July has been one hot month with hardly any rain.
Thankfully as I write this, we’ve gotten a few days of normal temperatures and some rain. The picture above was taken at 6:21am, the coolest part of the day.
The last big harvest of hardy annuals at the end of June: snapdragons, statice and mountain mint.
The start of warm annuals pictured above, all heat lovers! The flowers have been holding up with drip irrigation and sprinklers to cool them off during the 100 degree days. Thankfully I have two industrial refrigerators to hold them at a cool 40 degrees.
My last big seeding is in mid July for late summer/ early fall flowers. It’s not too late to sow seeds, most take about 75-90 days to bloom. I plan is to have flowers till frost.
Fresh cut flowers need a bit of care to make them last longer. Here are a few easy tips. Â
- Clean vases-wash containers and scissors with hot soapy water between uses.
- Trim flowers-give stems a fresh cut every few days.
- Use flower food– it’s dissolvable powder that kills bacteria, balances the water PH and gives the flower a sugar based boost.
- Change the water-Â empty the water completely and refresh every 2-3 days.Â
- Avoid ripening produce– keep flowers away from fruits and vegetables, which give off ethylene and shorten vase life.Â
- Keep them cool– store flowers away from heat sources and bright sunlight.
I’m excited for our annual events on the hill. There are still openings for Children’s Flower Hour and Adult Happy Hour. It’s a great way to see Celadon Hill and pick some flowers too.
Thanks for following, take time to enjoy the best of the season!
