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Who says you can't mix function and beauty? My @vi Who says you can't mix function and beauty? My @victorinoxnorthamerica Swiss Army Huntsman knife has become my go-to tool for crafting stunning floral arrangements with ease and precision. It's versatile, reliable and always at hand, making it the ultimate gardening and floral companion.

I can’t even count the number of times I use it during my flower truck events — cutting stems, cutting paper, cutting ribbon, screwing loose screws on the 1961 vintage VW frame! The convenience and versatility of this compact knife truly amazes me each time I use it!

With my Swiss Army knife in hand, I'm ready to take on any floral challenge that comes my way. 🌻💐🌷 #myVictorinox #partner 

#SwissArmyKnife #flowertruck #FlowerArrangements #GardeningLife #BloomAndGrow #ToolOfTheTrade #ConvenientTools #FlowerPower #FlowerArrangementsMadeEasy #EfficiencyAtItsFinest
They’re alive 🤩🌷 Should I do more flower t They’re alive 🤩🌷 Should I do more flower timelapses!? Which flowers would you want to see next!?

#timelapse #timelapsephotography #timelapsevideo #timelapseflower #flowertime #tulips #tulipsofinstagram #growflowers #cutflowergarden #gardeninglife #tulipseason #flowersofinstagram #flowertime #floraleducation #flowers #flowerphotography #localflowers #slowflowers #happyflowers #peacefulgarden #flowergarden #gardeningmakesmehappy #aflowerfilledlife #flowerfarm #flowerfarmer #farmerflorist #flowerfarmerflorist #slowfloralstyle #ayearinflowers
Never running out of uses for my @victorinoxnortha Never running out of uses for my @victorinoxnorthamerica Huntsman Swiss Army Knife 🌼🌸🌺 As a lover of all things floral, this Swiss Army Knife is my go-to tool for gardening and creating beautiful arrangements 🌿 Whether I’m tending to my flower farm, fixing up my flower truck or crafting a centerpiece for an event, it always does the job 👌🏼 Not to mention, as a busy mom, its versatility comes in clutch on a daily basis! No matter what I’m doing she’s always within reach 💐 #myVictorinox #partner #SwissArmyKnife #FlowerArranging #GardeningLife #MomLife
‘Lotus Love’ tulips coming back to life 🌷 W ‘Lotus Love’ tulips coming back to life 🌷 We’ve been pulling tulips by the truckload daily at the farm, it’s the midst of tulip mania and very hard for me to slow down but this time lapse was calling my name today!

#timelapse #timelapsephotography #timelapsevideo #timelapseflower #flowertime #tulips #tulipsofinstagram #growflowers #cutflowergarden #gardeninglife #tulipseason #flowersofinstagram #flowertime #floraleducation #flowers #flowerphotography #localflowers #slowflowers #happyflowers #peacefulgarden #flowergarden #gardeningmakesmehappy #aflowerfilledlife #flowerfarm #flowerfarmer #farmerflorist #flowerfarmerflorist #slowfloralstyle #ayearinflowers
My two best garden buddies 🥰🌿 who am I kiddi My two best garden buddies 🥰🌿 who am I kidding they trample my plants, eat the dirt and have watering hose battles 🤣 I wouldn’t have it any other way tho!! Happy Earth Day flower friends, babies & dirt forever ✌️🌎🌷#earthdayeveryday #flowerfriends #gardenkids
Who knew my trusty @victorinoxnorthamerica Swiss A Who knew my trusty @victorinoxnorthamerica Swiss Army Huntsman knife could be my secret weapon in the garden!? From starting seeds, to dividing dahlia tubers, to planting, to flower harvesting and arranging, this baby can do it all — she’s the ultimate every day gardening tool 💐🌻🌿

Between the knife, saw, corkscrew and screwdriver I’ve been using her multiple times a day both at home and in the garden; not to mention she’s equipped with 15 total tools, including a scissor and tweezer, AND she’s compact enough to fit right in my pocket or purse, she comes everywhere with me! #myVictorinox #sponsored
It’s almost dahlia planting season!! Here’s ho It’s almost dahlia planting season!! Here’s how I take cuttings from my most special tubers to increase stock early in the season! Taking cuttings = free plants 🙌

1. About 4-6 weeks before your last frost start “waking up” the tubers you want to take cuttings from by bringing them into a warmer space than what they were being store at. I bring mine in from about 45-50° to 70-75° in order to wake them.

