Pincushion flowers are an adorable addition to a flower arrangement; the 2 inch white or lavender blossoms are elegant and long lasting in the vase.  The varieties to grow for cutting include ‘Fama’, ‘House Hybrids’, ‘Alba’, ‘Blue Perfection’, and ‘Grand Stone’.  Scabiosa is very low maintenance, rarely needing dividing and doesn’t require support.

Growing information:

Hardy zones 3 - 7

Height - 24″ to 36″

Bloom time - Mid summer

Plant in full sun or light shade, prefers afternoon shade in warmer zones

Here’s a recipe to make dry Ranch Dressing dip mix.  Save money by making your own mix from scratch, save even more by purchasing the spices in bulk at your grocery store.

1 cup dried parsley flakes
½ cup dried minced onion
½ cup garlic salt
½ cup onion salt
¼ cup garlic powder
¼ cup onion powder
2 Tablespoons dill weed
¼ cup Saco buttermilk powder

Mix well and store in airtight container.

To make prepared Ranch Dressing mix well together:

2 Tablespoons mix
2 cups Miracle Whip or mayonnaise
2 cups milk

I have a hard time comprehending that GOOD THYMES Bath & Body, my business that I have worked so passionately to build for the last five years could be taken away from me with one stroke of a pen!  I am doing what I can to advocate for my business; I have volunteered to work with the Indie Beauty Network however I can help, and I am trying to help my customers understand the effect the FDA Globilization Act of 2008 will have on consumer rights and small business owners.

If you would like to read an interesting explanation of what we are up against, please take a moment to read this blog post by Andrea Kane of Organic Beauty Expert Blog.

Then, please take a moment to join us and the 2,450 consumers and small businesses who have signed this petition against the FDA Globilization Act; please include your city and state.  Together we can make a difference!

Tall phlox brings a burst of color to the mid summer garden, and one of my favorites for its unusual coloring and twisted petals is ‘Natural Feelings’.

The rosy pink petals are striped with green and never fully open, giving it a look much like statice.  Not only are they long blooming and draw much attention to the garden border, they are also a long lasting cut flower for flower arrangements.

Growing information:

Hardy zones 4 - 8

Bloom time - mid summer, long blooming

Height - 24″ to 30″

Plant in sun, with good air circulation to help prevent mildew

Pink Calla lilies spilling out of a strawberry pitcher …………… does summertime get any better than this?

Raspberry Topped Lemon Pie or Bars

1 (10 oz.) pkg. frozen red raspberries in syrup, thawed
1 Tablespoon cornstarch

3 egg yolks
½ cup lemon juice
1 can sweetened condensed milk

1- 8 or 9 inch prepared graham cracker pie crust, not baked
Whipped topping, your choice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In small saucepan, combine raspberries and cornstarch; cook and stir until mixture thickens and is clear, set aside.  In medium bowl, beat egg yolks; stir in sweetened condensed milk and lemon juice.  Pour lemon mixture onto graham cracker crust; bake 8 minutes.  Spoon raspberry mixture evenly over top.  Chill 4 hours or until set.  Top with whipped cream or Cool Whip.  Refrigerate leftovers.

This dessert recipe can also be adapted into bars.  Make 1 ½ times the graham cracker crust recipe, and put it into a 9 x 13 baking pan.  Follow the rest of the baking instructions exactly as for the pie recipe, but spread layers thinner to cover the larger pan.  The picture above is the recipe made as bars instead of pie.

On July 18th we hosted a Red Hat ladies group for a tour of our gardens and soap business. After touring the cut flower gardens, Loy Ann, Jenny, Penny, Marilyn and Char each made a bouquet to take home, and enjoyed ice tea and each others company while relaxing at the edge of the gardens. They also toured our soap business to see how a small company like ours makes everything fresh in small batches. The weather was lovely and so were the ladies!

This pink perennial bachelor button is an excellent focal flower for flower arrangements. The papery scales enclosing the pink flower tufts make this flower not only interesting to look at but also to touch. Harvest these just as the pink tufts are beginning to erupt from the top to get the longest vase life. The large textured leaves on the plant also lend interest to the garden border.

I have heard this plant can reseed to the point of being a nuisance, but because I cut all the blossoms to sell I have not experienced this myself. How has this plant behaved in your garden? It might be wise to deadhead this plant after blooming if you don’t want it reseeding.

Growing information:

Hardy zones 4 - 7

Bloom time - mid summer

Height - 24″ to 30″

Plant in full sun in any average, well drained soil

Due to recent requests and interest, we are opening our cut flower gardens for visitors to come and pick their own bouquet in our quiet countryside setting. Visitors are welcome to wander through the gardens and quietly enjoy nature. Our local newspaper recently featured our gardens and our announcement to invite visitors. Read the article here.

If you are looking for something fun to do when you have your next mother-daughter get together, or a girls day outing coming up, think about making bouquets together. Give us a call at 320-286-5384 to set up a day and time if you would like to come out and visit. Happy bouquet making!

Make your own delicious, nutritious, summertime freezies; both kids and adults love these!

½ cup sugar
2 cups boiling water
6 oz. frozen orange juice concentrate (not diluted)
2 ½ c. crushed pineapple with juice (20 oz. can)
1 - 10 oz. pkg. frozen strawberries
5 mashed bananas

Dissolve sugar in boiling water. Add other ingredients, then blend in two batches in blender. Pour into small 3 oz. Dixie cups, freeze partially, then add popsicle sticks and finish freezing until completely firm. Peel off Dixie cup before eating. Makes about 24 treats.

Substitute other berries or frozen juice to invent new flavors!