DIY Flowers and bunches- straight from the Farm

Flower Farm Open House - Shady Grove Gardens -Come see where your flowers are grown!

August 31st is Open House at Shady Grove Gardens-

Sunday:  3-6 PM   Labor Day Sunday

@ 2278 Peak Road, Creston NC (Ashe County)

SHADY GROVE IS A 76 ACRE NATURAL AREA AND CUT FLOWER FARM WITH PARKING AND RESTROOM FACILITIES. PLEASE WEAR WALKING SHOES THE GROUND IS ROUGH. WE HAVE DOGS, YOURS ARE WELCOME LEASHED. PLANTS, FLOWERS AND DRINKS WILL BE AVAILABLE.

Directions: Shady Grove Gardens at the 'Peak': 2278 West Peak Road, Creston, NC

  From Boone drive north on Hwy. 421 to TN line in Trade TN,

turn Rt. on Hwy. 67/88 ~½ mi inside TN. Hwy. 66 becomes Hwy. 88 as it turns back into NC, after ~ 7mi turn RT onto West Peak Rd., 

3 mi to farm on the left.

The farm is the first property on the left after the pavement ends.  Signs for Shady Grove are on the barn along the road.  

Peak season for the Dahlias and Hydrangea

A Hat and Sunscreen are suggested. Water and restrooms will be available.

Coordinates:N   36º 24’ 37”  W  81º 39’ 07”  

Site Description:  Shady Grove Farms is a nice mix of open grassy areas, early successional shrubby areas, and young forest.  These habitats support a good variety of higher elevation shrubland species like Golden-winged Warbler, which are easily seen and heard here in May and most of June.  In some years, Brewster’s Warblers hold territories here.  A pair or two of Black-billed Cuckoo are usually present in summer and fall migration (August) as well.  Yellow-breasted Chat and Alder Flycatcher are also present in most years.  Gray Catbird, Field Sparrow, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Indigo Bunting, and Eastern Towhee are all common breeders.  The farm is nestled under the shadow of the Peak, one of the high Amphibolite mountains in northwest North Carolina.  Common Raven nest here and are regularly seen and heard from the Farm, as are resident Broad-winged, Red-tailed, and Cooper’s Hawks.  Migrant songbird numbers can be good in fall and spring as well, especially in the denser, wetter portions of the farm.

Species of Interest:  Black-billed Cuckoo, Common Raven, Alder Flycatcher, Golden-winged Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Yellow-breasted Chat, Wild Turkey

The 76 acre farm on the NC Birding Trail, its located on the slopes of 'The Peak', in the Amphibolite Mountains of Ashe County. Open meadows, farm roads, early succession forest, numerous streams & mountain bogs provide excellent habitat many types of birds as well as great long range views.

Late August Cut Flower List

As the snow deepens into a full blown blizzard I'm working on my flower lists. I double checked all the bloom times and added the new flowers we grow. It's not nearly as fun as growing and arranging flowers but hopefully it will be of some help to those of you planning an event. We offer locally grown flowers arranged and by the bucketful.

Here's the late August list with a few photos.

LATE AUGUST FLOWERS;

