Our Top 5 Favorite Cut Flower Varieties

Discover each of our top 5 favorite cut flowers to grow in this week’s episode of the Gals Who Grow Podcast! 🌸 We’re sharing the tried-and-true blooms we come back to every season, plus exactly why we love them—from vase life and productivity to color, scent, and garden performance.

Whether you’re planning your cut flower garden, growing for bouquets, or just want more blooms all season long, this episode is packed with inspiration and practical tips to help you choose the best flowers to grow to make your cut flower garden dreams come true.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Hi, I'm Monica with Lululu the A Fields. And I'm Cassie with Coppertop Gardens. And I'm Bailey with How Home and Garden. We have been cultivating our gardens and farms for years now, but something really special was sewed when we met and began working together.

SPEAKER_03 0:14

Our shared passion for growing the best local flowers and food has made us realize the impact it's had in not only our own homes, but also in our local community.

SPEAKER_02 0:22

We are the gals who grow, and we can't wait to inspire you to grow too.

SPEAKER_00 0:29

Hello, everyone. Hello. How's that going? Mike is always so chill.

SPEAKER_01 0:37

Just chilling, hanging, drinking cappuccino. I'm just not that cool.

SPEAKER_00 0:42

I wish I was. I feel like I'm not. I'm not chill though. I'm usually the one who's over the top. I love it. It's just seven o'clock in the morning. Yeah. Good point. Good point. Look, I stayed out until nine o'clock last night. Okay. That was my old late night for me.

SPEAKER_02 1:02

Isn't that ridiculous? I literally can't be awake past 10 p.m. I last night made it till 10 p.m. in bed, but I like got in bed at nine.

SPEAKER_00 1:13

Brandon and I have been like like pushing it. I got 10 30, but that was after the time change. Oh, yeah. It's only because we were watching uh a show that we were addicted to.

SPEAKER_02 1:26

What show?

SPEAKER_00 1:26

Traitors.

SPEAKER_02 1:28

Oh I mean. Oh, the T-R-A-I-T-O-N.

SPEAKER_00 1:31

Not Traders. Traitors. Traitors. Traitors. I have never seen it. Yeah. It's good. You should check it out. Honestly, like all my friends were talking about it. I'm like, I'm finally just gonna watch this because enough people in my like circle of life have been like, I have to know what they're talking about.

SPEAKER_02 1:51

The host guy just makes me think of spy kids.

SPEAKER_00 1:54

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:55

Floops, fluglies.

SPEAKER_00 1:57

Yeah, he's not he doesn't show up that much. Really? No. I mean, he like introduces things, but yeah, it's totally worth a watch. We watched, so there's four seasons. We watched season four, which is the one that just episodes.

SPEAKER_02 2:12

Four seasons? I feel like it just started. I feel like I only just recently saw it.

SPEAKER_00 2:17

Yeah. It just so season four just wrapped up. And so now Brain and I are like, so are we gonna watch season one, two, three? But honestly, it really makes me want to go play some murder mystery. Oh. Because it's kind of it gives like murder mystery vibes.

SPEAKER_02 2:33

You're you know, you're trying to figure out who the I actually have a coworker who literally the other day I was like, What are you doing this weekend? And he was like, uh, we're playing, and I forget the name of what he said. He was like, it it was essentially a game of of like mafia. You remember the mafia game? Yeah, but you do it while you're walking around in like in a dark basement. I was like, no, thanks. I mean, this isn't a young coworker either. So I was like, wow, okay, cool. Because I'm sort of jelly. It's like I don't think I have any friends who would play it with me. Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_00 3:09

But those things are those games are fun. They really right takes me back, takes me back to my high school days.

SPEAKER_02 3:17

I would I would play that. I would basement. Anybody want to play um Mafia moving around mafia?

SPEAKER_00 3:29

I mean, yeah, we can do it. We'll we'll gather.

SPEAKER_03 3:32

We're building a team, people. So just keep an eye out for it, okay? We're trying to find other hobbies outside of building a team.

SPEAKER_02 3:42

I'm great at finding things in the dark, by the way.

SPEAKER_03 3:46

Her facial expression when she said that was a little concerning.

SPEAKER_00 3:53

Okay, let's be real. We have no time for the morning at seven in the morning. Yeah, we're in the thick of March madness, which takes on a whole new meaning when you are gardeners. Yes. Yep. Yes. 100%.

SPEAKER_03 4:08

So this one will be airing when? The week after St. Patrick's Saint Patrick's Day. Yes. This should be March 26th today, which is a significant date for people who like to plant things because last week was a big day for everyone to throw out a bunch of seeds. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 4:26

If you didn't throw them out before that, because I have thrown out a lot already.

SPEAKER_03 4:32

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 4:32

But the 17th is a good date. So if you didn't do it, do it now.

SPEAKER_02 4:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 4:37

Yeah. I always kind of go around St. Patrick's Day, like uh is when I start my hot annual season inside.

SPEAKER_03 4:45

There's always like usually a holiday, right? Around that can like mentally mark when you're supposed to do the things. Yes. Like St.

SPEAKER_00 4:52

Patrick's seeds. Late Mother's Day is when you should plant out. If you're conservative. Yes. Um then Labor Day is when you should be.

SPEAKER_02 5:02

Mother's Day is way too late. I can't. You can't wait that long.

SPEAKER_00 5:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 5:06

Fourth of July is starting fall seeds. Oh, Fourth of July is starting fall seeds. Then Labor Day you plant them out. Or direct so right.

SPEAKER_00 5:14

Yeah, direct so Labor Day. Yep. My birthday is when you should have all the things planted in the ground.

SPEAKER_03 5:20

Another very great holiday.

