Cut-Flower Gardening... The Secrets of a Flower Farmer

Transplants and Cover Crops in waiting Sept 2011

Well the rain just doesn't want to stop. This summer we had 10 inches in July, 10 inches in August and so far in Sept 8 inches. Kind of a wet season and we are suffering through with the rest of the area.
Our fall planted transplants are coming along nicely; we have over 13,000 growing into nice size transplants. Some of the snaps are ready but all the others are coming along and should be ready in a week or more. We have slowed down on watering and feeding with organic food to slow the growing in case the rain doesn’t stop sooner than later.

We are also getting ready to plant cover crops. Trying a new one this year- field radishes. They are suppose to open the subsoil which I have one garden in dire need. They grow really large and long radishes over the winter and then rot- they leave deep voids in the soil that open that it up for drainage and deep root penetration.

We will also plant crimson clover that actually feed the soil nitrogen, suppresses weeds and adds lots of organic mass when turned under come spring. We will mix with the clover winter rye which is a great weed suppressor and adds tons of organic matter when turned under in spring.

Growing cover crops when your garden isn't growing flowers or vegetables is such a soil builder. If you leave the garden bare, weeds grow and go to seed to make many more weeds next season, why not plant the seeds of a cover crop instead- it will protect the soil from erosion, prevent weeds, provide habitat for wildlife and beneficial insects, adds nitrogen and tons of organic mass.

Cover crops are available online or at your local feed and seed store or savvy garden store.

The target is to plant the seeds 6 weeks before your first frost date.

Looking forward to dryer times!

Lisa

Today I am at the Backyard Gardeners Organic Workshop. I am set-up as a vendor and was fortunate to hear the speakers.

Heather Driscoll, owner of My Sister's Garden spoke on organic lawn and weed care. Her company is certified organic and does landscaping and lawn care.

The tip of the day was controlling Bermuda grass from creeping into our gardens and landscape-- she recommends and does this. treat with Burnout Organic Herbicide weekly! I cannot wait to try this.

Checkout the Backyard Gardeners in Chesapeake they sponsor great programs!

It takes a tough season to make the easy ones so much sweeter!

On my early am stroll of the garden this morning I was thinking it definitely takes a tough season to make you appreciate the easy ones. Tough season being to much rain, easy season is drought and I make my own rain...

It has been many years since my garden has struggled like this. The struggles has been created by the pounding frequent rain. It was almost 8 years ago that we faced this challenge; I call that year the summer of 40 days and nights of rain. I learned to do ever chore in the rain that year. My garden, feet and hands all stayed in a state of soggy. I watched helplessly as whole beds of flowers literally melted down to mush in the garden.

This year has a rain problem of a different sort; it’s the torrential rains we suffered from during June and early July pounding our garden. It all started on a Friday afternoon in just 15 minutes of rain and serious wind, we lost a couple of crops of sunflowers just about ready for harvest. Then the following week, we had several afternoon storms that followed suit. On a recent Friday night we had 5 inches. 

All this rain adds up to pounded plants, soggy soil, and the perfect conditions for disease and then pests. We have removed beds of crops that are suffering and are replanting now.

All this makes me wish for last year, the year of extreme heat (106 degrees in June--unheard of here) and no rain, but we had a bumper crop of flowers with no problems--oh yeah it was the workers that melted down in the garden to mush...

Happy it hasn't rained in 7 days,

Lisa

www.shoptgw.com

Fight pests with vitality not chemicals

I am often asked what we do about bugs since we don’t use drugs as we call it. Folks are surprised to hear that we don’t do anything, really. The fact of the matter is that we focus on make our plants the strongest and healthiest possible and this in turn allows them to combat any issue that may come up along with the help of beneficial insects and pest eating birds.

On the other hand if we do have a particular plant variety that becomes what we call buggy, we just eliminate it from our garden. There are far too many plants that are easy keepers when grown healthy and planted in the right spot, so why annoy yourself with a buggy plant??

The moral to the story is place the plant in the conditions that it will thrive in, give it healthy compost rich soil to sink its roots into and as they say, sit back and enjoy!

Happy Gardening!
Lisa

Colossal Sunflower Contest Williamsburg Farmer's Market!

Want to grow the biggest and best Sunflowers ever?

Follow my tips to win!

•    Plant your seeds after the soil has warmed up- sunflower seeds do not sprout when they are cold. In the Williamsburg area I would say May 15 or later.

