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Among the Flowers – Sunflower Symphony

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A large bouquet of sunflowers in an white ironstone pitcher with painted blue flowers sits on a grey deck table. Deck furniture is in the background

Flowers are a proud assertion that a ray of beauty out values all the utilities in the world.

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

A Symphony of Sunflowers

If you have only ever seen yellow sunflowers you’d be surprised by the myriad of colors and bloom structures. I haven’t grown as many “teddy bear” or double petal varieties but those are on my list for the future. The traditional open structure is a bee magnet, and if you time planting correctly you can have blooms from mid summer through fall. The multi- stemmed varieties will also continue to produce successively smaller blooms all the way down the trunk.

A few of my favorite sunflower varieties

  • Evening Sun – a blend of different sunset hues
  • Shock-o-Lat – a two tone sunflower
  • Chianti – dark purple sunflower
  • Velvet Queen – a dark red sunflower
  • Black Beauty – a dark red almost black sunflower
  • Vanilla Ice – a white sunflower
A sunflower with a blend of yellow and organ blooms in front of a forested and leafy background
A dark red almost black sunflower blooms in front of a grass lawn and forested and leafy background
A cluster of yellow sunflower blooms with a raised bed garden and deck in the background
A red purple sunflower bloom is centered with yellow sunflower blooms and garden raised beds in the background
A red orange sunflower blooms appear in the front, a number of dark red purple and yellow sunflowers appear in the background in front of a forested area

Growing Sunflowers

Whether you grow them in raised beds, in a landscape planting, or row, keep in mind that sunflowers can benefit from some support or staking, especially when they are multistemmed and their upper blooms start going to seed. The heavy seedheads coupled with cooler/rainier fall weather can lead to bending or snapping. Here you can see them overtaking these trellises and measuring in at well over 7ft tall!

A raised bed garden with a variety of wooden garden beds, trellis, and gravel in the front, a cluster of tall sunflower plants of various colors in the back.
A raised bed garden with a variety of wooden garden beds, trellis, and gravel in the front, a cluster of tall sunflower plants with blooms reach taller than a 7ft tall trellis they are next to.

Seeds can be planted in trays in spring and transplanted out after last frost or direct sown into the soil when the risk of last frost has passed. Plant several successions from spring to mid july and you’ll have sunflowers from late summer through fall. Collect seeds when the seed heads have formed and before birds get to them. Seedlings are vulnerable to wildlife early on (rabbits, deer, groundhogs)

Sunflower starts are laying in a black tray on a gravel covered ground. Small steams and leaves are shown with exposed root balls
Layla standing next to a raised bed full of tall sunflower plants surrounded by grass and a forested background. The sunflowers are several feet taller than she is.
A hand points to the seed head of a large sunflower that droops, heavy with seeds.

From Garden to Vase

Most sunflowers are what florists refer to as messy flowers – they do shed pollen so keep that in mind when using them for arrangements. They bloom in the fall and have a much longer vase life than peonies or dahlias if harvested at the correct time.

An sunflower bloom of yellow, orange, and red is centered with leaves and garden in the background
A bouquet of sunflowers, goldenrod, and other flowers is seen in an ironstone pitcher on the center island of a kitchen. A basket of apples is in the foreground with kitchen counters and cabinet in the background.

Want to find all my favorite flowers in the garden? You can find the whole series at link below
Among the Flowers

Among the Flowers – Zesty Zinnias

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A large assortment of Zinnias of different varieties and colors is laid on a grey-colored wooden picnic table.

Zesty Zinnias

Beloved by flower lovers and pollinators, Zinnias are both beautiful and are hummingbird magnets! With a huge variety of sizes and colors to choose from, select taller varieties for a cut flower garden.

A few varieties I like:

  • candy cane/peppermint stick for stripey blooms
  • Queen Lime series – a couple variations but I particular love Queen lime blush, Queen lime red, and Queen Lime Peach
  • Zinderella peach – a pale pink/peachy blush toned variety
  • Classic Cut & Come Again blend of different bright hues

There are petite varieties to fill in containers and landscaping and cut flowers varieties , check seed package to be sure which you are getting

A hand holds an assortment of Zinnias of different varieties and colors mixed with golden rod .A grassy lawn, meadow, and wooded area are in the background
Large bouquet of flowers including zinnias, on a light grey wooden deck stairs. Outdoor furniture is in background.

Growing Zinnias

To extend the growing season get seeds started indoors and transplant out after all risk of last frost has passed. Continue cutting spent blooms throughout the season to encourage more blooms.

Blooms can benefit from some staking or support early on to prevent them from flopping over when they get full. There are some pests and diseases that affect Zinnias like powdery mildew, mine only seem to be affected later in the season or during really wet years.

Zinnias of different varieties grow in raised beds along side of house. View through bed towards grass and wooded area.
Zinnias of different varieties grow in raised beds along side of house. View towards front of house, lawn, and wooded area.
Close up of a red and yellow Zinnia bloom in a raised bed. Greenery, leaves, and other blooms are in the background.
Close up of a candy-cane Zinnia bloom in a raised bed. Greenery, leaves, and other blooms are in the background.
Close up of a yellow Zinnia bloom with red center in a raised bed. Greenery, leaves, and other blooms are in the background.
Several zinnias and a sprig of celosia lay on a grey picnic table. Garden trellis, greenery, and a wooded area are in the background
Several zinnias and a sprig of amaranth lay on a grey picnic table. Garden trellis, orchard, greenery, and a wooded area are in the background

From garden to vase

The work beautifully alongside dahlias and cosmos, I like to blend them with leafier foliage like celosia, amaranth, grasses, or fennel. They have a longer lasting vase life than most other flowers so I often clean up the bouquet and move them to a smaller vase on their own before composting them. make sure to strip lower leaves and buds to prolong vase life.

