Happy 2024! We enjoyed a skiff of snow this morning, and after my little mischief makers thoroughly pelted me with snowballs, I'm back by the cozy fire, planning for 2024.
Though my motto this year is "simplify to amplify", I can't help trying out a few new crops!
The theme I recognize in the trials is lots of blue! I love blue flowers and I'm excited to trial these to see how they take:
#1 Tweedia
This gorgeous blue flower is actually a milkweed! Monarchs love it, and the flowers are can be from blue to almost turquoise. It has the milky sap of a milkweed which can irritate the skin when harvested, so I'll be sure to wear gloves. I think it will do well in our dry climate and look amazing in bouquets!
#2 Echinops or Globe Thistle
This beauty is almost glowing. It has a super-fun disco ball shape and great texture. It's a drought-tolerant perennial, so I hope to get it well-established this year. It also drys well and will be perfect for dry bouquets and winter wreaths.
#3 Foxglove
Foxglove is a classic cottage garden favorite that reminds me of fairies. I am trying 2 varieties that are first-year-flowering. Foxglove is typically a biennial (meaning it puts on green growth the first year, and flowers the second year) but I don't have the patience for that, so I'm giving the varieties "Camelot" and "Dalmatian" a go. Dalmatian Peach caught my eye and I can't wait to give it a go!
#4 Delphinium
I am obsessed with Delphinium, especially this classic shooting star shape. The blooms hover like butterflies and this shade "Cliveden Beauty" has hints of lavender and blue. I've tried growing it from seed and have not had great success, so this year I'm buying some plugs (baby plant starts) and seeing if I can get them established! They are a perennial and like foxglove they are poisonous to people and animals, which means that deer *tend* to avoid them. I experimented with drying these last season and they came out so vibrant and held up perfectly. Keep your fingers crossed on these little beauties!
#5 Gysophilia Covent Garden aka Baby's Breath
Ok, I've been pigeonholing baby's breath as a flower that belongs in the 90s with red roses, big hair, and puffy-sleeved wedding gowns. BUT I am wrong, the stereotypical Baby's Breath is a double variety, but I found this delicate, airy, single variety of baby's breath that seems to float on the breeze. I can't wait to give it a try!
These are my top 5 varieties I'm excited about trying this year! Are you growing anything new this year? Which of these 5 interests you the most? Leave a comment or drop me a line to let me know!