Flowers 101 Redux

I just received my course grade for Flowers 101 and in bold print was....F. Martha Stewart would not be pleased with my efforts and would consider it an epic failure. I guess it is a little tougher to grow flowers from microscopic seeds but alas I will give it another try maybe next year. My thumb may not be green quite yet but I am determined to achieve the coveted green thumb. Anyways, I have bigger fish to fry such as planting a Hydrangea, Peony and other already established flowers. Let's hope these don't die on me either. Pictures to come shortly.

Flowers 101

How hard would it be to grow flowers from seeds? Typically I would purchase my flowers from a local nursery or home improvement store like Home Depot and pay a premium price but there has to be a better alternative, right?

Since I am a new homeowner, I especially wanted to enhance our landscaping this spring with some colorful flowers. I've often walked past the rows of seed packets at local stores and didn't think it was actually possible or worth while to grow my own. This year I've decided to challenge myself and grow flowers from teeny tiny seeds. I think Martha Stewart would especially be proud! I mean really all the seeds need is a little dirt, sun, water, and TLC!

Starting today I planted three different types of flowers: Cosmos, Zinnias, and Poppies. The brand I decided to go with is Burpee since it had the overwhelming choice of seeds at Home Depot.

Cosmos - Attract butterflies and will be a bright mix of orange, red, and yellow. According to the package they are "easy to grow" and are great for cutting and borders. Let's hope they are "easy to grow" because they will be beautiful once they bloom. The seedlings should appear in 7-10 days.

Zinnias - Growing vigorously up to 3' tall, these will be a mix of purple and chartreuse. Apparently there is no indication on the package that these will be "easy to grow", so here is hoping. These will be perfect for beds, borders, and arrangements. The seedlings should appear in 7-10 days.

Poppies - Best known from the movie Wizard of Oz these will be a vivid red and black blotches in the center. These will be perfect in beds. The seedlings should appear in 10-20 days.

Photos courtesy of Burpee

Flowers Always in Bloom

How sweet are these flowers? I found them on Etsy today and thought that they would brighten up any room no matter the season. The seller, Studio Happy Nest, has a real knack for 3-D paper art. She has created a variety of bouquets such as roses (pictured) and daisies with more to be unveiled in the upcoming weeks. Her designs are $75.00 (plus$7.50 for shipping within the U.S.)

This is such a great idea that its given me a new project to start very soon and I can't wait to begin. Check back in the coming weeks for an update!

Photo courtesy of Studio Happy Nest