I blame Floret.
I blame Floret. Someone, somewhere, posted a picture of her seed packets and the packaging got to me. I went to the website and proceeded to spend many hours over several days examining every single flower seed Floret has for sale. Then, I bought a few. Just a few. They are quite expensive for seeds.
That simple seed purchase opened the floodgates of interest for me. Cut flowers, heirloom flower seeds, open pollinated flower seeds -- I want to grow them all. So I started reading, and I found some great authors. Great gardeners who wrote great books on cut flowers, heirloom flowers, open pollinated flowers, herbs and veggies for cutting and I read them all. The librarian asked if I *really* has 98 books out. (Yes. ...but some of those are for the kids.) In any case, I narrowed the books down to my very favorites and shared on Instagram:
The New American Herbal: SO interesting. Full of facts you never knew about poisonous herbs, edible herbs, beautiful herbs that no one grows anymore. This book sold me on the charms of mignonette and I am now hunting for some good seeds or even a started flat? Written by Stephen Orr
Growing Beautiful Food: This book is absolutely gorgeous. Wonderful to hold in hand, lovely to look at, and exciting to read. If you love beautiful plants or are into edibles, you MUST seek out this book. Written by Matthew Benson
Cut Flower Garden: The book that started me down this path of cut flowers. I have devoured this book cover to cover and have also been reading everything on Erin's blog. Also, I put in a small second order of seeds from her because I had. to. have. Chocolate Laceflower.
Growing Heirloom Flowers: I am branching out with more annual cut flowers grown from seed, but the backbone of my garden has always been perennial, biennials and bulbs. This book focuses on them ALL. The focus is on "pass along" plants that come true from seed and have weathered many, many years. THESE are the plants I dream about. Written by Chris McLaughlin
The Flower Workshop: Another beautiful book similar in style to Cut Flower Garden. Both dive into individual plants and both were helpful in determining which seeds I will try this year. Written by Ariella Chezar
That simple seed purchase opened the floodgates of interest for me. Cut flowers, heirloom flower seeds, open pollinated flower seeds -- I want to grow them all. So I started reading, and I found some great authors. Great gardeners who wrote great books on cut flowers, heirloom flowers, open pollinated flowers, herbs and veggies for cutting and I read them all. The librarian asked if I *really* has 98 books out. (Yes. ...but some of those are for the kids.) In any case, I narrowed the books down to my very favorites and shared on Instagram:
The New American Herbal: SO interesting. Full of facts you never knew about poisonous herbs, edible herbs, beautiful herbs that no one grows anymore. This book sold me on the charms of mignonette and I am now hunting for some good seeds or even a started flat? Written by Stephen Orr
Growing Beautiful Food: This book is absolutely gorgeous. Wonderful to hold in hand, lovely to look at, and exciting to read. If you love beautiful plants or are into edibles, you MUST seek out this book. Written by Matthew Benson
Cut Flower Garden: The book that started me down this path of cut flowers. I have devoured this book cover to cover and have also been reading everything on Erin's blog. Also, I put in a small second order of seeds from her because I had. to. have. Chocolate Laceflower.
Growing Heirloom Flowers: I am branching out with more annual cut flowers grown from seed, but the backbone of my garden has always been perennial, biennials and bulbs. This book focuses on them ALL. The focus is on "pass along" plants that come true from seed and have weathered many, many years. THESE are the plants I dream about. Written by Chris McLaughlin
The Flower Workshop: Another beautiful book similar in style to Cut Flower Garden. Both dive into individual plants and both were helpful in determining which seeds I will try this year. Written by Ariella Chezar
Now. Back to the soil and time to sow some seeds!
