A Test Run for New Blooms

Flower trials are an important part of flower farming.  Sometimes I test to see which flowers I can reliably offer during the season or push outside their normal limits.  Other times, I grow new to me varieties or something unusual to see if its going to be a hit or a dud.  It is a good thing I have limited space or I could easily get carried away with trialing new flowers!

Butterfly Ranunculus

I am intrigued by these flowers.  Unlike the multilayered petals of a more traditional ranunculus, Butterfly Ranunculus remind me of the perennial Anemone hybrids with their single petal form.  They have multiple flowers on each stem and the flower petals have a waxy coating that gives them a shimmery appearance.  I envision these providing a lot of air, movement, and sparkle to bouquets.    I’ll keep you posted!

Tulip – Copper Image

New to me this year is Copper Image.  A double tulip described as copper, peach, salmon, multidimensional, unusual…could be right up my alley or just plain weird.  In my estimation, photographs of flowers on the internet, in catalogs, and on social media never accurately reflect the color or interest of the actual flower.  The only way to know it…is to grow it!

Sumika Japanese Lisianthus

This year I ordered lisianthus plugs from Farmer Bailey.  In doing so, I was able to get access to new varieties I couldn’t have gotten by purchasing seeds.  I chose Celeb – Honey Pink to trial this year.  Farmer Bailey describes this series as “very double fringed” — love it — yet “is less tolerant of less than ideal conditions”…hmm I love a challenge!  I chose the Honey Pink as it has a lovely apricot/pinkish color.   Can’t wait to see them in bloom and share them with you!