Monthly Archives: April 2021

Our Top 5 Gifts for Mother’s Day

Garden Design

For moms everywhere, the last year has been a tremendous challenge. In addition to juggling the routine demands of family life, many were called upon to manage daily child-care duties and the ups and downs of remote learning all while trying to hold down their own jobs. Mother’s Day, May 8th, is a terrific time to show your Mom a whole lot of love and appreciation. Scroll below, and you’ll find a broad array of botanically inspired gifts. (For order deadlines for all of our Mother’s Day gifts, click here).

1. Lavender ‘Goodwin Creek Grey’ in Pendu Pot

Moms who love the soothing sight and scent of Lavender will delight in this beautiful, fragrant favorite. We ship bushy plants in a handmade clay pot with saucer. The plants thrive indoors in a sunny room.

2. Burgundy Compact Moth Orchids in 5″ Ceramic Cachepot

Burgundy Compact Moth Orchids in 5" ceramic cachepot
Treat Mom to beautifully proportioned, long-blooming Moth Orchids that bear 2″ velvety blooms in rich burgundy. The plants are larger than Mini Moths and more compact than taller, standard-size varieties. We ship budded plants with blossoms that will open in sequence and last for weeks.

3. Lavender Fields Wreath

Lavender Fields Wreath
Picture our bestselling dried wreath in your Mom’s house. Sprigs of lovely Lavender and blue-gray Eucalyptus are arranged with the subtle purples, blues, and whites of dried Caspia, Phalaris, Rice Flower, Statice, and Larkspur. Our wreath is great for indoor decorating, and it’s a lasting beauty that mom will cherish for many months to come.

4. Grace Bouquet

Grace Bouquet
Send Mom a bouquet that’s as special as she is. The Grace Bouquet was designed exclusively for us by floral designer Semia Dunne of Providence, R.I. It showcases Roses in a smoky lavender color, vibrant Iris, and boldly hued Statice. In addition, fragrant Eucalyptus, Freesia and elegant white Peonies add beauty and unforgettable perfume.

5. Serenity Bouquet

Serenity Bouquet
Give your Mom a gorgeous bouquet in a soothing palette of pretty pastels. Our Serenity Bouquet blends white Roses, Peruvian Lilies, Carnations, and Baby’s Breath with pale lavender Stock and the leaves of Eucalyptus and Ruscus to create a bouquet that adds serene elegance to any room.

When in Doubt, Delight Mom With a Gift Certificate to White Flower Farm 

If you’re not certain what your Mom might like most for Mother’s Day, you can always delight her with a gift certificate to White Flower Farm. Our gift certificates never expire, and they invite your Mom to choose whatever she’d might like from our wide array of garden plants, houseplants, garden decor, decorative accessories and gift items. A gift certificate also welcomes her to White Flower Farm, where our knowledgeable, friendly staff will be happy to answer her garden questions. Gift certificates valued at $50 and more are 10% off. Click here to order.

 

Growing Roses Is Easier Than Ever

Garden Design, Roses

Today’s Roses are not your grandmother’s finicky, high maintenance plants. Thanks to the efforts of talented and patient breeders, many of today’s Roses are vigorous plants that more readily shrug off pests and diseases and bring years of classic beauty, and often fragrance, to the garden. What this means for gardeners is that growing Roses is easier than ever. For novices or those who could use a refresher, our nursery manager Barb Pierson offers these simple tips:

Helpful Tips for Growing Roses

1. If you live in a colder climate, as we do here in Connecticut, try growing Roses close to the foundation of your home. This provides plants with some degree of winter protection. Walkways are also good spots provided there is full sun. This is generally defined as at least 6 hours per day of direct sunlight.

Rose Suñorita™

2. Remember that light changes as the angle of the sun shifts throughout the season. If you live in the upper half of the U.S., choose a site that will offer full sun year-round. The more sun you have, the more flowers your plants will produce. In the lower half of the U.S., choose spots with a little bit of afternoon shade. This protects blossoms from the scorching sun and helps your flowers last longer.

Rose Ebb Tide™

3. Roses love sandy soil. Amend your soil accordingly to provide the best footing for plants. Also choose sites with good drainage, which helps ensure that Roses overwinter more successfully. They do not like wet, cold feet.

4. Do not crowd your Roses. Plants that don’t have adequate air circulation and sunlight are more susceptible to powdery and downy mildew. Remove any spent foliage from the ground around your Roses. The leaves contain natural fungal spores that can transfer to your Roses.

Rose Olivia Rose Austin™

5. Artificial liquid fertilizers tend to promote plant growth that is soft and tender, and this type of foliage can attract aphids and other pests. Instead, rely on compost and natural fertilizers to feed your plants.

Rose Julia Child™

6. If problems develop, horticultural oil and insecticidal soap can help control insects and mildews.

Rose Pretty Polly™ Pink

7. When pruning, be judicious. If you prune too hard in autumn, plants can be damaged beyond recovery. Instead, wait until spring, when plants begin to leaf out for the new season. (Roses are often not the earliest plants in the garden to respond to spring’s warming temperatures, so be patient.) Give the plant time to show its leaf buds then prune above that level.

SHOP ALL ROSES