Happy Monday, GPOD! Today we’re visiting Rachel (@bloomharvestfarm) in East Lyme, Connecticut (Zone 7). Her flower/cutting garden looks especially dramatic in these rainy-day photos. I swear I can almost smell the damp soil through the screen (hopefully you know what I mean!).
I started gardening back in the early 2000s, although I had my share of failed attempts back then (and an overpopulation of black snakes that often kept me out of them!). After relocating, I started again, and that’s when I began adding flowers to my vegetable garden and became obsessed with all things floral.
I started my cutting garden simply out of the joy it brought me, but as it grew to 1/4 acre, I knew it was time to start sharing my flowers with others. So, we started a micro flower farm in 2023. After a few years of putting a price tag on every stem, we are transitioning next year to create the potager garden I’ve always been dreaming about.
Photo of dahlias the first year I grew them in abundance. The orange dahlias are ‘American Sunset’ (Dahlia ‘American Sunset’, Zones 8–11). The pink dahlias are ‘Pink Pearl’ (Dahlia ‘Pink Pearl’, Zones 8–11).
Dahlias in the photo are ‘Chat Noir’ (Dahlia ‘Chat Noir’, Zones 8–11), the deep burgundy blooms, and ‘Creme de Cognac’ (Dahlia ‘Creme de Cognac’, Zones 8–11), the softer peach-pink flowers.
Midsummer garden—pumpkins (Cucurbita pepo, annual), celosia (Celosia cvs., annual), zinnias (Zinnia elegans, annual).
These were some of the foxgloves (Digitalis purpurea, Zones 4–9) I grew. They were so magical I grew them every year after.
Some cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus cvs., annual) in the cutting garden.
Thanks for sharing your garden with us, Rachel! It’s been quite rainy here in my Zone 6a garden, so these photos felt especially fitting this week. I’d love to know what variety of celosia you’re growing in the third photo!
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A.M. Leonard Deluxe Soil Knife & Leather Sheath Combo
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MULTITASKING DUAL EDGES: a deep serrated edge and a tapered slicing edge ideal for tough or delicate cuts. DURABLE 6-inch stainless steel blade withstands 300 lbs of pressure. TWINE CUTTING NOTCH, DEPTH GAUGE MARKINGS & spear point – no need to switch tools when using this garden knife. LEATHER SHEATH: heavy duty, protective, clip on sheath to keep your knife convenient and secure. LIFETIME WARRANTY.
Lee Valley Large Gardener’s Wash Basket
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This basket was designed to be used by gardeners to wash freshly harvested vegetables before taking them inside. You can gather your vegetables and then hose them off right in the same basket. However, you can also use it for fruit or add a cloth liner for serving bread or other baked goods. Measuring 16″ long, 11″ wide and 4″ deep, it is made of chrome-plated steel to resist rust.
D&X Garden Sprinkler
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– The Sprinkler is made of durable ABS Plastic, Base connector: Approx. 1/2″ ; Side connector: Approx. 3/4″
– 12 flexible nozzles that you can set in any direction, simply bend hoses to customize new watering patterns
– 360 degree coverage of 3000 sq. ft area
– 3.5 x 4 x 6 inches
