Growing Flowers for Summer Butterflies and Winter Birds

Here's a short list of easy to grow flowers for both butterflies in the summer and seed for the birds in the winter.

Sedum Autumn Joy and Fountain Grass

Coreopsis 'Brown Eyes'

Liatris or Gayfeather

Various Rudbeckias

Helianthus hirsutus  -Perennial Sunflower

Cosmos 

Sedums sp. great for bees, butterflies and later the birds

Rudbeckia- Black-Eyed- Susans -all varieties birds, bees and butterflies

Liatris- also called Blazing Star and Gayfeather

Coreopsis- is an excellent flower for both summer butterflies and winter seed sources

Cosmos- an easy to grow annual

Goldenrod- does not cause hayfever! A perfect flower for all winged animals and insects.

Coneflower or Echinacea

Sunflower - great to grow with kids

Butterfly Bush - a non-native species, still great for butterflies and winter birds

Perennial Asters of all types. Perfect food for the Juncos and sparrows that stay with us for the winter

Fountain Grass

Winterberry Holly

Snowberries - beneficial wasps pollinate and bird feed on the berries

Hellebores, the Winter Blooming Perennial, Will be Popping up Soon (2011-01-21)

KUNC: Hellebores, the Winter Blooming Perennial, Will be Popping up Soon (2011-01-21)

A brief article about our earliest flowering perennials.

Bridal bouquet with Hellebore and Mock Orange (Hellebore seedpods surrounded  by bracts in the center of the bouquet)

New Queen a double series

Hellebore from our garden

Wedding Flowers | Shady Grove Gardens

I've revised the wedding flower page on our web site. Included is information about how we sell flowers and designs to brides and a long list of suggested flower combinations for each week of the season.

What we offer our Wedding Clients:

Looking for 'Locally Grown' or 'Sustainably Grown'? We offer more than the usual florist affair. We are Specialty Cut Flower growers. We make individual designs to satisfy most any Bride. Bright colors, unique designs, personal service. "We are Your Local Flower Growers."Our wedding flower web page

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

Invasive honeysuckle increase risk of tick-borne disease in suburbs

Something to think about before putting invasive plants in your garden. More on what is invasive in the High Country later.

Invasive honeysuckle increase risk of tick-borne disease in suburbs

August Wedding Photos

Orange-salmon white and green wedding. Here's just a few photos.

Simple Table Arrangements

Big wide square vases are not the easiest to arrange in. You need big flowers or structure of some sort. Luckily we had green Annabelle Hydrangeas more than 6" across to use as the main support for these smaller bright flowers the bride requested.

Wedding Flower Arranging Workshops

These are photos from our latest arranging workshop. It's a great way to have all the space, materials and design advise you want to make flower arrangements yourself. We offer these Friday morning parties to brides that buy our locally grown flowers. Generally, the party is 10am-~12:30. We try to arrange as many different items as we can in that amount of time. The cost is $250 plus flowers.

Lesley and Peter's Wedding July 24th, 2010

This was a fun wedding at Eagle's Nest. The groom and family put together mason jars of flowers for the reception. They used 5 of our mixed flower buckets for a great show in the Bar-b-que pavilion.

Hydrangeas: Plants and Cut Flowers

Tardiva Hydrangea
QuickFire Hydrangea

Pinky Winky Hydrangea
Pink Diamond Hydrangea
Little Lamb Hydrangea
Limelight Hydrangea
Incrediball Hydrangea

We have the following Hydrangeas for sale in pots: Pee Gee Grandiflora,  'Lime Light' and  'Little Lamb'.  At the bottom you will see several Hydrangeas we have only as cut flowers this year, but if you like them keep in touch we may have some for sale next season.

INCREDIBALL^™

(H. arborescens ‘Abetwo’) A new and improved 'Annabelle' Hydrangea, Incrediball has beefy stems and massive blooms. The breeding goal was stronger stems to eliminate flop, but we got incredibly large blooms too! Each bloom has roughly 4 times as many flowers as 'Annabelle'! We recommend that this plant is sold in 3 gallon pots or larger. The propagation of, and or the sale of plant parts is prohibited without a license. Patent/trademark tag required. NATIVE: North America.

Zone 4, 4-5 feet, gr 1, Good for Cutting, Full Sun Partial Shade.

'Invincibelle Spirit''The world's first Pink Annabelle!

For years gardeners and landscapers have dreamed of an Annabelle Hydrangea with pink flowers. The dream has come true!

INVINCIBELLE™ Spirit hydrangea is the world's first every pink Annabelle. Unlike other selections it continues to produce new flowers right up until frost. It is very hardy and easy to grow. Unlike many hydrangeas, the flower buds are produced on new wood, so it will still produce flowers even if the stems die back to the ground by extreme weather.

