Monday, May 31, 2010

The Great Peony Harvest....

Beautiful Peony blooms celebrate the beginning of this year's harvest. Each bloom is cut during early morning hours while the flower is at it's peak of beauty. The flowers are pre-treated and frozen in boxes on a bed of soft Easter grass. Our Freeze Dry Chambers are set to 30 degrees...below zero. The boxes are quickly inserted into the machine and placed under a vacuum. Every twelve hours the temperature in the chambers is raised by five degrees. As the flower very slowly thaws.....the vacuum pulls the moisture from the blooms into a central unit that must be defrosted daily. After ten to fourteen days these beautiful blooms are ready to be post-treated and designed into the stunning wreaths, arrangements and swags that we sell in our shop. Another beautiful treasure from our garden!

Saturday, May 22, 2010

Golden Spring Sunshine

...on a cloudy Saturday morning! Succession planting gives us the gift of something glorious blooming in the gardens during the entire growing season! Right now the Iris are putting on quite a show! The Peonies are promising to be the next rising star!!

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Sunday, May 9, 2010