SPEAKER_00 5:22

Holiday we all celebrate. Microcalendars. No, for real. It's always like, it's my birthday weekend and these better be in the ground. And I'm done with the birthday.

SPEAKER_03 5:34

Can I put me or am I stressed?

SPEAKER_00 5:38

Oh, the last three years I've been stressed.

SPEAKER_02 5:41

Yeah. So I mean, today I guess the topic that we're going to be talking about is fitting for all of these dates, basically, because some of these are started at different times.

SPEAKER_03 5:51

Yep. Yep.

SPEAKER_02 5:52

And today we're talking about our favorite cut flowers.

SPEAKER_00 5:56

So maybe we can mention when we would start them.

SPEAKER_02 5:59

Yeah. Yeah. When we're starting them in the time of year or from tuber or root or, you know, whatever. Yeah, let's do that. What the best thing, yeah, how we would start them.

unknown 6:08

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 6:09

For sure.

SPEAKER_02 6:10

And when they when they bloom?

SPEAKER_00 6:11

Yeah. Yep. Oh, for sure. Yep.

SPEAKER_02 6:13

Okay. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 6:13

So who wants to start us off?

SPEAKER_02 6:15

Not me.

SPEAKER_00 6:16

Robin. I have a list. I'll do it. Oh, Cassie's always so organized, you guys. She's literally the one who's my best. I made this list when you were in the bathroom three minutes ago. Okay. I'm organizing.

SPEAKER_03 6:32

I have half a list. I'm riffing it off the top of my head. I'm a master procrastinator. Yeah. And I get it done.

SPEAKER_02 6:40

I definitely I wrote I started mine last night, but I started them in my head.

SPEAKER_03 6:44

So all right. I think I'm gonna go backwards on my list because my cool stuff is at the bottom. But it's not in that order. Okay. So first, Renunculus is my probably all-time favorite. So pretty. Um I start those in February to plant out mid-February outside. I pulled up to Bailey and I saw hers and her little tunnel out there looking so cute.

SPEAKER_02 7:13

I haven't even checked on them recently. I need to I need to open them probably today, right? Because it's gonna be 70. Yes. Yeah. For show.

SPEAKER_03 7:20

Um, so yeah, you buy those as quorms, start them. They're they like cool, and here in Indiana, they're gonna not bloom if it gets above 80 for too long. So definitely might be too late now, but put it on your list for next year.

SPEAKER_02 7:36

Yeah. February 2027 is your year. Year of the Rununculus.

SPEAKER_03 7:42

It's not mine. So next would be peony. So beautiful. That was on my list. Our state flower. I feel like it should be on everybody's list.

SPEAKER_02 7:53

I know. Especially because I mean, they're you can get pretty much any color.

SPEAKER_01 7:58

Any color. Any shape.

SPEAKER_02 8:00

Like flower shapes. I mean, not any color. There's not like cool colored ones, but like pink, yellow, white. Multi. Yeah. Yeah. And there's like corally ones. There's like a good the red ones. There's a good range.

SPEAKER_00 8:19

Yet to see an orange. There's no orange. No blue.

SPEAKER_02 8:22

Corally is really the closest it gets.

SPEAKER_03 8:24

And the smell is just man. I again I did a comparison last year between like the peony smell, Sarah Bernhardt in particular, because beautiful smell. And a rose. And I still couldn't decide which one was my favorite.

SPEAKER_02 8:39

Yeah. I would say so close. Someday I really want to own pastelegance. But it's so expensive that I can't keep looking.

SPEAKER_03 8:46

Is this a peony?

SPEAKER_02 8:47

Have you not seen it? No.

SPEAKER_03 8:49

It's like buff colored.

SPEAKER_02 8:50

Oh, it's so pretty. We'll we'll post a photo of it on our Instagram story.

SPEAKER_03 8:56

But a yeah, it's very expensive. Pastelegance. But that's the that's a great one. It's very expensive. It's a perennial, so this one is a one-time buy. You plant it in the fall, and then it may take a couple years to bloom, but it might not. Um, when you're buying that one, you want to look for as many eyes as possible. That way it starts blooming sooner.

SPEAKER_02 9:16

Although I have bought some from Lowe's. Yes. And it's just you have to be in for the long haul. And I now have them in my back garden and they bloom profusely every year, and they are great. I love that. And I it just took three years, you know? But the they are out there and they have multiple blooms on them every year.

SPEAKER_03 9:39

So like if you're willing to be patient and just buy the cheap ones from the store, you may get lucky and have a great plant. It's awesome.

SPEAKER_02 9:46

I would say definitely make sure you take care of them if you buy them in a box. Like just get them in the ground. Don't let them.

SPEAKER_03 9:53

They're actually very hardy. Like they can take some cold. In fact, they prefer some cold in the winter. Um and I've started to see mine popping up already. So super exciting. Um, it's unreal.

SPEAKER_00 10:07

I I looked up past, yeah. And I'm like, okay, how can I tuck my husband into buying into buying a root that's uh what a hundred? 200 Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_02 10:17

I should have bought it when I saw it for 150. Right.

SPEAKER_00 10:19

Oh my gosh.$200. And you know, I'm like crazy. So what would that mean a per stem would be ridiculous.

SPEAKER_03 10:27

Insane. You're not buying it for that. No one, yeah, no. I don't think you would sell it to Florists. There's no florist would buy that.

SPEAKER_00 10:32

They would they would have to be a like$30.

SPEAKER_02 10:35

It's for your own enjoyment in your garden, is what it is. Until until you are able to make your own like divide. Yeah. That that's the long game. The long game. I know.

SPEAKER_03 10:50

But they do make fantastic.

