February and Flowers

Farm News

Flower seeds have arrived as usual to usher in February, a perfect time to think about sweet fragrances, gorgeous colors ranging from salmon to lavender and all of the astounding stories they bring out.

On our farm, we have tried and true varieties of Sunflowers, Zinnias, Nigella, Amaranth and many edible flowers. This year, in honor of the town we farm in, Carnation, we are going to add a few new varieties of this amazing dainty flower. Carnations are well known in the flower industry as Dianthus. They are filled with the sweet and spicy scent of clove taking you back in time to French gardens of perfumed heirlooms.

We will plant up the “Volcano Mix” from Johnny’s Selected Seeds, a range of colors from pure white to deep scarlet red. This organic variety requires planting 10-12 weeks before the last frost date, which for us is March 21st-March 24th being in planting zone 8b. This zone is on average hardy planting down to 15-20 degrees Fahrenheit. In order to get these sweet Carnations mature in time for summer bouquets, we will need to sow them up this week and keep them warm in the greenhouse and transplant out in the end of March. They can withstand a light frost, but will take another 90-100 days to fully flower out. This may seem like a very long time especially compared to the quick 30-day turnaround of lettuce and broccoli, but flowers always take much longer and are worth it!

We adore the cheery and romantic nature they bring to our farm and of course the incredible gift of pollination. These highly fragrant flowers are edible −a super big bonus! Other edible flowers we will be growing are Nasturtium, Calendula, Sunflowers, and Bachelor Buttons. So while the world may be focusing in on roses this Valentine’s Day, know that we have a great flower, clean and pure in its growing, that will delight and surprise in July.

Don’t forget to find us on Instagram @fullcirclefarms.
– Wendy