Lisa Mason Ziegler, a home gardener turned cut-flower farmer began growing field-grown cut flowers in 1998 on less than 1 acre in Newport News, Virginia. In 2010 Lisa’s garden grew into an urban farm, now close to 3 acres. During the growing season, this farm yields over 10,000 stems of flowers each week. Her flowers are sold to upscale florists, supermarkets, and the programs Garden Share farm pickup and the Weekly Bouquet Drop-off subscription that are in their 15th year.
To have a full garden in late summer and fall plant in summer!
Pretty sure you’ve heard me references this before or maybe even whine about it a bit: it is not too late to plant! There is always a flower or vegetable to start from seed and/or to plant — and summer is no exception.
Several weekly plantings of sunflowers that will provide continuous blooms.
The secret to success for the gardener and farmer to have a constant supply of top quality abundance in the garden is to do several plantings over time. I didn’t plant 15,000 zinnia plants at the same time, they were planted over a three and half month period. This in turns mean that they aren’t all starting to bloom at the same time either–however they all do tend to bloom until the end of the season if left in the garden. This is called succession planting. In place of planting your entire garden at once, make several small planting over several weeks or months. This spreads out the work and the harvest.
So it is mid-summer here in the mid-atlantic region and what seeds am I starting indoors? We are starting our fourth round of seeds of warm-season tender annuals like zinnias, cockscomb, celosia plumes, marigolds, ageratums, fragrant foliage basil, millet grasses, sunflowers (weekly), tomatoes, cucumbers, squash and a few other bits and pieces.
There are many seeds that can be planted directly in the garden with fairly good success at this time of the year because the soil is warm and the days are long and hot. Direct seeding into the garden works well for beans, squash, zinnias, sunflowers and of course cover crops.
It’s not too late! Plant for late summer and fall blooms and bounty now.
Lisa Mason Ziegler is a commercial cut-flower farmer in Newport News, Virginia; she lectures and writes about organic and sustainable gardening. You can email Lisa at lisa@shoptgw.com , call her at 757-877-7159 or visit her websitewww.shoptgw.com .
The view of my garden from my second story office a week before the Open Farm.
When folks learn what my chosen work is their response is normally, I’d love to come see your garden. Thus, the once a year Open Farm event was born several years ago.
My little urban cut-flower farm has been a “working farm” for 19 years. This means that I get up 5 days a week, walk across the driveway at 6am and put on my working gear and go at it until 4pm like the rest of the working world. This doesn’t leave time in a work day for visits or tours nor are we equipped or staffed for parking, etc. While opening creates added work to the already heavy load–we love sharing what we do and opening our gate once a year is a highlight for us.
Late June is a great time in the garden. The spring blooming flowers, planted last fall, are still blooming (My book Cool Flowers tells how to do this!) The spring planted, summer blooming flowers have begun. We are still planting and seed-starting for summer and will be until early August (My book The Easy Cut-Flower Garden tells how to have flowers all summer!) Then in August we begin starting seeds for fall planting for those spring bloomers to start the whole process all over again.
Learn about why native plants are critical to establishing an organic garden. Our native 400 foot border, planted to block the view of the coming housing development and to provide habitat is coming into its galore and is loaded with wildlife. The Insect hotel is frequently visited by a host of creatures and bugs–all good.
Perhaps the highlight for many is visiting the warehouse that is home to our online garden shop stock. We do not have a storefront to visit other than online–except for this one day a year. The doors to our warehouse are open for you to shop and we always have some killer deals for the day!
I will be giving an ongoing talking tour of the property from 9am to 1:30pm. Parking is on the street and please be mindful of my neighbors and don’t park in their yards! There are 2 side streets, Elworo and St.Francis across from me that have plenty of curb parking available.
The bonus of the day– come meet Beri our garden girl!
Lisa Mason Ziegler is a commercial cut-flower farmer in Newport News, Virginia; she lectures and writes about organic and sustainable gardening. You can email Lisa at lisa@shoptgw.com , call her at 757-877-7159 or visit her website www.shoptgw.com .
Beri’s quiet pose during our meal. It’s going to be hard to resist feeding this…
I’ve known Beri since she was a pup. Steve and I are honored and thrilled to become the keepers of this special girl. Living a more serene, slower life on our flatland should lead to green pastures for Beri and for us.
Beri is an 8 1/2 year old retired show and performance Golden Retriever that has led an extraordinary life. At the hands of my dear friend and Golden Retriever expert Laurie Doumaux she became a breed Champion (Ch.), a Junior Hunter (JH), a Companion Dog (CD), holds a Working Certificate (WC) and a Canine Good Citizenship Certificate (CGCC). All this is in addition to being a devoted, funny, and loving companion.
Beri is enjoying the slow life of farming.
Beri found herself in early retirement because of an elbow injury. Her wonderful life with Laurie was aggravated by many stairs and a dog yard (acres) that is full of steep hills. Also keeping up with two younger housemate dogs results in Beri’s elbow constantly irritated which leads to pain. Add into the equation that Laurie is heading into her 11th year of battling stage 4 ovarian cancer that has pushed her to reduce the number of dogs she has at home. It would appear that the past few months have all been worked out so Beri could come home to us and our little farm.