SPEAKER_02 10:52

But like, how wild is that? Like, it's that much for one root, like it would take years.

SPEAKER_00 11:00

Years, years, years to that point. I think someone would buy that. Sorry, we're getting off topic. Someone would buy that to have the genetics to cross pollinate. Yeah. Yes. Yeah, yeah. To create their own. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 11:12

But I just think it's so beautiful, and I'm like, mmm.

SPEAKER_00 11:15

Yeah, I kind of just want to take a bite out of it. I know.

SPEAKER_03 11:18

Um, my last three are all warm season flowers, and I'm just gonna list them all together because they're kind of can treat them the same. Um I'm dying to hear these. Sort of. They're those so simple. I haven't started them yet. Sunflowers because I have children and they're just they're really fast, you don't have to wait very long for the bloom, and then they have fun with the seeds after. It's just like an all-around good interactive. So they eat the seeds. Um, we haven't yet, but they just love like popping them off when they're it's just really fun. Um Xenia, I love them. They're just such a classic. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Such a classic, but they're just so like easy and impressive. Yeah, there's so many different colors.

SPEAKER_02 12:04

Yes. Yeah. If you are doing your own cut flower garden, if you're not growing zinnias, you're missing out. You're missing out. It's so easy.

SPEAKER_00 12:11

It's like I feel like that's the gateway drug. It is.

SPEAKER_02 12:14

Oh, 100%. I actually was thinking about it the other day. I think it's the reason I started growing flowers for cut. Because I had a they're a cut patch.

SPEAKER_03 12:22

Cut and come again, like tried and true. Yeah. They will just keep on coming back. Yep. And they're beautiful. They're just beautiful. And the pollinators love them. If you have like a random patch in your yard and you don't know what to do and you don't know anything about perennials, sprinkle some of those. Yep. And for the whole year, they're gonna be beautiful. Um, and lastly, dahlias, because duh.

SPEAKER_02 12:45

They're so pretty. Yeah, they actually didn't make my list, but that's just because I don't have great luck with them.

SPEAKER_03 12:50

I don't either, but I do really love them.

SPEAKER_02 12:53

I see them in in Monica's yard and I'm like, wow.

SPEAKER_03 12:56

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 12:57

Oh, so these flowers can bloom a lot just because of the work that they do.

SPEAKER_03 13:01

Full disclosure, I'm just gonna find a few tubers this year, and I'm just gonna plant them in the ground like I haven't done in years, and I'm just gonna leave them alone. I actually bought some from uh and it's probably gonna work out way better than when I've actually put a lot of effort into it.

SPEAKER_02 13:15

So I I don't know. I'm probably gonna have to dig mine up at the end of the year because where I have planned for them is sort of a wet winter area, but I bought some locally from Flying Dirt, so I'm going to Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 13:26

And again, plant those thousands of varieties.

SPEAKER_00 13:30

I haven't bought any this year.

SPEAKER_03 13:31

None?

SPEAKER_00 13:32

No, but I need to put all those. Do you have some? Yeah, I have my are they all in the ground last year. No, you don't. No, I dug everything up this year. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 13:40

They're of course fun because you can save them year after year if you want. Um, yeah. You can do so much with them.

SPEAKER_02 13:47

I get they're like a focal flower. You really should have them if you do cut flowers. If you can.

SPEAKER_03 13:53

Or if you just I mean, literally, if you just want to grow flowers.

SPEAKER_02 13:56

I I struggle with them and I'm gonna try. I think they don't love raised beds, I will say that.

SPEAKER_03 14:01

I I agree because every time every year I've planted them the first year I did not do raised beds and they did really well. Yeah. Every time after I did raised beds, and I never had to be able to do that.

SPEAKER_02 14:12

I should say my seedling my seedling dahlias did well in my raised beds. So I'm probably gonna do my seedlings in the raised bed and then my tubers in the ground.

SPEAKER_03 14:22

I will say, important note, because we have run into this in the past uh if you are getting dahlias and you want to use them for cut flowers, make sure they're the cut flower height and not to the dwarf variety. You made that mistake. Yes. So most cut flower dahlias are gonna be like three feet and up. Yep. They get tall, some of them. Yeah, yeah. So definitely definitely back of your garden bed. Yes, use a support system.

SPEAKER_00 14:50

We might have to do a dahlia episode where it's like this is how you get a tall dahlia. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 14:55

Because there are tricks. There are tricks and there's a science, and you do have to do a few things early in the season. Good point. So we will do that later.

SPEAKER_00 15:02

But those are my five. Okay. I like I like that you brought up sunflowers because there are there are so many different new varieties out there. You don't have to just grow the classic. I love a branching sunflower. Yeah, branching. I like the gr I'm growing the green ones this year. Oh, no. I love the green ones. With the center that like does it not have petals, technically. It will eventually, but you cut it before. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You cut it when it's it's almost like the outside grows its own pretty bloom.

SPEAKER_03 15:35

I forget what the what are those called again? Um sun-filled. Yes. I think. And there's another one. We'll put up a picture of those too because if you've never seen them before, they're pretty wild. Yeah, they're so filled.

SPEAKER_00 15:44

But they're cool, it's a great filler. And the other thing is um you don't have to I think everyone thinks, oh, sunflower, you have to grow a giant sunflower. If you plant them close together, they will be like a normal bloom size. Yeah. And they're so fun.

SPEAKER_03 15:59

They're cute, like market bouquets that you see. And there are colors now that are, you know, an elevated version of your classic yellow. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 16:08

I love the classic yellow, but I'm gonna be honest with you guys, I don't really love sunflowers. That's fine.

SPEAKER_02 16:14

That's fine. I am going to grow some because I do like the look of them. I just I have never ever looked at a big bouquet of them and been like, I have to have that.

