Flower Harvest

It’s September already! A change of seasons is just around the corner and Mother Nature is dropping hints of fall all around us. Leaves have begun to lose their green intensity and the garden’s green hues are flirting with shades of yellow and red. Fall berries are settling on the hawthorns and viburnums. Walnuts plummet from the treetops with every gust of wind and the squirrels scurry to carry them away before we can gather them ourselves. The hummingbirds are back at the garden and dart from flower to flower with a sense of urgency that Jack Frost will soon steal away their favorite flowers. Use these final weeks of summer to dry floral bouquets to enjoy throughout the winter. Our red velvet cockscomb is larger than ever, and the plants can barely hold their heads upright. Hydrangea blooms are plentiful and should be harvested when they feel papery. Gather handfuls of herbs and their aroma will linger on your palms and fill your drying rooms with intoxicating fragrances that make the chore worthwhile. Many herbs have everlasting qualities: try rosemary, lavender, burnet, and tansy for guaranteed success. We have a new drying shed - a much smaller space than what we once filled with everlastings, but it’s a charming space and great addition to the acreage. Garden visitors still like to see a flower harvest underway and we hope to keep the building filled with a little (quantity) of a lot (of variety). We are in the process of selecting a paint color for the exterior and hope to have the shed spruced up in the next few weeks and landscaped with new shrubs and perennials. Check back soon to see what color we choose…I currently have three favorites: Hope Chest, Tempest Rumor or Taupestone. More photos coming soon!