Beri isn’t just another pretty face. For those who aren’t familiar with the sport of dogs, there are many areas you and your dog can work together, train and compete for titles. It takes deep dedication, time, $$$, and the ability to communicate with a dog– something that few people achieve. Goldens have a deep desire to please the one they love–so they make training a dog very rewarding and fun.
Beri the Champion. Dogs compete on their physical structure, movement, and overall type as compared to the breed standard. Beri was 2 years old when she and Laurie headed to Louisville,KY to storm the completion and bring home not one, but two 5-point majors. Any dog show person will recognize this is the kind of thing that dreams are made of in the dog show world–Beri not only has near perfect structure, but has the showboat attitude to take the wins.
Beri the hunter has 2 titles. The WC is equivalent to a high school education. It tests their basic abilities to hunt and retrieve as the breed is intended to do. She also has a JH which is more advanced kind of like college. The dog has to watch two separate throws drop and then pick them up separately in all kinds of terrain. The dog must pass 4 tests to receive a title.
Beri the obedience dog. The CD is an AKC title that the dog must pass 3 different times. Basic obedience which isn’t so easy when doing it in a strange place amongst strangers and do it perfectly right 3 different times! Heel off leash, long down stays, stand perfectly still while being examined by a stranger—Beri had no fails!
Beri the good citizen. Passing this test is what makes a dog eligible to visit nursing homes, schools and other places. They must do things like sit quietly when left with a stranger, not jump up when approached, and not react to loud noises. While Laurie knew Beri was a good citizen, this test shows the rest of the world the she is!
Beri seems to be settling in quite nicely.
All this adds up to a great dog that listens, understands and is beautiful to boot. I look forward to sharing Beri with you all. (Y’all will not believe the the stacks of rosettes and ribbons that Beri and Laurie earned together!)
Lisa Mason Ziegler is a commercial cut-flower farmer in Newport News, Virginia; she lectures and writes about organic and sustainable gardening. You can email Lisa at lisa@shoptgw.com , call her at 757-877-7159 or visit her website www.shoptgw.com .
Don’t miss the ‘How-to use the stand-up garden hoe’ video below.
Last year’s string bean bed had the Garden Hoe run through it once a week until the beans grew large enough to shade the soil. It was a no weed season!
Is it just a dream to have a weed-free growing season? It’s not if you plan on preventing weeds! We use two planting methods on the farm and each has its own plan of weed prevention.
The weed seed situation.
First, a little about those weed seeds outside waiting in your garden. There are millions BTW. They are just sitting out there waiting for what they need to sprout– a little sunlight and a drop of water and poof–a weed is born. When you dig around in the soil, prepare a bed or perhaps pull a weed, it disturbs the soil. This disturbance brings a new batch of weed seeds to the surface where light and water is waiting. And so goes the vicious cycle. This could be depressing–unless you know how to prevent them!
Planting transplants in the garden.
After preparing our raised beds we put down drip style irrigation and then cover the beds with a biodegradable film. The film holds up in the mid-atlantic region for approximately 6-9 months. It can be covered with mulch and will breakdown over time or it can be left exposed and incorporated into the soil at the end of the season. We have used this film for the past 7 years and really love it.
Last years tomato patch was an easy keeper. A weed couldn’t catch a ray of light to sprout!
This biodegradable film is easy to plant through–unlike plastic and landscape cloth– just punch a hole and plant. We use a tool called a dibber to punch the hole. Covering newly prepared beds with the film blocks light so weed seeds cannot sprout. This is great because we can prepare beds at our convenience and leave them sit without holes punched until we are ready to plant. In addition to blocking weeds from developing the black film helps to warm the soil.
To plant we lay flower support netting on the bed to use as a grid to space our plants uniformly. Each netting square is 6” and allows us to make the most of the space. After we complete the planting we remove the netting until it is installed later as a support.
Depending on how quickly the transplants grow will determine if we must “hole weed” or not. Hole weeding is pulling the little weeds that sprout in the hole around the transplant because the soil is now getting light. Transplants that grow quickly will shade out any potential weeds while slow growing transplants may need a hole weeding once or twice.
In beds covered with film we do little if any weeding for the growing season. Hooray–we love this stuff!
Planting seeds in the garden.
The secret to success planting seeds in the garden is to prepare the garden and then plant the seeds immediately. This prevents the weed seeds in the bed from getting a growing jump on the planted seeds. The easiest pattern to plant and mark is in straight rows. Plastic picnic knives make great markers, one at the head and end of each row. This allows you to know where your seedlings are growing and where the weed seedlings are growing.
The key to preventing weeds is to once a week run a hoe throughout the bed everywhere except where your seeds are planted. This will eliminate those developing weed seedlings on the surface. Once our plants reach a size they can be mulched (3”-8”) we mulch and our hoeing chores are done.
How to take out those surface weed seedlings.
The answer to long term weed control in a seedbed is to eliminate the developing weed seedlings on the surface without bringing up a fresh batch of seeds. Using our Garden Hoe that has an upright handle when the blade is flat on the ground makes this job quick and easy because it cuts through the soil like a razor. You stand upright when you use it–no bending over!
