Our Top 10 Flowers of 2020

1. Clary Sage

Planting clary sage was actually a mistake (I’d been trying to grow a different type of sage) but a very happy mistake indeed.  Tall, architectural spires, long vase life, and a mind-clearing fragrance make this early summer bloomer a delight and a must-grow biennial in our books.

2. China Aster ‘Valkyrie Brunhilde’

Emily and I were consistently delighted by this bloom whenever it popped open in the field.  Its swirling petals were the bright color of cotton candy, and they were so whimsical and unexpected.  I was sad to see them go when the summer ended, and I’ll be so excited to see them again next year!

3. Acidanthera

A member of the gladiolus family, acidanthera only graced our fields for a few short weeks in early fall.  But this butterfly-like bloom had so much character that she’ll be back next year, and in more successions, too.

4. Lisianthus ‘Doublini Pink’

Picking a single lisianthus variety to spotlight here was a tough one!  Lisianthus is just such a wonderful flower for us: it has a beautiful form, a long vase life, and comes in many lovely colors.  This variety, ‘Doublini,’ had charming miniature flowers that made it look like an old fashioned spray rose.  ‘Doublini’ will be back next year in our fields, in more colors.

5. Tulip ‘Sensual Touch’

Full-flowered and frilly: what more could you want in a tulip?  ‘Sensual Touch’ was glorious for us this year, and we’ve already planted more.  Tulips are the first blooms we harvest in the spring, and it’s an extra special treat when they are as fabulous as this one.

6. Dahlia ‘Peaches n Cream’ / ‘Gitty Up’

I love dahlias so much that they would take up all 10 slots on this list if I allowed them to.  So, I decided to limit myself to one spot for dahlias!  ‘Peaches n Cream’ was my favorite this year, and ‘Gitty Up’ was Emily’s.

7. Cinnamon Basil

This basil smelled sooooo good!  I loved its coloring.  Cinnamon Basil was infinitely blend-able with many flower colors, and brought life and sparkle to our bouquets.  It has earned its place for next year (along with its bestie, lemon basil, pictured above).

8. Spider mum ‘Senkyo Kenshin’

TThis one bloomed at the very end of our season, when the rest of the field had succumbed to frost.  So, Emily and I kept it to ourselves and just enjoyed it!  Next year, we’ll plan a more full roster of late fall items to bloom with this one, so we can bring it to market with friends.

9. Butterfly Ranunculus ‘Hades’

I love all ranunculus.  I mean, they’re all wonderful, with their concentric, whirled petals and long, long vase life.  But butterfly ranunculus, a family with open-faced blooms, were new to us this year, and they were stunning!  Next year we will grow more colors, and they are all named after Greek gods.

10. Rudbeckia ‘Sahara’

Typical me!  I love the browns.  All those weird colors that look like they might be dead.  And Rudbeckia ‘Sahara’ brings the best of those caramel, muddy gold, and smoky plum tones.

Did you have any favorite flowers this year?  Let us know!  We are excited to welcome all of these, and many more, back to our fields in 2021.

Happy happy New Year!  Fingers crossed for 2021, may it be full of new beginnings and nice surprises.