SPEAKER_03 16:26

I think just like a straight bouquet of them, same. Yeah. Like it's a little too much of a good thing, but sprinkled in, people love it. Like other people love it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay. So I don't know. But also, I think just a big, you know, giant backdrop of sunflowers is just like a quintessential garden granny, and I love it.

SPEAKER_00 16:50

Yeah. Yeah. I do I if yeah, cut flowers is right, and not about if for you're doing it for sale. Yeah. It's a staple. Yeah, yeah. I got them.

SPEAKER_03 17:01

When I had my flower stand, like it would sit back from the road, right? I know. And the pe that's what people would say. They're like, we stopped because we could see the sunflowers from the road.

SPEAKER_02 17:11

Okay, okay, I've got 'em. I bought the seeds. You don't have to sell it to me. I'm gonna do it.

SPEAKER_03 17:16

Well, they rope them, you just remember to toss those seeds out when the soil's warm.

SPEAKER_02 17:22

They just aren't like they aren't as much of a flower to me as everything else. For for me, they feel like I think part of it is they don't have a scent. What are they? A vegetable?

SPEAKER_00 17:32

They kind of odd. They do.

SPEAKER_02 17:33

They are food. Exactly. I'm like, in in my mind, they're like bird food, you know?

SPEAKER_03 17:38

Oh which is great. But yeah.

SPEAKER_02 17:40

Except the varieties we're growing are not bird food.

SPEAKER_03 17:42

They don't barely have any seed and they don't look like it's a pretty I think for like a flower stand or market bouquet, it's a pretty foolproof, easy way to grow a um statement flower. Yeah. Because you don't do anything to it except make sure you harvest it at the right time.

SPEAKER_02 18:03

I mean the the arrangement I'm thinking of in particular that's in one of Florette's books, uh, the like Van Gogh style one. She has like sunflowers and like Rebecca together, and I I think it was beautiful.

SPEAKER_00 18:18

I don't like that arrangement that much. I know which one you're talking about. You don't like it, the Van Gogh one? I think I think it's cool.

SPEAKER_02 18:28

It's too rustic for me. Just like, ew, girls.

SPEAKER_00 18:33

Sorry.

SPEAKER_02 18:34

I think it's beautiful. I just I like I have never I think I'm thinking of the right one.

SPEAKER_03 18:40

They're just yeah.

SPEAKER_00 18:41

We have that book on hand. We'll post a picture of it. We'll do a picture of it and do a poll. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 18:47

We should do a poll up and see what people think. Do you like it? Watch it be like 90 people being like, I love sunflowers.

SPEAKER_00 18:54

Like, shut up, Bailey. No, like for disliking sunflowers, they're getting a lot of trap time, right?

SPEAKER_03 19:01

Can you can you please tell us, do you like sunflowers? Yeah. Like we need to know.

SPEAKER_02 19:05

Yeah. Just curious.

SPEAKER_03 19:07

Okay, so I'll get to do their list. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 19:09

Mona, are you ready? You want me to do more? No, you go first. Okay. So one of mine, which uh I think at this point, if March 26th, you you might be able to still start them. Yeah, you should be able to start one of the ones that can bloom in hotter weather, like a Potomac series or something. Um, Snapdragons. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 19:27

Oh, oh, I forgot about Snapdragons.

SPEAKER_02 19:29

Snapdragons are one of the like most pretty. They bloom multiple times. You can cut and you'll get more stems. They will like at a certain point in time get thinner and shorter.

SPEAKER_00 19:40

They smell so good.

SPEAKER_02 19:42

They smell good. They smell good.

SPEAKER_00 19:44

They smell like bubblegum.

SPEAKER_02 19:46

I also love the coloring on them. Like I think that like a lot of them, even if they're just a single color, they the color is almost like um what's the what's the word I want to say? Like it goes from like a a light to a dark in the same. Yeah. Yes. It's like all of the petals are ombre a little bit, and it's it might go from like orange to pink or red to pink, or you know, there's it's got a good mix of colors. Oh yeah. I saw those. The Snapstar. I I literally saw those on the side.

SPEAKER_00 20:18

What kind is it? The Snapstar. Snapstar champagne. Oh, let me see. We'll post that. They're unreal, they're brand new. Uh they're out of stock unless you want to buy a thousand seats for$21.

SPEAKER_02 20:28

I was literally okay. I would actually do it with you because I looked at that and was like.

SPEAKER_00 20:31

Are those like a butterfly one? They're I think they're well, I thought they were Madam's. Yeah, they sort of look like Oh, this is a little bit off topic, but I didn't know Madam Butterfly was a play. Oh, you didn't? No. Neither did I. What?

unknown 20:47

No.

SPEAKER_00 20:47

They did it at the closing ceremonies at the Olympic. Oh my god. And we're playing the song, and Brandon was like, is this Madam Butterfly? And I was like, okay, Brandon. Right? So cultured. And I was like, are you talking about smoking pockets? I was like, are you looking at my seat packets? I had no idea. Like, well, yes.

SPEAKER_02 21:12

Yeah, so those ones are beautiful. I saw them this week. So yeah, I would go in with you.

SPEAKER_00 21:19

I'll pay the$15 shipping for the$20 pack. The saddest part of it.

SPEAKER_03 21:24

I am noting down everything we mentioned so that we can actually take share pictures of it.

SPEAKER_02 21:28

We'll share photos of it.

SPEAKER_00 21:29

Again, Cassie is so organized. I didn't do. Oh, you didn't? Oh, you're good.

SPEAKER_02 21:33

I'm doing it as well. Worse. I'm just over here. Monica's like looking at her seed pack. I saw this one this week. Um, okay. Next one that I like. Um, I would say Columbine.

