Full Belly Farm Is a Stunning Flower-Filled Paradise

By midsummer, the flower borders are a riot of colour. It’s an ideal time to take stock, deciding which areas look good and which need plants moving or adding to create the best summer displays. Flowering plants such as dahlias, sweet peas and roses will benefit from regular feeding at this time of year, while deadheading will help to keep many plants flowering longer. It’s also time to prepare for seasons to come, by sowing biennials and planting autumn-flowering bulbs.

Looking to step up your flower gardening game? We’ve tapped into the tasteful toolbelt of Hannah Rose Rivers Muller, master florist farmer and author of Designing With Dried Flowers, who shares her selects for stylish yet practical farm gear that she personally uses while busy harvesting at Full Belly Farm. Well known for pioneering the Northern California field-to-vase movement, Hannah is no stranger to getting her hands dirty and knowing the type of quality gear needed when working in a fast-pace seasonally driven industry.

Planting up a flower bed can seem a bit daunting to begin with. Initially, it’s important to consider factors such as the size of your bed, how much sun it gets, the quality of your soil and what kind of planting and colour scheme will suit your house style and your own preferences.

Image: Hampton Court Flower Festival. Credit: RHS

At Modern Farmer, we believe that creating a sustainable and equitable food system is only possible with small, local, and family farms. But North America is facing a farmer shortage. The average farmer is just under 60 years old, and the trend of inheritance within families is declining, which means there is a need to train the next generation of farmers. 

You can easily grow this plant with seeds.

This year Chelsea Flower Show was full of interesting trees and shrubs with lots of dreamy woodland-edge planting in dappled light underneath leafy canopies. Native trees such as hawthorns, hazels and silver birch were the favoured choices in many of the show gardens, with a mixture of native and non-native ornamental plants selected for resilience and sustainability. In Ula Maria’s Forest Bathing Garden, white foxgloves, cow parsley and other umbellifers like Baltic parsley (Cenolophium denudatum) and valerian (Valeriana officinalis) were mixed with the simple shade-loving grass Melica altissima ‘Alba’ while Tom Stuart-Smith showcased intricate tapestries of interesting foliage in different shapes and textures. In other gardens, orange was a popular colour in many shades, from deep rusty orange irises to pale orange geums, especially in Ann Marie-Powell’s exuberant Octavia Hill Garden. As always, the Grand Pavilion is the ideal place to discover new and interesting plants showcased by some of the country’s leading nurseries.

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The beauty of the brightly-hued daisy-like cosmos flower is undisputed, but is there something more to it? What sets this blossom apart in the far-reaching world of blooms? Read on to find out the meaning of the Cosmos flower and why everyone should grow it!

How to Transplant Bird of Paradise Plants

There’s no question that people love Trader Joe’s, and while you might be popping in for the current end-cap display of Ube Mochi Pancake & Waffle Mix or Pizza Party Potato Chips, I’m taking full advantage of the springtime buffet of blooms. For me, there is no greater pleasure (or budget-friendly flower shopping) than building your own bouquets out of TJ’s flowers and fillers. Whether you’re looking to make an arrangement for someone you love, or just to add a little splash of seasonal style to your tabletop, here are a few tips and tricks to take your springtime stems to the next level. 

Perched above Los Angeles in the Mount Washington neighborhood is a home that rivals Barbie’s Dream House. The Spanish Revival home, owned and transformed by celebrity hairstylist Rob Talty, is truly a sight to behold with its ombré pink exterior and lush garden that’s a habitat for butterflies and hummingbirds. And did we mention that it was just put on the market?