2. Pot up those special tubers vertically leaving the neck and crown part above the soil level. The crown is where the eyes/future stems grow from!

3. Put them under grow lights and keep the room temperature around 70-75°, I don’t water tubers until I see green growth.

4. Wait (and check on them 78726894 times a day if you’re like me) while the eyes turn into stems with leaves and get super excited because it’s time to cut!

5. This should take about 3-4ish weeks under the grow lights, when the stems have 2-3 sets of leaves take a sharp, sterilized knife and cut the stem from the tuber as close as possible to the crown from which its growing from.

6. Remove the bottom set of leaves gently from the stem so you have about two inches bare.

7. Dip in some rooting hormone and pop the stem into a new 4” pot filled with nutrient-rich potting soil. You want to make sure it’s down under the soil surface about 1”. Pat down gently around the base to make sure the cutting is in there securely.

8. Water them in well and put the pots back under the grow lights in a warm area. Check on them daily, once they root they’ll need lots of water!

9. Plant tubers and cuttings outside once all danger of frost has passed. I take about 3-4 cutting per tuber per season and still plant them outside afterwards and STILL get beautiful, lush dahlia plants!

Save and share this video if it was helpful and please tag me in your dahlia journeys this year! 🌿
He would have been 3 today 💛 Shared a few inti He would have been 3 today 💛

Shared a few intimate and pure moments in stories to show what it looks like to parent after loss, he’s not here physically but still very much a part of our family. I will say, the capacity for love and compassion our living kids have (at just 2 and 5 years old) really blows me away 🥹 Parenting after loss is a whole whirlwind of confusing, conflicting emotions. Am I doing enough to honor my baby? Am I doing too much? Am I grieving too much and therefore not paying enough attention to my living kids? Is the random mom rage grief or overstimulation or something else?? I’m so proud of the compassion, love and empathy my kids show and I’m sad they know it at such young ages. It’s confusing. It’s unfair. It’s hard. There are no rules, and there’s definitely no baby loss handbook. The days and anniversaries associated with baby loss can be overwhelming and confusing too. Sometimes I feel like keeping it simple and keeping it completely private, other times I feel like publicly honoring our baby. If there’s one thing I’ve learned on this journey it’s that there truly are no rules in grief. You just do what feels right in that given moment. We miss you always baby Liam 💗
“The glory of gardening: hands in the dirt, head “The glory of gardening: hands in the dirt, head in the sun, heart with nature. To nurture a garden is to feed not just the body, but the soul.” 💫
-Alfred Austin

That about sums it up! Why I garden, in a nutshell. Gardening has been a passion of mine for many years and became something that I dove even deeper into after experiencing the  devastating loss of our baby and the grief journey that has followed. I feel calm and at home and wild and free in the garden, yet planned and poised and in control. In short, gardening changed my life, and saved my life – it has given me profound peace and purpose and there’s nowhere I’d rather  be than with my hands in the dirt, head in the sun and heart in nature 🌿
Who says you can't mix function and beauty? My @vi Who says you can't mix function and beauty? My @victorinoxnorthamerica Swiss Army Huntsman knife has become my go-to tool for crafting stunning floral arrangements with ease and precision. It's versatile, reliable and always at hand, making it the ultimate gardening and floral companion.

I can’t even count the number of times I use it during my flower truck events — cutting stems, cutting paper, cutting ribbon, screwing loose screws on the 1961 vintage VW frame! The convenience and versatility of this compact knife truly amazes me each time I use it!

