Flower Bunches

John and I pour over seed catalogs beginning in September, to identify the absolutely most wonderful plants to grow for the next year's flower bunches. After his hanging baskets, flower bunches are John's most exiting product. He loves to make them colorful and unique, and he almost always adds herbs to the bunches so that they smell as well as look wonderful.

This year John hired a wonderful young woman (Stephanie) to help with the greenhouses and garden. Steph was a real weeder, and took excellent care of our cutting garden until she had to leave for college. Here are some pics:

In addition to the cutting garden, we grow glads, dahlias and sunflowers in a field setting near the pond and brook on the property. Each year it seems that one variety does much better than the others and one variety does much worse. This year, the sunflowers were strong, but the dahlias bloomed late due to a cool and wet June/July. The glads were a huge disappointment. Many turned brown before opening and it seemed only the orange and red were able to overcome the weather conditions. Of the more than 1200 bulbs John planted, only 10% were salable.

As long as the frost holds off, we will have beautiful flower bunches for sale. We have done table centerpieces for weddings and anniversary parties, and provided gorgeous, colorful arrangements for birthdays and anniversaries, to brighten a hospital or nursing home room, as well as for sellers holding open houses. Our bunches have also given to clients by our real estate agent and friend, Amy, and placed at the cemetary in honor of loved ones. We sell them in our store daily and at the farmers markets we attend in Springfield.

Orange

I recently realized that this year, I am in to Orange, (as my high school classmate, Sheri Leighton, would say) "IN A BIG WAY".

Orange is a sunny color, a summer color, a rich color. It is also excellent as an accent, but not to be used in large doses (unless freshly squeezed in a glass with a generous dose of vodka and perhaps a spash of cranberry).



Here are some ways I like to use orange.

I recently made planter boxes for our local office furniture and supply store, Whalens (http://www.whalens.com/) in Northampton. Just FYI, you won't find beautiful flowers in front of the Staples that opened in the Big Y strip mall this year. The plants in the boxes need to be able to handle some sun and some shade, and are placed on either side of the front door. This year I used a tall red coleus, the Kiwi coleus in the center (crazy/wonderful leaf shape) and orange New Guinea Impatiens. You need to visit the store to get the full effect (as well as a great deal on office supplies and furniture - tent sale this weekend), but these colors are outstanding against the tan block background, if I do say so myself.

I love tea, and searched high and low for 'killer' pots to brew our locally blended Teas (http://www.teaguys.com/) and mugs for sipping. In the meantime, I also found gorgeous plates for the sweet snacks we love to enjoy with our tea and even a poppy trivet for hot stuff or simple beauty. Orange goes with a lot of other colors, so as I said, you don't have to go crazy with the color.

Having a party or need a hostess gift? A former neighbor, Jill, stopped tonight on her way to visit a friend's home. She needed an under $1o hostess gift. I showed her the Vance Kittra candles and she chose a pear and a pair - in orange of course! The summery color!

We have a number of other items in orange, so if you are like me and digging citrus these days, stop by and see what else Hickory Dell has to offer.