•    Enrich the soil deeply with lots of organic matter. Compost and/or dehydrated manures (all available at your local independent garden centers). I would work in 3-6" of organic matter and break open the subsoil so the roots can go deep for water and nutrients. Watch a video on soil prepping: Watch my video on soil prep.

•    Mix in some dry organic fertilizer while preparing the soil- sunflowers are heavy feeders- they love organic fertilizers. View ours

•    Plant your seeds in a large depression to make watering chores easier. I would make a dinner plate size depression and plant one seed in the center.

•    Plant seeds 24" or more apart for maximum flower size. Cover with 1/4-1/2" of soil. Water in well.

•    To protect seeds and seedlings from rabbits, squirrels and the drying wind, cover your seeds with a floating row cover for  the first 3-4 weeks. Floating Row Cover Information

•    If not covered with row cover- water daily. With a row cover you may be able to water every 2-3 days. Water when the soil is dry.

•    Install a strong stake (galvanized pipe, rebar, other really strong material) 8-10' tall. Pound into the ground two feet deep next to your young seedlings. Attach the sunflower using plant velcro, panty hose or other material to the stake as it grows. The sunflower stalk can grow to 3-5" in diameter, it will be thick and incredible heavy at 12 feet- this is why you need the stake next to each. It only takes one late afternoon rain storm in August to knock over your beauty.

•    In addition to the dry organic fertilizer added at planting, we water with fish fertilizer weekly according to directions on the bottle. Sunflowers are like teenage boys- hungry all the time!

•    Mulch your seedlings once they are over 12-15" tall to preserve moisture, prevent weeds and protect roots and keep them cool in the heat of summer.

•    Water once weekly, deeply after the plants reach 24”.
 
Good Luck and I hope you win!!! Enjoy your sunflowers!

Lisa
Want to ask me a question? Visit Ask Lisa

 

 

 

Tips for Garden Weddings

More and more brides are looking to hold their wedding in a garden. Once a bride decides that the romance and beauty of a garden wedding outweighs the unpredictability of an outdoor event, the sky is the limit.
The beauty of a garden in full bloom is every brides dream. Because Mother Nature controls all of this, garden wedding brides must be flexible. If you find a location that seems perfect because of the bones of the garden- not one specific flower or tree in bloom, chances are good your wedding will be gorgeous.
Below are some tips that may give some ideas for a garden wedding.
•    Consider family members homes and gardens as your first option. Having the most meaningful event of your life at a family members beloved garden is so romantic that it will be spectacular in meaning alone.
•    When considering a garden location, keep in mind more than the beauty: where is everyone going to park, what is the restroom situation, if it rains for a day before the service is this a soggy location?
•    Is there a large enough flat area to hold the garden wedding? Are you going to have everyone seated or will they stand?
•    As much as you don't want to consider it--your guest walking safety should be well thought out at this point. Aunt Judy tripping on a stepping stone and having to call an ambulance is not romantic at all.
•    A public garden is also an excellent idea and they are usually more equipped to handle an event then a private residence. Botanical gardens are an excellent choice.
•    Botanical gardens have most of the bases covered; parking, reception areas, public restrooms. And a never ending supply of gardens to chose from. They also typically have an alternative indoor location in the event of bad weather.
A garden wedding is magical and worth the added planning. Having an experienced event planner or other that has done an outdoor event is the best insurance policy of a smooth garden wedding.
Best Wishes!
Lisa Ziegler
The Gardener's Workshop
www.shoptgw.com

Busy Busy

It is almost overwhelming with the many different things to do on a flower farm this time of the year. We will start our seed starting schedule next week and at the same time start making beds to receive all those babies when their time comes to be planted.

A note to myself and to others- don't be tempted to plant to earlier or work wet soil. March is the month of wind, rain and sporadic high temperatures. Those warm temperatures lure us into thinking it is time to plant when the soil is still very cold. This will stunt your warm season annuals for the entire season-it is better to wait until 2 weeks after your last frost date when the soil has begun to warm.  Wet soil is another tempter. Working wet soil destroys the structure of the soil and literally makes dirt clogs that do not just dissolve themselves. To test your soil, take a handful of soil and gentle mash it into a ball, drop the ball from waist height onto the ground. If the ball generally sticks together- it is too wet, if it breaks apart the soil should be dry enough.