With my Swiss Army knife in hand, I'm ready to take on any floral challenge that comes my way. 🌻💐🌷 #myVictorinox #partner 

#SwissArmyKnife #flowertruck #FlowerArrangements #GardeningLife #BloomAndGrow #ToolOfTheTrade #ConvenientTools #FlowerPower #FlowerArrangementsMadeEasy #EfficiencyAtItsFinest
They’re alive 🤩🌷 Should I do more flower t They’re alive 🤩🌷 Should I do more flower timelapses!? Which flowers would you want to see next!?

#timelapse #timelapsephotography #timelapsevideo #timelapseflower #flowertime #tulips #tulipsofinstagram #growflowers #cutflowergarden #gardeninglife #tulipseason #flowersofinstagram #flowertime #floraleducation #flowers #flowerphotography #localflowers #slowflowers #happyflowers #peacefulgarden #flowergarden #gardeningmakesmehappy #aflowerfilledlife #flowerfarm #flowerfarmer #farmerflorist #flowerfarmerflorist #slowfloralstyle #ayearinflowers
Never running out of uses for my @victorinoxnortha Never running out of uses for my @victorinoxnorthamerica Huntsman Swiss Army Knife 🌼🌸🌺 As a lover of all things floral, this Swiss Army Knife is my go-to tool for gardening and creating beautiful arrangements 🌿 Whether I’m tending to my flower farm, fixing up my flower truck or crafting a centerpiece for an event, it always does the job 👌🏼 Not to mention, as a busy mom, its versatility comes in clutch on a daily basis! No matter what I’m doing she’s always within reach 💐 #myVictorinox #partner #SwissArmyKnife #FlowerArranging #GardeningLife #MomLife
‘Lotus Love’ tulips coming back to life 🌷 W ‘Lotus Love’ tulips coming back to life 🌷 We’ve been pulling tulips by the truckload daily at the farm, it’s the midst of tulip mania and very hard for me to slow down but this time lapse was calling my name today!

#timelapse #timelapsephotography #timelapsevideo #timelapseflower #flowertime #tulips #tulipsofinstagram #growflowers #cutflowergarden #gardeninglife #tulipseason #flowersofinstagram #flowertime #floraleducation #flowers #flowerphotography #localflowers #slowflowers #happyflowers #peacefulgarden #flowergarden #gardeningmakesmehappy #aflowerfilledlife #flowerfarm #flowerfarmer #farmerflorist #flowerfarmerflorist #slowfloralstyle #ayearinflowers
My two best garden buddies 🥰🌿 who am I kiddi My two best garden buddies 🥰🌿 who am I kidding they trample my plants, eat the dirt and have watering hose battles 🤣 I wouldn’t have it any other way tho!! Happy Earth Day flower friends, babies & dirt forever ✌️🌎🌷#earthdayeveryday #flowerfriends #gardenkids
Who knew my trusty @victorinoxnorthamerica Swiss A Who knew my trusty @victorinoxnorthamerica Swiss Army Huntsman knife could be my secret weapon in the garden!? From starting seeds, to dividing dahlia tubers, to planting, to flower harvesting and arranging, this baby can do it all — she’s the ultimate every day gardening tool 💐🌻🌿

Between the knife, saw, corkscrew and screwdriver I’ve been using her multiple times a day both at home and in the garden; not to mention she’s equipped with 15 total tools, including a scissor and tweezer, AND she’s compact enough to fit right in my pocket or purse, she comes everywhere with me! #myVictorinox #sponsored
It’s almost dahlia planting season!! Here’s ho It’s almost dahlia planting season!! Here’s how I take cuttings from my most special tubers to increase stock early in the season! Taking cuttings = free plants 🙌

1. About 4-6 weeks before your last frost start “waking up” the tubers you want to take cuttings from by bringing them into a warmer space than what they were being store at. I bring mine in from about 45-50° to 70-75° in order to wake them.

