Posts by Emily

Sedum, also known as stonecrop, is a leafy succulent native to the Northern hemisphere. Some are annuals or creeping herbs, and sedums can also be large shrubs. Leaves can be a wide variety of colors and shapes, and some sedums put up long stems with showy flowers. Low-growing varieties are popular for low-maintenance ground covers and rock walls, and sedum plants are generally heat and drought tolerant. Some varieties are cold-tolerant and winter hardy to zone 3. One of the most interesting things...

Balloon flowers, aka platycodon or Chinese Bellflower, are delightful long-lived perennials that grow well in many climates. Related to the bellflower, or campanula, balloon flowers come in shades of blue, purple, pink, and white and can be single- or double-petalled. Flowers are generally star-shaped with five or ten petals and open from buds that resemble balloons. Plants can range in height from 12 inches all the way to 24 inches, and flowers can range in size from two to three inches. Platycodon...

As a floral designer who tries to use seasonal and locally-grown flowers whenever possible, I love summer and fall for the brightly-colored and interestingly-textured options available. I’m especially enamored of dahlias, particularly just how much variety there is in terms of flower form, shape, color, and size. It’s sometimes hard to believe that a flower the size of a half dollar resembling a ball and a flower the size of my entire head with a plethora of gracefully pointed petals are from the same...

One of the aspects of the history of gardening and cultivated plants I find most fascinating is the period of time during which there was a commonly known and accepted culture around giving plants and bouquets of flowers to friends, lovers, and enemies with hidden (or not-so-hidden) messages. If propriety meant one could not express one’s true feelings out loud or even in written form, one could send a message in a coded language that one hoped would be decoded by the recipient. The only meaning for a...

Columbines have long been one of my favorite flowers, but I didn't realize how much I truly enjoyed them until I lived in Colorado and hiked in the mountains fairly frequently when weather permitted, taking photos of wildflowers I saw while adventuring with my now-husband. I began to feel as though a hike wasn't complete if I didn't spot a columbine, nodding its head under the weight of a bee, situated amongst a field of other flowers. The pale purple-blue of the outer petals, or sepals, the soft white of...

Here at SGS, we all get a close look at the seeds packed daily from each day's orders. Here are some of our favorite seeds, shown in close-up form so you can get a good peek. Ruby Moon Hyacinth Vine seeds look like...penguins! They're very distinguished. Four O'Clock seeds resemble little grenades. Calendula seeds vary in size. This set of seeds is from Flashback Mix calendula, which resemble weapons from science fiction movies! Scarlet Runner Bean seeds are gray-black with a beautifully speckled...

What's good to plant right now? If you're in the northern hemisphere, it's a GREAT time to plant ZINNIAS! Zinnias, native to the Southwest US, Mexico, and Central and South America, are consistently some of our most popular annuals and bestsellers, and for good reason. Zinnias are easy to grow from seed and, if planted now, will be blooming for a long fall season. Zinnias are facultative short-day plants, which means that they will flower faster and more copiously when growing in the progressively...

Are your basil plants looking beautiful and ready to use? Want some new ideas for how to enjoy the basil in your herb garden or patio pot? Here are three recipe ideas for you to try! What do you like to do with the basil from your yard? Basil Recipes Watermelon, feta, and basil salad Ingredients: 4 cups watermelon (cubed) ½ cup crumbled feta cheese (substitute cotija cheese for a different flavor profile!) ¼ cup Italian basil leaves, cut in chiffonade Seasoning to taste (salt, pepper, drizzle of balsamic...

Something I love about arranging flowers for weddings is incorporating native plants and herbs into my creations. Not many of my events pass by without snippets of rosemary, olive branches, or bay laurel foliage. I also love to cut herbs to use in cooking and baking or to bring a fresh scent into the house. In my yard, I have oregano and rosemary growing year-round, and sage and mint that thrive during wetter times of the year. I’ve also had gardens where I grew chocolate mint, lemon thyme, basil, and...

Mary started these seedlings of Gaura The Bride in wet paper towels on the top of a refrigerator in our office on April 6 as a germ test, and they'd already sprouted enough to transplant into cell packs on April 14, just eight days later. We kept the seedlings in a sunny, southwest-facing window where they have been very happy. Here are a few progress photos: Gaura seedlings on May 1 Gaura seedlings on May 24 Today, the gaura seedlings look like this: Over the next week, two of our employees will be...