SPEAKER_01 21:48

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 21:49

So I got it on my list. Columbine from seed. And this is, I would, I would highly recommend starting from seed. You can buy it as plants, but you don't have to, and you really don't need to. I would start it in the fall. So this fall you'll start your seeds. They're perennial, perennial, perennial. They live.

SPEAKER_03 22:05

Do you just put them outside or do you start them in?

SPEAKER_02 22:08

I've started some directly outside. I've started some inside. I've and they work both ways. I have ones that I started inside and transplanted out. I've had like I get better numbers that way, right? If I transplant them out. But if I direct sow if I don't have time, I get some.

SPEAKER_00 22:24

I've never direct sowed them before.

SPEAKER_02 22:26

Yeah, I've I've gotten them all different ways.

SPEAKER_00 22:28

Is the germination rate really poor after so long? Have you noticed that? Like have you planted old seed? I've planted old seed and I get I painted it in that soil and it's like not I have three that have germinated. But it's old seed.

SPEAKER_02 22:42

It does take time. It does take time.

SPEAKER_00 22:44

I think I might take it all out and like scatter it. Yeah. Yeah, do that. I got a channel.

SPEAKER_02 22:50

And they can take they can take a while to germinate, really. Like a while.

SPEAKER_03 22:55

Kind of like um violas kind of. Like a little hard to germinate. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 23:01

They take some time, but they've they're all different colors. I love the McKenna's Giants, they're like the great cut flower varieties. I have like 40 packs, and I sew one a year. And uh I I just keep growing my stock of them because I love them so much.

SPEAKER_03 23:20

But when we take when we've taken those flowers out places, that's what stops people. Yeah, people are always stopped by them.

SPEAKER_02 23:26

What are those? Yeah. And I I I just love them. The ones that I grow the most are like the the Mechanics Giants, and they end up being like yellow on yellow, or like I have some peach and yellow ones. I also grew the like fancy like granny's bonnet ones. Um or what is it, like ladies' dress or whatever. Yeah, that one's very cool. It is cool, it's really short though, which is the bummer part. But it is a very cool flower. We can post a photo of that one. I forget.

SPEAKER_00 23:53

Ladies' dress.

SPEAKER_02 23:54

Ladies, is it ladies' dress? It's the Johnny's uh pink with the white ruffles. Um so yeah, that that one is one that you can start from seed. It comes back every year. Shade loving, partial shade.

SPEAKER_00 24:10

And it's one of the first ones to bloom. It's it's like early May.

SPEAKER_02 24:15

Um, even before that. I get them in April.

SPEAKER_00 24:17

Yep. Do you? Yep. Are they up against your house? Are they close to your house?

SPEAKER_02 24:22

Um it's pink petticoat, is the variety that I'm thinking of.

SPEAKER_00 24:25

Actually, it is in April because we brought them to that market.

SPEAKER_02 24:28

Actually, they're at the very end. When I when we take them to the peony festival, they're at the very end of their life. Yep. Um, but yeah, that is one that I would highly recommend. They get very tall, they're great for cuts. They last a long time at a bouquet, which you wouldn't expect from how dainty they are. So yeah.

SPEAKER_00 24:44

Yeah, they're just very bouncy and interesting. They add like the um airy, the airy look that you want. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 24:52

Um, and then I have uh daffodils on my list just because they're on my mind right now. I love them as just straight daffodil bunches. I think they're like one of the most happy, and there's all different colors. We've talked about this in the few.

SPEAKER_00 25:08

They make me so happy in the fall.

SPEAKER_02 25:10

Yeah. Plant them in the fall.

SPEAKER_00 25:11

Talk about easy. They smell so good.

SPEAKER_02 25:14

Come back every year. Yeah. Come back every year. And they like, I what I think people don't realize is like they don't all bloom at the same time. Like I've had I've had one variety already go over in my yard. I have a second that's about to. And the ones that are closer to my house go over faster because of the heat from our house. So like I get a wave as you get further out from the house, I get more. I have w tall white ones that are coming up in the back. I have um like a one called British Gamble that I love that's coming up and it'll bloom later.

SPEAKER_00 25:48

I have my like really cut flower varieties like the variety that blooms at the end that smells like chocolate.

SPEAKER_02 25:54

Obdum or no gate taper. Yes. Yep. That one is so.

SPEAKER_00 25:59

He brought to the market last year. Unreal. I know. So those ones you can so good.

SPEAKER_02 26:04

All of these ones bloom at different times, and they are just they're perennial, you don't have to do anything to them. They're so worth it. So worth it for a cut flower. Um, and then uh I have Silogia on my list. I love Silogia. And that's just because it's cut and come again, and it it's a really good like uh accent flower. So you can if you have different color focals, you can match a Silogia of all different colors, and it changes the look of a bouquet or arrangement easily. They're so shimmery too. Yes, there's oh there's so many pretty ones, like the dusty rose one from that's the one I'm gonna grow this year. Majority is the dusty rose from Florette. Yeah. I've spent my life savings on it.

SPEAKER_00 26:50

So you do you like the more feathered ones, not the not like the large eye ones?

SPEAKER_02 26:56

The fan-shaped ones.

SPEAKER_00 26:58

Oh, okay. I think they're cool.

SPEAKER_02 27:00

I love the like ribbony-y.

SPEAKER_03 27:02

They are cool. I like both because the the ruffly ones fill a lot more space. Yeah. But the fan ones are like really unique looking, and people are like, whoa. These are my favorite. Oh.

SPEAKER_02 27:14

The brains.

SPEAKER_00 27:16

This is this is my gateway drawing.