2. Pot up those special tubers vertically leaving the neck and crown part above the soil level. The crown is where the eyes/future stems grow from!

3. Put them under grow lights and keep the room temperature around 70-75°, I don’t water tubers until I see green growth.

4. Wait (and check on them 78726894 times a day if you’re like me) while the eyes turn into stems with leaves and get super excited because it’s time to cut!

5. This should take about 3-4ish weeks under the grow lights, when the stems have 2-3 sets of leaves take a sharp, sterilized knife and cut the stem from the tuber as close as possible to the crown from which its growing from.

6. Remove the bottom set of leaves gently from the stem so you have about two inches bare.

7. Dip in some rooting hormone and pop the stem into a new 4” pot filled with nutrient-rich potting soil. You want to make sure it’s down under the soil surface about 1”. Pat down gently around the base to make sure the cutting is in there securely.

8. Water them in well and put the pots back under the grow lights in a warm area. Check on them daily, once they root they’ll need lots of water!

9. Plant tubers and cuttings outside once all danger of frost has passed. I take about 3-4 cutting per tuber per season and still plant them outside afterwards and STILL get beautiful, lush dahlia plants!

Save and share this video if it was helpful and please tag me in your dahlia journeys this year! 🌿
He would have been 3 today 💛 Shared a few inti He would have been 3 today 💛

Shared a few intimate and pure moments in stories to show what it looks like to parent after loss, he’s not here physically but still very much a part of our family. I will say, the capacity for love and compassion our living kids have (at just 2 and 5 years old) really blows me away 🥹 Parenting after loss is a whole whirlwind of confusing, conflicting emotions. Am I doing enough to honor my baby? Am I doing too much? Am I grieving too much and therefore not paying enough attention to my living kids? Is the random mom rage grief or overstimulation or something else?? I’m so proud of the compassion, love and empathy my kids show and I’m sad they know it at such young ages. It’s confusing. It’s unfair. It’s hard. There are no rules, and there’s definitely no baby loss handbook. The days and anniversaries associated with baby loss can be overwhelming and confusing too. Sometimes I feel like keeping it simple and keeping it completely private, other times I feel like publicly honoring our baby. If there’s one thing I’ve learned on this journey it’s that there truly are no rules in grief. You just do what feels right in that given moment. We miss you always baby Liam 💗
“The glory of gardening: hands in the dirt, head “The glory of gardening: hands in the dirt, head in the sun, heart with nature. To nurture a garden is to feed not just the body, but the soul.” 💫
-Alfred Austin

That about sums it up! Why I garden, in a nutshell. Gardening has been a passion of mine for many years and became something that I dove even deeper into after experiencing the  devastating loss of our baby and the grief journey that has followed. I feel calm and at home and wild and free in the garden, yet planned and poised and in control. In short, gardening changed my life, and saved my life – it has given me profound peace and purpose and there’s nowhere I’d rather  be than with my hands in the dirt, head in the sun and heart in nature 🌿
To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow 💐🌿🌷 One of my all time favorite gardening quotes, to plant a garden truly is to have hope for the future. Even looking forward to the tiniest things like watching a seed sprout or waiting for a bud to bloom. It’s the little things, and gardening does that for me, especially when hope and talking about the future can feel hard. 

So this your sign to grow all the things this year! I have many blog posts on my site that can help and if you’re local to NY I’m teaching a gardening course later this month, more info on my farm page @wildirisflowertruck 🌿
Spring is here, flowers are coming. I’m so ready Spring is here, flowers are coming. I’m so ready. Are you? 😍🌿💐🌱🌷🪴🌻 Follow more of my flower farming and florist journey over at @wildirisflowertruck 💫
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How to Prune Hydrangeas for Fall

October 3, 2022 / Gardening

This guide to fall hydrangea care will give you the best tips on how to prune hydrangeas for longterm success during the fall!

beautiful pink hydrangeas

Tips for Caring for Hydrangeas During Autumn

I’ve been chatting on Instagram about hydrangea do’s and don’ts for fall so I figured it would be helpful to put that info into a quick blog post for everyone to reference back to.