• CLETHRA HUMMINGBIRD- GREEN SEED PODS
• NATIVE RED HONEYSUCKLE
• CHELONE = TURTLEHEAD PINK SNAPDRAGON-LIKE 8/15-9/5
• RED/BURGUNDY OR GREEN AMARANTH- SPIKES
• RED OR GREEN LOVE LIES BLEEDING = HANGING AMARANTHUS
• AMARANTH GREEN, GOLD, RED UPRIGHT
• ZINNIA - WHITE, PINK, ROSE, RED, ORANGE, PURPLE,YELLOW. LIME
• GREAT BLUE LOBELIA
• ASTER SERENADE -BLUE AND MIXED PINKS, WHITE
• ASTER STANDY -BLUES AND PINKS, REDS
• ASTER POMMAX-  MIXED COLORS CHINA ASTER
• CARYOPTERIS -SKY BLUE  WITH SILVER FOLIAGE 
• DIABLO  -COPPER BROWN FOLIAGE
• DUSTY MILLER - SILVER FOLIAGE
• RUDBECKIA INDIAN SUMMER - BLACK EYED SUSAN
• SNOWBERRIES - PINK, WHITE OR GREEN JUST BEGINNING
• GLADIOLUS - REDS, PINKS, ORANGE, PURPLES, BLUES,  
• WHITE HYDRANGEA -WHITE: LIMELIGHT, PEE GEE, UNIQUE, ANNABELLE- GREEN, PINK DIAMOND,  LITTLE LAMB
• MOUNTAIN MINT -SILVER AND GREEN FOLIAGE - SILVER AT  THE TOP, FRAGRANT
• CALLA - RED/ORANGE
• RIVER OATS= NORTHERN SEA OATS LOOKS LIKE SEA OATS -GREEN STAGE 
• TALL GARDEN PHLOX WHITE, PINK, PURPLE, DOUBLE WHITE
• SEDUM A.J. -GREEN STAGE USED AS FOLIAGE AND FILLER
• PURPLE LEAFED SEDUM
• ALSTROMERIA YELLOW OR DARK PINK
• BUTTERFLY BUSH PURPLES, BLUES, PINK AND WHITE
• DAHLIA - PURPLE, BURGUNDY, PINK, WHITE, ORANGE, YELLOW, REDS, FUCHSIA,
• SHASTA DAISY
• GOLD COIN MARIGOLD -LOOKS LIKE A BIG CLEAR YELLOW MUM
• MARIGOLD -LEMON GEM FOR EDIBLES
• COSMOS -PINKS AND WHITES
• ECHINOPS = GLOBE THISTLE STEEL BLUE BALLS - NOT REALLY SPINY -DRIED 
• PERENNIAL SUNFLOWERS - GOLD AND CLEAR LEMON YELLOW
• DECA -ANOTHER PERENNIAL SUNFLOWER -BIGGER CENTER LIKE TRADITIONAL ONES -SEE 7TH PHOTO
• ECHINACEA = PURPLE CONEFLOWER MORE PINK THAN PURPLE
• FOUNTAIN GRASS 8/5/-8/15
• GREEN AND WHITE VARIEGATED GRASS
• AUGUST LILY PURE WHITE - STRONG FRAGRANCE- SPIKE
• NICOTIANA -WHITE OR LIME
• AGERATUM PURPLE,  BLUE OR WHITE
• HYDRANGEA MACROPHYLLA - BLUE HYDRANGEA ONLY SOME YEARS
• SUNFLOWERS STANDARD WITH DARK CENTER- ORDER YELLOWS
• HELENIUM REDS AND YELLOWS
• CELOSIA - MOST ARE RED
• LINARIA -DELICATE LIGHT PINK SNAP DRAGON - LIKE FLOWER
• LISIANTHUS -WHITE, PURPLE, PINK, LIME
• MONGOLIAN ASTER -WHITE
• QUEEN ANNES LACE -WHITE
• STATICE -BLUES AND PURPLE SOME YELLOW AND PINK
• SOLIDAGO FIREWORKS -YELLOW
• BALLOON FLOWER -BLUE
• ARTEMNESIA - SILVER FOLIAGE
• LILIES- ORIENTAL -WHITE,  PINK
• CALENDULA -YELLOWS AND ORANGES FOR EDIBLES - SHORT
• NASTURTIUM -BRIGHT REDS, MOSTLY EDIBLES - SHORT
• GLOBE AMARANTH RED, ORANGE AND MIXED, PLUS PURPLE
• AMERICAN CRANBERRY VIBURNUM -RED BERRIES
• VIBURNUM -RED BERRIES
• VIBURNUM -YELLOW BERRIES
• EARLY IRONWEED -PURPLE
• GRASSES, GRAINS AND GREENERY, RIVER OATS,  MILLET
• SCABIOSA -MIX,  DARK MAROON, BLUES, LAVENDER
• BLACK-EYED SUSAN- DENVER DAISY WITH DARK CENTER
• BACHELOR BUTTON- BLUE OR WHITE
• BOLTONIA -WHITE
• SALVIA TURKENSTANCIA PINK, BLUE,WHITE ON THE SAME STEM, TALL SMELLS LIKE SAGE
• VERONICA SONJA - PURPLE
• VERONICA SIGHTSEEING MIX- BLUE
• PANICUM FROSTED EXPLOSION- AIR GRASS IN PHOTOS
• PURPLE HYACINTH BEAN- DEEP EGGPLANT PODS WITH PURPLE BLOOMS
• CLEMATIS - WHITE 
• LEMON MINT - BERGAMO