SPEAKER_02 27:18

Okay, we'll we'll post some different color or different types of salogia on there too.

SPEAKER_00 27:22

Yeah. There's like three different types of things.

SPEAKER_02 27:24

I'd have to make a post today on this week's episode, just to like do all of our different favorite ones.

SPEAKER_00 27:30

There's a lot to cover.

SPEAKER_02 27:31

Um, and then uh the last one I had, which is super sad because I don't think I'm gonna have it this year, is Nigella.

SPEAKER_00 27:40

Oh, that is a really good one. They ate it.

SPEAKER_02 27:43

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 27:43

I love Nigella too.

SPEAKER_02 27:45

I love Nigella. I think they're so beautiful as a flower, but the the one downfall is the flower is not long-lasting. Like it is out there, and if you don't cut it in time, it's gone.

SPEAKER_00 27:56

But you have to cut it before it even opens.

SPEAKER_02 27:58

The redeeming part is that you can cut it as a pod and put it into arrangements. Yeah, and so therefore. That albine white. Yeah, that's the one that got eaten, Monica. Thank you for bringing it up.

SPEAKER_00 28:14

Plant some new seed. I planted some this week.

SPEAKER_02 28:17

I thought about it. I I just moved some rose bushes out back, so I thought about like sprinkling Nigella around them because I thought that would be sort of pretty. We'll see. I'm just I I'm I think I'll be disappointed in the uh height of them. Because when you plant in the fall, it's so much taller. But maybe I will. Maybe I will right before the snow.

SPEAKER_00 28:40

Uh-huh. Maybe I could maybe work. I cannot believe we're getting snow.

SPEAKER_02 28:45

But yeah, so that was my last one. And that Nigella's cool, there's all different colors, not all different colors.

SPEAKER_00 28:53

That I really like.

SPEAKER_02 28:54

I love the blue flower. I think it's such a rare flower.

SPEAKER_00 28:59

It's a rare blue.

SPEAKER_02 29:00

Yes, it's a rare blue. It's a rare blue. Like the and the I think the shape of them is really neat. They're sort of alien-esque. So yeah, that's the one. That's why I put that one.

SPEAKER_03 29:12

It's very interesting. Like if it's in a bouquet, you're like, what is that? Yeah, you don't really see it that often. It's not very common.

SPEAKER_02 29:18

And then the seed pod is that's the reason I put it in there, is because and then you can also dry the pod and put it into wreaths and things like that and save your own seed for the next year.

SPEAKER_00 29:28

And that's really a multifunctional flower.

SPEAKER_02 29:30

Yes, that's why it's a short life for a bloom, but the life of the plant for your like for cut flowers is well worth it for that reason.

SPEAKER_00 29:41

Yep. Agreed. So if you can't sell it fresh, you could sell it. Sell it dry for sure.

SPEAKER_02 29:46

And it's it's like sort of striped, it's very cool looking. You can put it into wreaths in the fall, and it would be really cool.

SPEAKER_00 29:53

Noting it down.

SPEAKER_02 29:54

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 29:56

Oh, all right.

SPEAKER_02 29:57

Yeah, you have no more time, so you you gotta say I got him.

SPEAKER_00 30:02

I got 'em. All right, hit it. Um, well, I have to preface with every time something new blooms in my garden, it is my favorite flower because it is blooming.

SPEAKER_02 30:12

So it's only the spring flowers that Monica's gonna say right now.

SPEAKER_00 30:15

So no. So, yes, this week I did think, gosh, dovetails are my favorite. Oh yeah, yeah. I know. But um, okay, so this is definitely a favorite because I feel like it's just it brings back a memory of just like figuring something out. It is like such a success story, and that's Larkspur. Yeah. Because I have tried and tried and tried, and finally was like, Rhonda, please help me. I'm going to quit everything I've been doing. Help me round. If you don't bless that woman, shout out to Rhonda. Rhonda, Flygirl Flowers, Fly Girl Flowers. Fly Girl Flowers. Follow her, please do.

SPEAKER_02 30:59

Yeah, she she helped all of us. She's an angel. Yep.

SPEAKER_00 31:03

Um, so Lark Spur is just that's a personal reason why I love it. But also, I just feel like it's so beautiful along a fence line, and then obviously in arrangements, it's just dried dried is unreal.

SPEAKER_02 31:17

It is, it keeps actually color. It's I've made so many wreaths out of it.

SPEAKER_03 31:22

I would consider Lark Spur to be a showstopper. It really is.

SPEAKER_00 31:26

It's a line flower, but it is definitely a showstopper.

SPEAKER_02 31:30

As in, like, it's the shape of a line. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 31:34

Well, like, okay, so if you've taken any design classes, it's a it is dirty, quote quote, line flower.

SPEAKER_02 31:42

I just was ready for people to be like, a line flower. Line flower.

SPEAKER_00 31:46

So like snapdragons are a lineflower. Stalk would be a lineflower. Also called stalkes.

SPEAKER_02 31:53

Stalk always seems very like very sort of ball-shaped for the lineflower stalk. Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 32:03

They're tall. Yeah. So larksbury.

SPEAKER_03 32:05

Monica is very good at growing larksbury.

SPEAKER_00 32:07

Like it's always last year. I haven't been on it. Last year, I guess maybe possibly it had something to do with having a baby the four when I should have been planting it.

SPEAKER_02 32:18

Why didn't you have any?

SPEAKER_00 32:20

I was nine months pregnant when I should have been planting it. How dare you hear that as an excuse? Postpartum. And then this year I just I don't know. Busy. But um, yeah, so larks were you need to plant in the fall. Plant direct so in like around Labor Day. Um, and then the next one is Agrostema. Oh yes. Agrestema is like a very pretty, it comes in pink, but it's also white.

