Happy Monday, GPOD! Today we’re visiting Rachel (@bloomharvestfarm) in East Lyme, Connecticut (Zone 7). Her flower/cutting garden looks especially dramatic in these rainy-day photos. I swear I can almost smell the damp soil through the screen (hopefully you know what I mean!).
I started gardening back in the early 2000s, although I had my share of failed attempts back then (and an overpopulation of black snakes that often kept me out of them!). After relocating, I started again, and that’s when I began adding flowers to my vegetable garden and became obsessed with all things floral.
I started my cutting garden simply out of the joy it brought me, but as it grew to 1/4 acre, I knew it was time to start sharing my flowers with others. So, we started a micro flower farm in 2023. After a few years of putting a price tag on every stem, we are transitioning next year to create the potager garden I’ve always been dreaming about.
Photo of dahlias the first year I grew them in abundance. The orange dahlias are ‘American Sunset’ (Dahlia ‘American Sunset’, Zones 8–11). The pink dahlias are ‘Pink Pearl’ (Dahlia ‘Pink Pearl’, Zones 8–11).
Dahlias in the photo are ‘Chat Noir’ (Dahlia ‘Chat Noir’, Zones 8–11), the deep burgundy blooms, and ‘Creme de Cognac’ (Dahlia ‘Creme de Cognac’, Zones 8–11), the softer peach-pink flowers.
Midsummer garden—pumpkins (Cucurbita pepo, annual), celosia (Celosia cvs., annual), zinnias (Zinnia elegans, annual).
These were some of the foxgloves (Digitalis purpurea, Zones 4–9) I grew. They were so magical I grew them every year after.
Some cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus cvs., annual) in the cutting garden.
Thanks for sharing your garden with us, Rachel! It’s been quite rainy here in my Zone 6a garden, so these photos felt especially fitting this week. I’d love to know what variety of celosia you’re growing in the third photo!
We want to see YOUR garden!
Have photos to share? We’d love to see your garden, a particular collection of plants you love, or a wonderful garden you had the chance to visit!
To submit, fill out the Garden Photo of the Day Submission Form.
You can also send 5–10 photos to [email protected] along with some information about the plants in the pictures and where you took the photos. We’d love to hear where you are located, how long you’ve been gardening, successes you are proud of, failures you learned from, hopes for the future, favorite plants, or funny stories from your garden.
Do you receive the GPOD by email yet? Sign up here
Fine Gardening Recommended Products
RAINPOINT Sprinkler Timer with Brass Swivel
Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.
– Pure brass water inlet and metal thread can withstand up to 116psi.
– Built-in metal filter gaskets can prevent sediment and other larger particles
– Through the Sprinkler Timer program, you can set the start time, watering duration, and watering frequency
Lee Valley Large Gardener’s Wash Basket
Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.
This basket was designed to be used by gardeners to wash freshly harvested vegetables before taking them inside. You can gather your vegetables and then hose them off right in the same basket. However, you can also use it for fruit or add a cloth liner for serving bread or other baked goods. Measuring 16″ long, 11″ wide and 4″ deep, it is made of chrome-plated steel to resist rust.
Gilmore Rubber Hose Washer 10pk
Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.
– Live red rubber construction, 3/4in. washers
– Clip of 10
Estudio EA