Cedar House Farm
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Why Grow from Seed?
Why grow from seed? First and foremost, growing from seed gives you access to so many more varieties than what your local garden center offers, allowing you to create a garden unique to you.
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Floriology of the Iris and Planting Tips
This year, I am growing a special collection of gorgeous, vintage-inspired irises hand-picked by yours truly. The Cedar House Living Botanical Message Iris Collection pays tribute to this incredible bloom and the deeper meaning and message that it holds. These are NOT your traditional purple irises. -
Transforming a Garden into a Gathering Space
But how did my garden transform from a plot of wooden beds to a tranquil backyard sanctuary? I’ve laid it all out below, and many of these same concepts can be applied to any outdoor space including back patios and apartment balconies. -
Vase Life of My Favorite Bouquet Botanicals
In my garden, I snip with abandon. And when my friends visit, I encourage them to do the same. It is a cutting garden, after all. Everything is grown to be anticipated, admired, photographed, harvested and appreciated elsewhere. To be given a job far more important than adorning my garden; to adorn my home or the home of someone I care about. With this in mind, I recently compiled an at-a-glance list of the vase life ranges for all the botanicals I grow specifically for use in floral arrangements and bouquets. -
Choosing and Caring for Roses
In the language of flowers, the rose represents love and preference. Roses are a beautiful addition to any garden space. They are versatile, easy to grow and care for, are remarkably tolerant in many conditions, and have a long growing season. -
The Practice of Pinching
Ahhh...the question as old as time itself. Exactly what is “pinching” and what varieties of herbs and flowers should you pinch? Pinching, quite simply, is the practice of snipping off the top few inches of a young plant. But why? -
Garden Journaling and a Holistic, Organic Pollinator Garden
Each year, I document in a garden journal all the details about what I grew, harvested, and enjoyed most. I write down my failures and well as my successes. What I fell in love with and want to grow more of, as well as what doesn’t make the cut for the next growing year or doesn’t grow well on our property’s unique microclimate. Garden journaling is a calming therapeutic process that I truly enjoy. -
My Pollinator Garden
I have what is sometimes referred to as a pollinator garden. It is filled with colorful and fragrant flowers and herbs that attract and feed pollinators such as honey bees, native bees, moths and butterflies. When I harvest, I make sure to always leave plenty of blooms to keep them busy and happy. Yesterday, we watched countless butterflies, moths, hummingbirds, bees, robins, chickadees, and a pair of Stellar Jays visit our garden, so it’s working.