SPEAKER_02 32:45

Like very I have never grown it.

SPEAKER_00 32:48

Flowy and fun.

SPEAKER_02 32:51

Her face just went. Or called corncockle.

SPEAKER_00 32:57

And some people are afraid to grow it because it is poisonous. But that's not the reason.

SPEAKER_02 33:02

I've just heard it's tough.

SPEAKER_00 33:03

Some um buddy posted this week. Uh I saw a farmer be like, or a wedding designer, say, Oh, you're gonna put something in my bouquet? Isn't that poisonous? And she was like, You're not gonna eat your bouquet, are you? Also, I feel like you have to eat like large quantities of these poisonous.

SPEAKER_02 33:22

Okay, let's not test it though. I mean, any don't consume Don't consume any of these flowers. Don't consume don't consume any of these. No. Unless we're like, these are edible.

unknown 33:34

Right.

SPEAKER_02 33:35

You should eat your sunflower seeds.

SPEAKER_03 33:37

But like good practice, if you don't normally eat flowers, like maybe don't start.

SPEAKER_02 33:41

Although just Snapdragons you can.

SPEAKER_00 33:45

I think you can. I would be sad because they smell sweet and they probably don't taste sweet. No. Wait, let me check this. They're actually peppery tasting, I think. Are snapdragons? I think that's what I've heard too. That they're peppery. I think it's just the petals, right? That are peppery petals. I'm definitely I mean, I guess if I needed nutrients, I could.

SPEAKER_02 34:06

Yeah, Snapdragon flowers are edible. I was like, oh my gosh, did I just kill a bunch of people? Don't eat anything. Don't eat any flowers. We don't know. We're not we're not experts on edible flowers yet.

SPEAKER_03 34:17

I don't sit back at my house and eat flowers, okay?

SPEAKER_02 34:20

I just don't. Although Snapdragon flowers in salads, I have to. I've seen it on Boridge, though. Yeah, Borage bomb.

SPEAKER_00 34:27

Okay, that Borage did not make my list.

SPEAKER_02 34:30

It didn't make my list either because it's too fuzzy. It it's spiky, but it is really pretty. It's a good garden companion, though. It is a garden flower. Yeah, good garden companion, yeah. Um and it's that rare blue again.

SPEAKER_00 34:42

So across semi, you can plant probably in the fall, maybe, but I plant mine early. Like early season. Do you plant from seed? Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 34:52

Really?

SPEAKER_00 34:54

Drexo only. Nice.

SPEAKER_03 34:56

Nice, nice, nice. Yeah. Bailey's added to her list.

SPEAKER_02 34:59

No, I'm not. I'm not. I'll wait one more year.

SPEAKER_00 35:04

Why? Just put it on this Johnny's order with these snacks. Look at me. I'm like, why are you waiting to grow?

SPEAKER_02 35:14

Life starts now. Do not say that.

SPEAKER_00 35:16

Everybody go buy a packet.

SPEAKER_02 35:19

I just yeah, they just I've heard they're tough to grow. Are they not? Not at all.

SPEAKER_00 35:24

I mean, yeah, they're real tough. No one else tried to grow them.

SPEAKER_02 35:29

Yeah, they're super, super tough. So only buy them from Monica.

SPEAKER_00 35:32

I think a lot of things that are quote unquote tough to grow are things that you need to just let go and let Mother Nature do. Her thing. It's the cool flower thing. Stuff you try and don't stress about it. Just interesting. Let Mother Nature take over.

SPEAKER_02 35:46

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 35:47

And try and keep a dog out of your beds because Tilly did dig up. I planted them and then she got into my raised bed and has been digging in the raised beds because of the horse jet that's in there. Oops. She's a poop eater. She's a poop poop. Literally. She's one of those. She's one of those poop eaters. Telly's my dog.

SPEAKER_02 36:16

It's your neighbor.

SPEAKER_00 36:17

It's a neighbor.

SPEAKER_03 36:19

I'm just kidding. It's really a dog.

SPEAKER_02 36:21

Like, what if it was your neighbor?

SPEAKER_03 36:24

Like, no. Girls.

SPEAKER_02 36:26

Get out of the bed. Somebody thought you were talking about a neighbor, like, until he got in again.

SPEAKER_00 36:34

She didn't know the bed again. What is what is her breed again? She is a mutt through and through. But um we thought she was, they told us she was um Irish Wolfhound. Irish Wolfhound poodle mix. Okay. And she is definitely so Irish Hound is like a also a mix. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 36:56

I was gonna say I definitely see that in her.

SPEAKER_00 36:59

Yeah, a Mastiff is part of the Irish Hound. There's a whole like history on it. So her number one was Mastiff. Oh and then the next was like lab retriever and I don't really know. Did you get her like tested? Yeah, she got tested. Oh nice. Yeah. Um or we sent in some of her saliva. Um and yeah, but she's like, she's very retriever. You can just tell the way she like brings stuff to you and she's so cute. She retrieves she retrieves real well. She's a really good dog. Um, but she did, she's just a naughty, like she does naughty puppy things. She's a puppy, yeah. Like eats poop, and then yesterday she, while we were running the sprinkler, ate a hole in the brand new hose that we got. Oh god. So we're gonna have to patch that.

SPEAKER_04 37:52

Oh Dilly!

SPEAKER_00 37:55

That dang neighbor. Okay, anyways. Next, after that, uh, definitely love Tweedia. And I am so ashamed of myself, and I'm hoping to come across some plugs, but I did not plant any this year. Oh my god!

SPEAKER_02 38:25

Tweedia, has it already it already needs to be planted?

