Mid July

I can’t believe it but it’s Mid July! It’s been an unusual year so far weather wise, but I’m spending my days in the garden, putting out fires and embracing mother nature as she comes. Here is a handful of plants growing in my garden right now. I’ve been mostly paying attention to my seed dahlias this spring and early summer, but now that they are happy and blooming, I’m focusing on my late summer and Autumn garden. I’m hoping for lots of marigolds, asters, zinnias, and amaranth. That’s if the grasshoppers and cucumber beetles don’t devour everything!

Gomphrena

Celosia Pampas

Marigold Phyllis

Always growing seeds for succession planting

Baby marigolds. Yellow, orange, inca, vanilla cream varieties.

Basil, Amaranth, Hyacinth Bean vine.

Early morning harvest

I harvest flowers every other day to keep flower production strong. It’s in my early morning routine along with making careful observations and admiring the beauty of the garden. If you ever want fresh flowers, send me an email or DM me on my Instagram. These are just a sample of a morning harvest.

Dahlias

I’m growing dahlias for the first time from seed. I started them in my greenhouse in mid March and transplanted them in the garden in mid April. I’m growing them under my tiny hoop house and plan on putting a giant shade cloth to protect them from the harsh summer sun. The seeds are a mixed variety from Floret Farm. I can’t wait to identify the blooms and collect the tubers of the ones I like the most. I plan on pinching them in the next two weeks to promote bushier plants. The recommended spacing is 18 inches but I don’t have a ton of growing space so I planted them a little closer. I’ll just have to be vigilant with catching disease and pets. EeeK! I’m excited. I needed a new summer challenge, because I get really tired of zinnias in summertime. :)

Itty Bitty bouquet Pop up

I did a tiny pop up at flitch coffee this past weekend. I had been making these tiny CUTE arrangements all week, so I decided to do a last minute pop up to share them. I enjoy making the tiny arrangements because first they are cute, but also bc it gives me a challenge to play with scale. While harvesting the flowers, I have to change my perspective. A single flower on a larkspur spike can be a huge focal flower for the arrangement. A small mint cutting can be the entire supporting ingredient. I will definitely make more Itty bitty bouquets this summer.

La Otra Flora on Central Texas Gardener