In this post about caring for your hydrangeas during fall, I’m going to cover the importance of pruning your hydrangeas correctly this fall. I’m going to go into how to properly prune hydrangeas, the differences of pruning different types of hydrangeas, composting them, and how to begin prepping your hydrangeas for winter.

You might be asking what the importance of pruning hydrangeas might be. Well, pruning hydrangeas is important because if you do not, they might not bloom! So follow this guide for proper fall hydrangea care for the most beautiful blooms!

Let’s learn how to prune hydrangeas!

beautiful pink hydrangeas

How to Prune Hydrangeas for Fall

 Let’s get the main tip out right away:  When in doubt, don’t heavily prune hydrangeas, just deadhead.

If you heavily prune your hydrangea, you risk removing the flowers for next year since many hydrangeas set their buds in the fall on old wood. There are some cases that call for a heavy prune, but that would usually take place in the spring and I highly recommend consulting with a professional before doing something drastic like that.

I will say even with a heavy prune your hydrangea WILL bloom again eventually, it might just take a year or so.

beautiful pink hydrangeas

Old Wood vs. New Wood Hydrangeas When Pruning Hydrangeas

I know you’ve probably heard about old vs. new wood hydrangeas and that you should prune them differently. But that can get confusing and complicated and complicated = feeling like you’re failing sometimes, but I want you to feel confident!

My fool-proof recommendation, at least as a beginner hydrangea caretaker, is not to prune. 

All I do to my hydrangeas (they are all in the macrophylla/Endless Summer family) is a quick deadhead in the fall. To prune the hydrangeas, just snip off spent blooms right below the flower head. That’s it.

You can also cut off any straggly/weak canes at the soil line and remove and dead or diseased wood. Some people do a light hydrangea prune or trim to keep the plant’s shape. As gnarly as they may look, I leave the bare sticks in my winter landscape because that’s where the beauty grows from in the spring.

If you have a very old hydrangea, you can remove entire canes in order to keep them under control and looking fresh. If you do not do this, your older hydrangeas will be okay, they’ll just produce smaller blooms. So, remove a few of the oldest canes at the soil line to get the biggest, billowiest blooms.

beautiful pink hydrangeas

Compost & Winter Prep for Hydrangeas

Once you prune the hydrangea, I like to add a layer of compost around the base of the plant for a slow release of nutrients. Then, I top that off with a thicker layer of mulch to retain moisture, prevent weeds, and add a layer of protection from the cooler winter weather. 

So, no need to stress over pruning! Don’t be intimidated and have confidence that with just a little care, your hydrangeas will bring you years and years of those lovely, old-fashioned blooms.

I hope this guide on how to prune hydrangeas was helpful for you! If you’ve found any other tips to winterize your hydrangeas, I’d love to hear about it!

Looking for more fall garden tips? Check out this post where I have outlined 8 of the best fall gardening tips for beautiful spring blooms.

This is another great post with tips for caring for your fall garden!

beautiful pink hydrangeas

 

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  1. Cool Season Flowers and Hardy Annuals for Cold Climates says:
    November 5, 2022 at 10:34 pm

    […] How to Prune Hydrangeas for Fall […]

    Reply
  2. 9 Fall Blooming Perennials to Brighten Your Landscape says:
    November 20, 2022 at 4:50 am

    […] transitioning to creamy white, then pink, and finally, as an ode to autumn, a musty burgundy. Give hydrangeas moderate water and fertilize in spring and again in late summer. In cooler climates, add a layer of mulch along the base of the plant in […]

    Reply

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Who says you can't mix function and beauty? My @vi Who says you can't mix function and beauty? My @victorinoxnorthamerica Swiss Army Huntsman knife has become my go-to tool for crafting stunning floral arrangements with ease and precision. It's versatile, reliable and always at hand, making it the ultimate gardening and floral companion.