SPEAKER_00 38:28

Yeah, you need to plant it kind of early. Shoot!

SPEAKER_02 38:30

Okay, well, I guess I'm getting a seed packet out like what now? Direct sew?

SPEAKER_00 38:34

Um, I've never direct sewed it before, but you could try.

SPEAKER_02 38:38

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 38:38

I mean, why not?

SPEAKER_02 38:39

Yeah, I will.

SPEAKER_00 38:40

We can do a little experiment.

SPEAKER_02 38:42

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 38:42

The seed is not easy to come by though.

SPEAKER_02 38:44

I have it. I got it from Baker's Creek.

SPEAKER_00 38:46

Yeah. But like Johnny's doesn't sell it. Really? Weird. That's it. I don't know why. It's a milk I think it's a milkweed. It's in the I feel like we've talked about that.

SPEAKER_02 38:56

Yeah, isn't it not in the family? I think we actually realized that it's a big thing. It's not actually in the family.

SPEAKER_00 39:00

But it's not necessarily a milky sap like milkweed. Maybe it's a distant relative. Yeah, it grows very similar. Um, but yeah, it's just the perfect blue.

SPEAKER_02 39:13

It's the perfect blue, and I love tweety when I was it says dog bane or milkweed, but it's that's not I don't know. It's not it's the apostanacy. Apa apossinacy.

SPEAKER_00 39:29

Okay. Well, it's blue and it's pretty. And that's all that matters. Yeah. When I was buying one from the wholesaler, because the wholesaler has it a lot. Um I was obsessed with it then. And then I went to Baker's Creek and um visited their actual location in Missouri and uh saw a packet of it. I'm like, oh my gosh, you can grow this. And talk to the horticulture um, like on staffed horticulturalist. And yeah, he was like this old man and he was the one who told me to plant it early. Interesting. Yeah. Shoot.

SPEAKER_02 40:04

Okay, well I've got to get mine out like now. My bed's ready for it. I just was holding.

SPEAKER_00 40:09

So I don't know why. Yeah. Try you should try and direct sew it. I will. For science. I will let us know what happens. Oh wait. Lizzie Anthas is Ovi on this list because she is just um beautiful and uh amazing. And besides starting her from seed, she's really a pretty easy flower to grow. But I've never started her from the game. But you do the plugs, which I do plugs, which is very expensive.

SPEAKER_02 40:36

I'm pretty sure that um Meadows flower farm grows it from seed. Yeah, a lot of people do. But she's good at it. I was like very jealous looking at her Instagram.

SPEAKER_00 40:46

I yeah, I wish I had the patience for it. I think I think it's possible you just have to have a lot of patience.

SPEAKER_03 40:54

Patience and the space on your grow racks to have them sit there that long. That's another problem.

SPEAKER_00 40:58

I would just if you're growing a little bit, just buy the plugs. Yeah. I sell them. I'm going on plugs with a friend and people love them because they are the and they c they do come multiple times. They flush multiple times. They flush in July, they flush in September, and sometimes in the hot part of the year where a lot of flowers are tired. Yeah. Sometimes I'll get three flushes out of them sometimes. Like I did July, September, and end of October last year.

SPEAKER_03 41:27

Yeah, like if you love roses and the rose look, you need to grow a rununculus in the spring, roses in the late spring, and then your Lysianthus will take over in the summer, and you'll have the same like rosy look going on throughout the whole year.

SPEAKER_02 41:43

And Lysianthus lasts better in a bouquet than roses do.

SPEAKER_00 41:46

So Lysianthus have a long bass life. Yes. They're almost like succulents. Yeah. Like their leaf structure is kind of succulent-y. Interesting. I don't I've never left them because I'm afraid they're gonna carry disease. But this year we dug them up because they survived the winter. Um I dug them up and repotted them somewhere else because I can't I needed the space. So we'll see if they bloom again. But people say they they're like kind of like perennial. Perennial-esque. Yeah, kind of like Delphinium. Probably definium depends on your zone, but yeah. Okay, last one is marigolds. And I knew I knew it was gonna be on your list. That's why I didn't put it on mine. Probably people are like, ew, girls.

SPEAKER_03 42:31

I love a marigold.

SPEAKER_00 42:32

I think marigolds should be a staple in every home in the I think about you with marigolds for some like I think it was I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 42:40

I just saw them the most with uh in your bouquets.

SPEAKER_00 42:43

Yeah. I love I love the white swan. But then I love the orange one, the rest of the cocoa gold for the s for the fall. They smell amazing, they just except it can be a little bit some people don't like it. It's a polarizing smell.

SPEAKER_03 43:00

I do, but I love how prolific they are too. They are so prolific.

SPEAKER_02 43:03

It's again like a cut and come again.

SPEAKER_03 43:06

Yeah, like a like it's like a zinia almost. It will just bush out this beautiful.

SPEAKER_00 43:13

I love them before. And you can save the seeds on those so easily, and they'll they'll come back different, but beautiful. And then it's a fun little game. Especially if you have little kids. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 43:24

Well that's all I got for y'all. That's our list, guys.

SPEAKER_02 43:27

So um I was so get ready to fill your garden.

SPEAKER_03 43:30

Yeah. Because we started with the top five, but really we gave you the top 15. So bonus. You paid for five, you got 15. Value. Well, um, we'll be back next week with another top whatever of our favorites top five series.

SPEAKER_00 43:48

Yes, yeah. Pop in next week. Yep, yep. So we're gonna talk about herbs next. So see you there. All right, bye. Bye bye. Hey, thanks for listening to our podcast. If you want to Follow us on social, find us at Gals Who Grow Podcast on Instagram, and follow us on Spotify or your favorite podcast app.