Grandma's Flower Garden

Large double flowers are missing at the turn of spring and summer. The last Ranunculus finish blooming and there is plenty of time before the first Dahlias arrive. On our farm, it was always a struggle to find beautiful, full, and large flowers for bouquets at that time. But we succeeded! We filled the void with China asters and peony-flowered Poppies. These Poppies reliably replace peonies, Ranunculus, and Dahlias. Just keep in mind that they don't last long and need a little care to last in a bouquet. We harvest when the bud cracks, sear the ends of the stems in water for a few seconds, and let them finish opening in the vase. Peony Poppy Salmon is a warm pink color.

A Poppy with black centers, similar to anemones. In terms of color, it is a mix of marbled shades ranging from white through red and pink to burgundy. We have been growing poppies since the early days of Loukykvět, and this year we are returning to them. The Poppy needs more care as a cut flower and does not last as long in a vase. But! It is such a beauty that it is worth it anyway. Here is our guide for poppies. We harvest buds that have just cracked open. It is enough if you see a crack on the bud and the color inside. The Poppy has only a few petals, so it takes just a moment to open. Freshly trim the ends and scald them in hot water (just boil water and use immediately), or sear the ends with a flame. The heat helps the Poppy open pathways for water absorption so it won't wilt. We arrange freshly opened pieces or buds into bouquets, expecting the Poppy to open during the day. If you plan to sow poppies just for pleasure in the flower bed, none of this is necessary, of course :). For drying, we harvest matured poppy heads, roughly from mid-July. Just hang them upside down in a dry and ventilated place, out of direct sunlight.

A beautiful shade of purple Bordeaux! The Strawflower is a classic from grandma's garden but also an evergreen of dried flowers. We love using them when arranging for weddings because they don't wilt. They are suitable for corsages, wreaths, and boutonnieres.

Dark red, centers transitioning to burgundy. Strawflower is a classic from grandma's garden but also an evergreen of dried flowers. We love using them when arranging weddings because they don't wilt. They are suitable for corsages, wreaths, and buttonholes.

An original wild perennial with a large distribution area from Europe to Siberia. Suitable for natural and wild plantings. It grows in meadows and dry grassy places. A very adaptable and undemanding plant, it grows in clumps and spreads by runners. Cutting back after the first bloom will encourage a flush of new flowers. We harvest them for bouquets when the florets are fully open. They last 10 days in a vase. 'Cerise Queen' has deep pink to purplish-pink flowers, gradually fading to light pink.

These beauties love the heat, which is why we associate them mainly with late summer and early autumn. Searing helps with vase life: dip freshly cut stems for 3 minutes into 90°C water and then immediately into cold water. One plant produces at least 5 stems. Goldilocks is a double-flowered variety.

Rich light pink, color is light upon opening. Matsumoto is a reliable China aster that we absolutely swear by. In our beds, it is the shortest compared to other China asters (50 to 60 cm), but if you put in the work and create the most ideal conditions, it can reach up to 80 cm. For us, the flower size is a total win; they are smaller than other China asters and fit perfectly into all products we arrange for weddings. One plant produces up to 7 flowers.

Phlox from the drummondii family are annuals! And they are easy to grow. The plants are shorter and less woody than perennials. But if you are short on space, like us on the farm, they are perfect! Blushing Bride has white flowers and cherry-pink centers. It looks beautifully delicate, especially for wedding floristry.

Sweet rocket is, along with columbine, one of the first spring harvests. For bouquets, we mix them with tulips, daffodils, and ranunculus. The stems are beautifully long; each plant produces 5-7 of them. Light shade of purple.

For drying, we harvest it when the entire flower head is nicely colored yellow. Just hang them upside down, in a dry and ventilated place, out of sunlight.

Dianthus from the Sweet series is a Sweet William. The stems are therefore thicker and stronger than, for example, a carnation. The inflorescence takes the form of a flower head, where at the end of the stem there is a little mushroom shape composed of smaller florets. We found it best to plant them in a polytunnel already in autumn; in spring, you then harvest a flood of meter-long stems. You will harvest at least 10 full-value stems from one plant, which gradually grow and bloom. Sweet "Black Cherry" is a beautiful dark shade of burgundy.

The Dianthus from the 'Barbienne' series is a Sweet William. The stems are therefore thicker and stronger than, for example, a Carnation. The inflorescence is in the form of a cluster, where at the end of the stem there is a "mushroom" composed of smaller florets. It worked best for us to plant them in the polytunnel as early as autumn; in spring, you then harvest a flood of meter-long stems. From one plant, you harvest at least 10 full-quality stems that grow and bloom gradually. Dianthus 'Barbienne Rose' is a shade of fuchsia pink.

The centers are dark brown, they attract insects, but do not produce pollen, and the seeds are 'empty'. Pollen-free flower varieties are bred because pollen is an unwelcome companion in floristry, for example due to allergies. One seedling produces one flower.

Larkspurs are spring beauties that nothing compares to. However, if you want to harvest them for cut flowers, you must be vigilant and harvest quickly before all the buds open. They finish blooming quickly, especially during the warm springs of recent years, so we sow several batches 14 days apart just to keep up with the harvest. Larkspur QIS White is a soft white that fits beautifully into wedding floristry. You harvest one stronger stem and 4-5 smaller side stems from a single plant.

You won't see purple that often on our farm. But Parsifal Purple enchanted us. Needle-petaled China asters, the flowers are composed of petals resembling little needles, which creates a wonderful effect and great structure in bouquets. Valkyrie China asters branch just above the ground, so you can harvest beautifully long stems. One plant produces 6-8 flowers.

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A new addition to our assortment, true Forget-me-not! It is a biennial, so you will harvest substantial stems only the following year. Nano White is a beautiful, delicate white variety of Forget-me-not.

The Barlow series is our favorite columbine because the flowers are double-flowered! We grow columbines on our farm as annuals, so we sow new ones every year. This saves space and we achieve longer stems. We grow part of the columbines in a polytunnel so we catch the harvest for Mother's Day, when flowers are scarce. Rose Barlow is a beautiful color combination where the flower centers are sweet pink and the outsides and stems are slightly purplish.

Dried, they look the same. However, the purple one has fresh pods that are dark green with a hint of burgundy. A classic of dried flowers; our grandmothers had gardens full of honesty. It blooms in spring just like sweet rocket or columbine, but the flowers aren't suitable for cutting. It pays to wait, and in summer you can harvest the first fruits. Honesty creates seeds wrapped in beautiful oval pods. We recommend harvesting them even when green; they look beautiful in bouquets! For drying, we harvest pods from which the seed casings are already naturally falling off. Just hang them upside down in a dry and ventilated place, out of sunlight.

For drying, round capsules formed by flax after flowering are used. You need to catch the right time when they are mature and the stem below the capsule is firm. Do not wait too long, however, so you achieve a nice golden color after drying. Just hang them upside down in a dry and ventilated place, out of direct sunlight.

Statice is a classic from grandma's garden, but also an evergreen of dried flowers. We grow statice by the hundreds! It is incredibly useful in bouquets as filler material and even undried lasts a long time in a vase. Once all the florets on the stem bloom, statice no longer wilts and is suitable for wreaths, corsages, boutonnieres. We have been looking for a true blue shade of statice for several years, most are always purplish, but QIS Pale Blue is the closest to blue of all. One plant produces at least 15 stems. For drying, we harvest statice at the stage when the stem under the flower is firm and the entire inflorescence has bloomed. Just hang them upside down, in a dry and ventilated place, out of sunlight.