant to encourage future growth.

If harvesting for foliage, cut stems before the flower buds form. Cut deep into the plant to encourage branching and more growth.

POST-HARVEST CARE

Ageratum does not require any special post-harvest care.

Like most cut flowers, always harvest in the cool of the day and allow the flowers to rehydrate in water in a cool location overnight before arranging.

QUESTIONS?

Ask them here and I’ll get back to you!

Ready for More?

I'm ready to grow!

Lori Hernandez 1/25/25 Lori Hernandez 1/25/25

How to Grow: Amaranth

Pronunciation: am-ah-ranth

Amaranth is a beautiful and unique flower to add to your cutting garden. Their velvety flowers are elegant looking in the vase and add some real drama to your cut flower arrangements.

It’s also fun and easy to grow. Amaranth plants can tower in the garden and some even make great ornamental plants, if you decide you’d rather enjoy them in the garden rather than the vase.

Another bonus of Amaranth is it makes a great dried flower. I dried Amaranth two seasons ago for fall decor arrangements and it still looks great!

You may have heard of Amaranth before or even seen it’s seeds in the grocery store! Yes, there are several different species of Amaranth and they can be used for food, foliage or flowers. Amaranth seeds are tiny and often cooked/prepared like quinoa (another “ancient grain” that is popular today).

Let’s look at the Pros and Cons of growing Amaranth for cut flower use.

PROS

They are easy to grow.
They are very unique and fun to look at.
The plants are productive for a long period of time.
They add elegance and drama to arrangements. No other flower has the same draping, trailing quality.
They have a good vase life of 7-10 days, with proper harvest and care.

CONS

They can shed their seeds on your table if harvested too late.
They can sometimes grow so large that they can be unwieldy and difficult to use in arrangements (more about how to prevent that later…).

CHOOSING SEEDS

There are 2 main types of Amaranth grown for cut flower use.

“Spike” type Amaranth has an upright growing habit and the plants produce “spikes” or “plumes” that add height and drama to arrangements.

“Trailing” type Amaranth has a draping growth habit and the plants produce “ropes” that hang and drape in arrangements.

Both types are useful and worth growing. Here are a few of my favorite Amaranth to grow for cut flower use:

“Love-Lies-Bleeding” (trailing)
“Coral Fountain” (trailing)
“Green Cascade” (trailing)
“Red Spike” (spike)
“Autumn’s Touch” (spike)
“Hopi Red Dye” (spike)
“Fercita” (spike)

“Autumn Palette” and “Red Spike” — “Autumn’s Touch” **Amaranth** and “Red Spike” **Amaranth**

HOW TO SOW

Amaranth loves heat. They do not like cold temperatures and can’t handle frost, so don’t plant them too early. Don’t worry - they grow quickly when the soil warms up. They will begin to bloom in mid/late July and bloom until the fall frost.

Transplants or Direct Sow?

Amaranth is versatile and can be transplanted or direct sown.

The seeds are tiny, so you may need to use the “toothpick method” for planting seeds. Pour the seeds into a small bowl, wet the toothpick with your tongue, then dip it in the seeds to pick up 1-2 seeds on the toothpick. Transfer seeds to your trays or desired planting spot.

Transplants should be started indoors about 4-6 weeks before the last spring frost. They love heat, so be sure to keep them warm while they are growing indoors.

Direct sowing is another option (my preferred method!), as the plants grow very quickly. Direct sow in warm soil, after the threat of frost is passed. Sprinkle a couple seeds in spots spaced about a foot apart. You can thin the plants later (pluck out the unneeded seedlings).

PLANT SPACING

Amaranth plants can get quite large, so they should be spaced at about 12-15” apart.

GROWING ON

It is wise to provide support or netting to keep the plants from falling over. If you are growing just a few plants, large tomato cages may be sufficient. If you are growing a block or row of them, netting or metal supports would be best (like our “cattle panel supports” featured below).

For best results and more manageable blooms, it’s advisable to “pinch” the plants. If they are not pinched, they tend to grow very large (over 6 foot tall!) and have thick stems that are much too big to use in most floral arrangements (below, you will see an example of Amaranth plants I forgot to pinch! Whoops).

To pinch Amaranth, cut back the center bud/stem when plants are about knee high. This will signal the plant to produce multiple stems that are smaller and easier to use.

If flowers are harvested and spent blooms are “deadheaded” (removed and not allowed to go to seed), the plants will continue to send up blooms until frost arrives.

STAGE OF HARVEST

Amaranth can be harvested after the color forms on the spikes or tassels, when about ¾ of the tiny little flowers are open. The spikes or tassels will continue to grow in size as they mature and they have a long harvest window.

However, be sure to harvest before they are too mature or they will drop their seeds all over your table!

Amaranth can be used fresh in arrangements or you can dry it to be used as an “Everlasting” flower.

To dry, simply place them in a bucket in a warm, dry place out of direct sunlight, and let them drape naturally… or hang them upside down. They should dry in about 2 weeks.

POST HARVEST CARE

After harvesting, remove most of the leaves to help the stems re-hydrate more quickly. This also allows the flowers to be more visible.

Amaranth requires no other special care.

“Coral Fountain” **Amaranth** in a wedding arrangement

QUESTIONS?

Ask them here and I’ll get back to you!

Ready for More?

I'm ready to grow!