It is useful as a specimen, mass planting or incorporated perennial gardens or into a woodland setting. The blooms are extremely attractive both in the landscape and as a cut flower. It is a durable choice for both fresh and dried arrangements.Hardiness: USDA Zone 3

Bloom Time: Continuous blooming, Mid-summer to fall

Bloom Color: White

Foliage Color: Dark green

Hardiness: USDA Zones 3-9 (perennial in zone 3)

Bloom time: Late May early June (earlier under poly). Reblooms until to frost,

Bud set: Blooms on new wood.

Bloom color: The flowers emerge a dark, hot pink color and mature to bright pink.

Bloom size: 6- 8 inches in diameter

Quantity of blooms: Often 100 or more corymbs per plant over the summer

Foliage color: Green

Fall Color: Pale Yellow

Plant size: 3-4 feet tall, 3-4 feet wide

Branching habit: Freely branching with as many as 100 or more terminal shoots per plant.

Exposure: Full sun to partial shade

Growth rate: Moderate to Fast

Soil: Very adaptable, but proliferates in rich, well drained, moist soil. pH adaptable.

Pruning: In late fall or early spring. Blooms on new wood and tolerates being cut back to the ground.

Watering: If planted in full sun, sufficient moisture is needed. Will require additional watering on hot dry summer. In South, should be planted in partial shade.

Wildlife: Habitat for songbirds and butterflies.

Native: Eastern United States. Florida to Maine. Kansas to Eastern Seaboard.Type: Deciduous

Fertilizing: Fertilize in early spring by applying a slow release fertilizer specialized for trees & shrubs. Follow the label for recommended rate of application.

Uses: Groupings or masses, perennial or shrub borders, specimen, winter gardens.

Breeder: Dr. Thomas Ranney, NCSU. Mountain Horticultural Crop Research and Extension Center. Fletcher, North Carolina.

'Grandiflora'

Pee Gee Hydrangea is the standard old fashion hydrangea with big white blooms which fade to pink. Train into a tree or grow as a shrub. This is the variety we think of here in the High Country when someone says "regular hydrangea". Newer varieties we use for cutting are listed below.

Zone 4, 8-12 feet, gr 1, Full Sun - partial shade

LIMELIGHT

(Hydrangea paniculata 'Limlight' PPAF)

An extraordinary new Hydrangea with exquisite bright lime-green flowers. The color is breathtakingly beautiful, and adds much needed color to the late summer landscape. Excellentvigor and floriferous blooming, Limelight presents itself well in a container and is certain to be a hit at retail. Hybridized by the noted plantsman Pieter Zwijnenburg Jr. Zone 4, 6-8 feet, Full Sun - partial shade.

‘Little Lamb’ ppaf A special compact plant with the most delicate flowers ever seen on a Hydrangea paniculata. The flowers are sterile like a Pee Gee but only much smaller andforming smaller panicles that look like little lambs dancing above the foliage. Hybridized by the famous plantswoman Jelena DeBelder of Belgium. Zone 4, 4-5 feet Full Sun - partial shade.

(H. ‘DVPinky’, ppaf)'Pink Diamond'A large flowered selection with broad 12" by 8" conical lacy blooms. Extremely large white florets transform to a rich pink not seen in other selections. Flowers are held distinctly upright. Degree of coloration is dependent upon climate. Introduced by the De Belders of Belgium. FIRST CHOICE AWARD '96. Zone 4, 6-8 feet, gr 1, Full Sun - partial shade

PINKY WINKY™
A real winner, this new Hydrangea from Belgium has indeterminate flowers. This means that the flower heads keep sending up new white flowers from the tip even while the older blooms at the base are turning a deep pink. The effect is a beautiful two toned flower unique to this plant alone. Strong upright stems. Zone 4, 6-8 feet, Full Sun - partial shade

QUICK FIRE™
(H. ‘Bulk’, ppaf) A breakthrough plant that blooms more than a month earlier than other varieties. For us it blooms in late May - early June and turns to a rich deep pink before Pink Diamond even begins to show flowers. Breed by noted plantsman Mark Bulk, Boskoop Netherlands. The propagation of, and or the sale of plant parts is prohibited without a license. Patent/trademark tag required. Zone 4, 6-8 feet, gr 1, Full Sun - partial shade




'Tardiva'
A heavy stemmed, late blooming selection with large lacy flower heads. AWARDS: AGM, PSC
Zone 4, 6-8 feet, gr 1, Full Sun - partial shade