I can’t even count the number of times I use it during my flower truck events — cutting stems, cutting paper, cutting ribbon, screwing loose screws on the 1961 vintage VW frame! The convenience and versatility of this compact knife truly amazes me each time I use it!

With my Swiss Army knife in hand, I'm ready to take on any floral challenge that comes my way. 🌻💐🌷 #myVictorinox #partner 

#SwissArmyKnife #flowertruck #FlowerArrangements #GardeningLife #BloomAndGrow #ToolOfTheTrade #ConvenientTools #FlowerPower #FlowerArrangementsMadeEasy #EfficiencyAtItsFinest
They’re alive 🤩🌷 Should I do more flower t They’re alive 🤩🌷 Should I do more flower timelapses!? Which flowers would you want to see next!?

#timelapse #timelapsephotography #timelapsevideo #timelapseflower #flowertime #tulips #tulipsofinstagram #growflowers #cutflowergarden #gardeninglife #tulipseason #flowersofinstagram #flowertime #floraleducation #flowers #flowerphotography #localflowers #slowflowers #happyflowers #peacefulgarden #flowergarden #gardeningmakesmehappy #aflowerfilledlife #flowerfarm #flowerfarmer #farmerflorist #flowerfarmerflorist #slowfloralstyle #ayearinflowers
Never running out of uses for my @victorinoxnortha Never running out of uses for my @victorinoxnorthamerica Huntsman Swiss Army Knife 🌼🌸🌺 As a lover of all things floral, this Swiss Army Knife is my go-to tool for gardening and creating beautiful arrangements 🌿 Whether I’m tending to my flower farm, fixing up my flower truck or crafting a centerpiece for an event, it always does the job 👌🏼 Not to mention, as a busy mom, its versatility comes in clutch on a daily basis! No matter what I’m doing she’s always within reach 💐 #myVictorinox #partner #SwissArmyKnife #FlowerArranging #GardeningLife #MomLife
‘Lotus Love’ tulips coming back to life 🌷 W ‘Lotus Love’ tulips coming back to life 🌷 We’ve been pulling tulips by the truckload daily at the farm, it’s the midst of tulip mania and very hard for me to slow down but this time lapse was calling my name today!

#timelapse #timelapsephotography #timelapsevideo #timelapseflower #flowertime #tulips #tulipsofinstagram #growflowers #cutflowergarden #gardeninglife #tulipseason #flowersofinstagram #flowertime #floraleducation #flowers #flowerphotography #localflowers #slowflowers #happyflowers #peacefulgarden #flowergarden #gardeningmakesmehappy #aflowerfilledlife #flowerfarm #flowerfarmer #farmerflorist #flowerfarmerflorist #slowfloralstyle #ayearinflowers
My two best garden buddies 🥰🌿 who am I kiddi My two best garden buddies 🥰🌿 who am I kidding they trample my plants, eat the dirt and have watering hose battles 🤣 I wouldn’t have it any other way tho!! Happy Earth Day flower friends, babies & dirt forever ✌️🌎🌷#earthdayeveryday #flowerfriends #gardenkids
Who knew my trusty @victorinoxnorthamerica Swiss A Who knew my trusty @victorinoxnorthamerica Swiss Army Huntsman knife could be my secret weapon in the garden!? From starting seeds, to dividing dahlia tubers, to planting, to flower harvesting and arranging, this baby can do it all — she’s the ultimate every day gardening tool 💐🌻🌿

Between the knife, saw, corkscrew and screwdriver I’ve been using her multiple times a day both at home and in the garden; not to mention she’s equipped with 15 total tools, including a scissor and tweezer, AND she’s compact enough to fit right in my pocket or purse, she comes everywhere with me! #myVictorinox #sponsored

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