Watch how efficient and easy it is to use our Garden Hoe:
Running a hoe throughout the bed in the top 1 inch or so of soil every 7-10 days is the key. Doing this easy chore weekly until the seedlings are big enough to mulch (3-5 inches) will totally prevent the weed headache of the coming season.
Once the seedlings can be mulched your hoeing chores are over. Your bed will be virtually weed free from the work you’ve done.
For Weed-Free Seedbeds:
Hoe weekly that exhausted the weed seed population in the top 1 inch
Mulch that blocks light to any remaining weed seeds
Once the plants begin to grow and fill out in spring this also shades out any young weeds trying to sprout.
Keep it Weed Free this Season!
Lisa
Lisa Mason Ziegler is a commercial cut-flower farmer in Newport News, Virginia; she lectures and writes about organic and sustainable gardening. You can email Lisa at lisa@shoptgw.com , call her at 757-877-7159 or visit her websitewww.shoptgw.com .
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Growing great zinnias is easy. Hands down zinnias are the favorite garden flower for many. As a flower farmer, it is in our top 5 best selling cut flowers and as a retailer we sell more zinnia seeds than any other seed. No question we all love zinnias and with good reason I think!
Zinnias are so prolific that a very small patch will provide a handful of blooms a week if you harvest on a regular schedule and give them what they want.
For a cutting patch, plant closer than as in a landscape. 3 rows to a 30” wide bed with 6” between plants in the row.
When to plant–zinnias love warmth. Rushing to plant in the spring while the soil is still cool to cold does not please them. My planting rule is to plant transplants out in the garden when nighttime temperatures are staying above 60 degrees. This is normally 2 weeks after the last expected spring frost. If planting seeds directly in the garden waiting another 1 to 2 weeks will make for stronger germination.
I prefer to start seeds indoors for an earlier start and to conserve seed and labor. We start in the small soil blocker 3 weeks before we are going to plant. Aiming for a 3-5” tall seedling. The seedlings grow in the small block until they are planted in the garden. We plant into biodegradable film that helps to warm the soil, retains moisture, and suppresses weeds.
Planting transplants allows you to plant into mulched bed. Simply make a hole and plant. If planting seeds directly in the garden–no mulch yet, plant seeds and then mulch once the seedlings reach 3-5” tall.
Succession plant. How long your growing season is will dictate how many patches you might plant. I am in zone 7 with a 6-7 month potential frost free season. I plant zinnias late April, late May, late June, and late July. This makes for a continuous supply of good quality blooms all season. The April and May planting are surely the most productive and most years are still producing in fall.
Feeding and Supporting:
Benary’s Giant Salmon Rose.
During their first weeks of growing in the garden a weekly watering with a liquid organic fertilizer will provide all they need to become established and grow strong roots.
We install flower support netting while the plants are under 20” tall so they can grow through it easily. The netting should rest at half of the mature height of the plants which for cutting zinnias would be 24” for the 48” tall plants.
Stop weekly fertilization once plants grow through netting. The dry organic fertilizer added at soil prep will carry them through. Over fertilizing later in their life seems to fuel mildew.
Note on Mildew:
All zinnias are susceptible to mildew. Some varieties are more resistant than others.
The Benary’s Giants Zinnias that we grow almost exclusively are resistant, however they can all get mildew depending on the growing conditions.
Harvesting deep on the plant (see video) at each harvest helps to keep new foliage growing all the time.
If and when mildew comes, it is helpful to strip foliage and throw away in trash to help eliminate spores that can spread mildew in the garden.
We have not used any treatments for mildew. If it gets going strong on a planting we remove the crop because we have others to harvest from.
Harvesting:
Keep the blooms coming– harvesting all the blooms twice a week will keep the garden full of fresh blooms and more on the way. See where to make the cut video for the first cut.
After the first cut, harvest stems at the base of the stem being cut.
Take a clean container with water to the garden for harvesting. We add flower food to all of our buckets–it definitely makes a difference in homegrown garden flowers!
If you are planting seeds directly in the garden be sure to watch how I prevent weeds in the seed bed.
Have a gorgeous zinnia season!
Benary’s Giant Mixed Colors
Lisa Mason Ziegler is a commercial cut-flower farmer in Newport News, Virginia; she lectures and writes about organic and sustainable gardening. You can email Lisa at lisa@shoptgw.com , call her at 757-877-7159 or visit her websitewww.shoptgw.com .
Like us onFacebook and follow us on Instagram to keep up with the farm!
Lisa Mason Ziegler, a home gardener turned cut-flower farmer began growing field-grown cut flowers in 1998 on less than 1 acre in Newport News, Virginia. In 2010 Lisa’s garden grew into an urban farm, now close to 3 acres. During the growing season, this farm yields over 10,000 stems of flowers each week. Her flowers are sold to upscale florists, supermarkets, and the programs Garden Share farm pickup and the Weekly Bouquet Drop-off subscription that are in their 15th year.
The first cuts of the season for the 
