Your Vase or Mine

Your Vase or Mine : Fresh-cut flowers for all your special (& not so special) occasions. My "cottage garden" on the 1/2 acre lot that surrounds my home is filled with hundreds of flowers spring, summer and fall. What started as a passionate hobby collecting plants and growing flowers, has "grown" into a part-time business (late April to mid-October) supplying flowers and foliage by the single vase or by the bucket to folks who want to "pick their own" People who come to the garden are looking for a personal, more natural experience of selecting their flowers and want to choose from a wider variety than they frequently can find through a florist. They like the "do-it-yourself" way and buying flowers that are locally-grown and frequently native to the area. The garden is filled with hundreds of species of plants for cutting - perennials which come back year after year, spring and summer bulbs, and many annuals such as cosmos and larkspur come back each year from seed. The flowers I plant come in all colors, shapes and sizes. Of course, since this is a real outdoors garden and not a hothouse, where things are forced to bloom, plants will vary according to their growing season. Some spring plants, such as peonies and bearded iris only bloom once a season for only a week or two in early-mid May. Others don't flower until the fall. But the vast majority of plants bloom throughout the spring and summer (June-August). Many roses have a very long growing season, blooming continuously from May through October. There is also a multitude of beautiful foliage that grows and compliments the flowers and whose leaves come in all sizes, shapes and colors. How do I know which flowers will be in bloom when I want them? I keep very detailed records from year to year of what blooms when, and have many photos of what's blooming any given week from March to November.. So if, for example, you are planning an event the 3rd week in June, you can have a pretty good idea of what will be available. It is recommended you come visit the garden well in advance of your event. If you come in the "dead of winte"? you won't see much but the skeleton of the garden. But you can see pictures of what the garden will look like for the date(s) you are wanting flowers. I also have a collection of books with photos of flowers and special arrangements. If you have specific flowers in mind that you want such as yellow roses or lavender, or flowers in shades of pink, let me know your preferences in case there is something I don�¢ï¿½?�?t grow or that won�¢ï¿½?�?t be in flower the time you want it. This will give you an opportunity to look for other sources or select a substitute from the garden that will work fit your needs. The garden is always changing! A week or so prior to your event, we will do a �¢ï¿½?�?walk-through�¢ï¿½?�? to select the exact flowers you want. At this time, you can bring buckets with you to leave for pick-up or I can supply a bucket . I can help you select and make recommendations based on which blooms look good together, suggest and direct you to a particular plant tucked away in the garden that you might have overlooked and advise you which are best for cutting and staying fresh the longest. My garden is at my home in the Eastmoor-by-the-River development in east Asheville (Oteen) only a couple of miles off U.S. 70 at I 40-�¢ï¿½?�?s exit 55. Contact Judy for more information or to make an appointment to visit the garden!