Farm Fabulosity Blog & the..Barn Store: Spring {Flower} Planting...

It is ~~almost~~ time for field planting in Minnesota. Our tractors, cultivator, and planter are READY & waiting, at the end of the driveway for more ideal moisture conditions.

{To read our post The {FOCUS} of Spring @ the farm click here}

We are in a drought in our region of Minnesota & have been waiting for more moisture before...

Spring {Field} Planting. So we have temporarily changed our

{FOCUS}

to Spring {Flower} Planting.

Check out our first arrangements of the season & get some tips to create beautiful arrangements of YOUR own to be enjoyed all summer long!

The local Runnings in Redwood Falls, recently erected their flower greenhouse tent.

We stopped by to see what they had to offer and we couldn't leave without some {a cart full of} annuals, a few perennials, a hydrangea shrub & a raspberry bush.

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The kids enjoy flowers, gardening & planting as much us we do.

We all had fun picking out what we would plant.

Leo& Hannah helping with flowers and a raspberry bush.

A cart full of fun to add beauty to the farm.

The following day was perfect for planting, so we gathered up the pots & plants & went to work.

Gardening is one of the most therapuetic activities we know.
Planting anything brings clarity and peace to the soul.
If you are stressed out we highly recommend purchasing some soil, a few plants, and a pot to bring joyous color & happiness to both your soul & your homes.

Container gardening with flowers is a great way to instantly introduce color, fragrance, and beauty into your life.

Just follow our tips below to make sure you create a pleasing arrangement to enjoy all summer long...

See how happy planting {flowers} makes a girl!

Some {TIPS}

{For Planting YOUR Beautiful Container Garden}

1. Choose plants & pots that speak to you.

Gardening is like decorating...

Choose plants & containers you love & you will be happy with your choices.

If you love yellow, find yellow flowers.

If texture is your thing find a great ceramic planter or ornamental grasses that interest you.

If you look at the planter below you will see things we love...
Earth tones {on the planter}, drippy glazes {similar to Jamie's paintings}, and the use of complimentary colors in the flower choices {red & green} as well as, analogous colored floral choices. {red & violet}

Which leads us to our next TIP...

2. Use a color wheel when picking annuals for the greatest impact.

Color wheels are a designer & artist's best friend.

Here is the link to Jamie's Teacher Website & Color Theory page where you can get your own.

http://rvhsart.wikispaces.com/Color

There is a FREE downloadable .pdf file titled "color guide" for all your design needs, print it out and take it with you to the greenhouse.

Now that you have your very own color wheel, here is your art color theory refresher.

{Complimentary color schemes} make use of colors directly across from each other on the color wheel. For greatest impact when creating a potted arrangement we suggest using this scheme. First, it makes each other color appear more vibrant, so, if you choose violet and yellow the violet actually makes the yellow look "yellower". This adds drama, and helps your container garden to become an outdoor...
{FOCAL POINT}

Another scheme that works great is analogous.
{Analogous} colors are directly next to each other on the color wheel. You con choose three to five colors that are directly next to each other on the wheel and you are sure to make pots that please.

3. Make sure you have a variety of plants & plant heights.
Levels, levels, levels...

As in all good design, you need to have levels. To create levels in your containers you need to choose plants that grow to different heights. This creates movement and interest in your container gardens and potted flower arrangements. Variety really is the key to interesting container gardens.

Below we have used an annual called firesticks purchased from Blossom Town Floral, Redwood Falls, to create height and textural interest. We chose to keep the colors similar to that of this annual which are a pink and yellowish-green that is again a {complimantary color scheme}. We have added a purple flox, a low, spreading plant, and a light green sweet potato vine (these are one of our favorites and a go to for almost all our planters for their interesting, trellising, beauty). We can't wait to watch them all grow...

4. Don't overcrowd your planters.

When annuals are small it is easy to think your container looks too sparse.

Resist the urge to over plant. As your flowers grow throughout the summer an overcrowded pot can lead to plants that don't get enough sunlight and eventually die.

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For more tips on planting and the how to's of all things garden related visit the Farmers Almanac

http://www.almanac.com/content/container-gardening-flowers

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For ideas & inspiration visit Better Homes & Gardens

http://www.hgtv.com/topics/container-gardening/index.html

Now we just need to store these in the garage for a few weeks...