A large assortment of zinnias of different varieties and colors is laid on a grey-colored wooden picnic table.

One thing I haven’t talked about in this cut flower series is scale, the largest zinnias in my garden are the size of smaller dahlias and creating an interesting arrangement is just as important as color and texture. It gives another layer of visual interest to floral arrangements.

A hand holds an assortment of Zinnias of different varieties and colors mixed. A stone path, raised beds, and wooded area are in background
Large bouquet of zinnias, cosmos, oat grass, and other greenery in a white milk glass vase. Sets on a milk glass cake stand with basket, and milk glass stand with tomatoes. Living room with couch and windows seen in background.
A hand holds an assortment of Zinnias of different varieties and colors mixed. A grassy lawn, meadow, and wooded area are in the background
A large assortment of zinnias of different varieties and colors, cosmos, amaranth, celosia, and other flowers are laid on a grey-colored wooden picnic table.
Large bouquet of zinnias and other greenery in an ironstone pitcher sitting on a marble. Patio, green colored garden shed, and wooded area in background

If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly our whole life would change. 

– Buddha

Want to find all my favorite flowers in the garden? You can find the whole series at link below
Among the Flowers

Among the Flowers – Limelight Hydrangea Hedge

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A large bouquet of hydrangea blossoms in an ironstone pitcher, sitting on a golden wood tray on a stone top dining table. Chairs and a black painted wall with artwork is in the background

Limelight hydrangeas are beloved for their giant blooms that work in both fresh and dried arrangements. They flower so profusely that even if you cut heavily it will not affect the plant’s size at peak bloom. They start a beautiful pale green and transition to pink and cream going into fall. When dried their blooms last all through winter and even into subsequent years.

Planting and Spacing

I cannot emphasize this enough with Limelights or other large panicle hydrangeas – Plan for their mature size! It is easy to see the plant as it is now and not realize how quickly it will grow but these will be a pain to dig and move so plan accordingly. We spaced ours about 8 ft apart with the last two a few feet in from the sides of the house.

Worth noting – we did use landscape fabric under mulch when we first planted to suppress the grass but removed it and the trim in later years.

Limelight hydrangeas in plastic pots from the garden center are spaced next to the side wall of a house. Grass is in the foreground
Three Limelight hydrangeas are planted in a an in ground garden bed next to the side wall of a house. Grass is in the foreground
A view looking along the side of the house with limelight hydrangeas planted along the full wall, spaced 8 ft apart. Mulch and metal edging define the line between the garden bed and grassy lawn.
A view looking at an angle along the side of the house with limelight hydrangeas planted along the full wall. The rear of the home with rain barrel and bilco entrance can also be seen.
A view looking along the side of the house with limelight hydrangeas planted along the full wall, spaced 8 ft apart. Mulch and metal edging define the line between the garden bed and grassy lawn. A downspout crosses the bed and a small fig tree in a pot sits next to the downspout
A view looking along the side of the house with limelight hydrangeas planted along the full wall. The rear of the home with rain barrel and bilco entrance can also be seen.

Here’s how much the hedge grew between year 2 and year 4. They haven’t even reached their max size and they already reach the lower portion of windows and blend together into a hedge. Consider installing some sort of support for them as they mature the giant flower heads will flop over when wet.

A view looking at an angle along the side of the house with limelight hydrangeas planted along the full wall. Growth in the first two years is shown with the plants reaching 4-5 feet tall.
A view looking at an angle along the side of the house with limelight hydrangeas planted along the full wall. Growth in the first four years is shown with the plants reaching more than 6 feet tall and partially covering the row of windows in the side of the house. A raised garden bed with flowers is in the foreground

And finally the mature the hedge after a few years and the importance of maintaining proper spacing

A view looking at an angle along the side of the house with limelight hydrangeas planted along the full wall. Full growth is shown with the plants reaching more than 6 feet tall and partially covering the row of windows in the side of the house. With size the plants flop over from the weight. A raised garden bed with flowers is in the foreground

Garden to Vase

Adding hydrangeas to your landscaping or cutting garden also means dried hydranges blooms for wreaths, and arrangements for both indoors and out.

A large bouquet of hydrangea blossoms in an ironstone pitcher, sitting on a golden wood tray on a stone top dining table. Chairs and a black painted wall with artwork is in the background with view towards living room
A large bouquet of hydrangea blossoms in an ironstone pitcher, sitting in an ironstone basin on a marble top patio table. chairs and patio furniture surround
A large bouquet of hydrangea blossoms in an ironstone pitcher, sitting on mantle above gas fireplace. surrounded by brass candle holders with white candles and decorative ceramic pumpkins. Artwork hangs behind on a black painted wall.
A large bouquet of hydrangea blossoms in an ironstone pitcher, sitting on kitchen island cabinet, sounded by pumpkins, fruit, plants, and baskets. View faces kitchen cabinets and outside windows with view to garden.

Want to learn how to make your own dried hydrangea floral wreath: DIY – Hydrangea Wreath

Want to find all my favorite flowers in the garden? You can find the whole series at link below
Among the Flowers

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