Spring has become my favorite season since I began growing flowers for cut production in 2020. I never realized what my garden was missing in the spring. All the flowers I was used to planting were summer perennials, so while April and May brought lots of healthy green growth, there were never any colors in the spring months.

Then in November of 2020 I planted 200 specialty narcissus and 800 unique tulip bulbs. Fast forward to spring 2021 and oh my goodness…. The parrot tulips were mind blowing, I never knew daffodils had a fragrance, and the Stock was incredible!! I knew I HAD to have more for 2022. In November 2021, I more than quadrupled the number of tulip bulbs to 3,400 in the field.

Here are some of my favorite tulip varieties for cut flower production:

  1. Belicia – A multiple budded bloom of creamy white with pink tips. A true beauty!! 
  2. Apricot Parrot – An explosion of pastel watercolors with feathered petals. Hands down a must grow!
  3. Menton – The classic single French tulip but in a gorgeous coral/pink color. The perfect representation of spring.

When combined together: Belicia, Menton, and Queen of the Night give an incredibly romantic appearance.

A brand new flower to me that I had never grown before were anemones. They completely stole my heart! These hardy little plants put off so many gorgeous blooms it’s so impressive. I grew the classic black/white variety, Bordeaux (deep red with a purple ring around the center), and a pastel mix. I think I liked the surprising colors of the pastel mix the best. I grow the Galilee series and they were tolerant of the weather in my zone 5b hoop house.

iron meadows flower farm, white anemone, black and white anemone, Galilee anemone

Stock caught me off guard in the best way. I almost don’t even know why I decided to grow it, because it looked like any other spike flower with the curly petals and tightly spaced florets, but no one had told me about the incredible scent they put off! I think stock is my favorite floral scent…tied with sweet peas. I grow the Iron series inside our hoop house which are more tolerate of heat, and have incredibly strong, robust stems. I also have to mention the wide range of colors from the palest pastel shades to vibrant pinks to deep purples. There’s a stock color for everyone!

New Spring Flowers at Iron Meadows in 2022:

Iceland Poppy

Campanula

Viola

Make sure to reserve your spot in the Spring Bouquet Subscription or the new CHAMPAIGN Spring Bouquet Subscription if you want weekly doses of these gorgeous and colorful flower bunches!