As I write this at my desk, I am watching our Red-Tailed Hawk couple spruce up their nest from last year. Last year we watched them raise three babies and it looks like we will be given the opportunity again this year--since I caught them in an intimate moment in our trees!

Can’t wait for spring!

Lisa Z

www.shoptgw.com

Carefree Gardening--the Organic Way with Lisa Ziegler! March 12 in Newport news, Virginia

Come learn how to have a carefree garden in your own backyard! 100% of the proceeds from this program go to the Giving Project to teach and provide for sustainable organic gardening in a struggling nation. 

Three Sessions:

• Getting the Garden Going: Learn how growing organically is not just the right thing to do--it is easier, less expensive and grows bigger and better plants. Lisa shares the steps she follows in her own gardens to prepare and feed the soil to produce abundance in a small space.
• Easy Seed Starting in the Garden and Indoors This session reveals the simple and easy steps to seed starting. Learn to plant seeds directly in the garden and how to start seeds indoors. This program includes a demonstration of the seed-starting method known as “soil blocking.”

• Easy Fresh Flowers and Vegetables from your Garden: Eating fresh and enjoying fresh bouquets from your own garden is easier than you think. You will learn what to plant, tips for harvesting and how to store up for winter.  
• You are invited to the farm! At the conclusion of the program you are invited to walk down the road to Lisa’s small farm to see it all in action.  

 

	March 12, 2011 9am to 2pm Held at and hosted by: Warwick River Mennonite Church 250 Lucas Creek Road Newport News, VA 23602 874-0749		Pre-Registration is required Lunch is included Limited space available $25 per person For program information call: 877-7159 or Visit: www.shoptgw.com

 About Lisa Ziegler

Lisa, a home gardener turned cut‐flower grower, began growing cut flowers in 1998 on less than 1 acre in Newport News. During the growing season, this garden now yields thousands of stems of flowers each week. Her flowers are sold to upscale florists, Colonial Williamsburg, at Farmer’s Markets and through her programs “Garden Share” and “Subscription Drop‐off” both in their 10^th year.

Lisa shares her knowledge and passion for gardening through programs. Her energy permeates a room; her experience ignites the love of gardening; and her simple methods inspire.

 Register online or by phone.

Online by clicking here. By phone, call 877-7159 Monday through Friday 10am to 5pm.

In the Presence of Seedlings…

I can't explain how good it feels to be in the presence of seedlings. I heard this once said about being in the presence of cows. It is just soothing to your soul. The early morning when I go out to my grow room to water and fuss over them is the most precious time of day for me.

If you have witnessed a zinnia baby being born or a tomato seedling pushing his head up through the soil, you know what I'm talking about. If not, you should try it. Caring for seeds and bringing them along to produce for you bring to light the miracle that it is.

However, let me warn you, starting seeds is addictive!  And it’s totally fun. My 10 x 10 grow room is part of my workshop.  It faces south with many windows for maximum light. The building is heated and the grow room is always extra toasty, which my seedlings just love. The walls are lined with shelving units equipped with grow lights. I can squeeze about 12,000 seedlings into the grow room at one time using the soil blocking method.

I started my annual "panic" seeds a few weeks ago. Those are the hardy annuals that I planted in the fall, but which are also suitable for planting in early spring. Why am I planting more? Because every year around this time I look at those I planted in fall and they appear dead—as dead as anyone would be that spent the winter outdoors in 20-degree temperatures.  This is my 12^th year of doing this, and I still panic, convinced my plantings are dead.  So I start more seeds to replant. After all, we depend on these plants to be a good part of our cash crop for the first couple of months of our cut flower growing operation.

My sister Suzanne pretty much wants to pinch me when this happens every year to remind me of how the story always ends: the plants aren't dead--just the top growth has died back. Once the weather begins to warm, they re-grow and all is well in paradise...except that I now have twice as many plants in the garden that still have to be harvested, bunched, sold...you get the picture.

I deny it, but Suzanne thinks this is just my way of being able to start seeds a little earlier in the season.

 

Happy Spring!!

Lisa Z

It is done!

I have completed the first draft of my book, The Easy Cut Flower Garden. YEAH!

I just sent it to my good friend Susan Yoder Ackerman who edits and proofs all my non- blog writings.

Look for it available soon on our online garden store.

I amcelebrating

Lisa