Shasta Daisies and Sunflowers are both heliotropic, which means they track or move with the sun throughout the day. Is that not fascinating?! These flowers actually follow the sun.

Have you ever driven by or seen a picture of vineyards, and at the end of the rows of grape vines there are rose bushes? I found out from our trip to Napa that rose bushes are planted at the end of the vineyards as they are susceptible to the same insects and diseases as the grape vines, so are typically an early warning sign to show any issues the grape vines may soon incur.

While attending the ‘Dauntless Dahlias’ class given by Frances Palmer at the New York Botanical Gardens, I learned that if you cut a Dahlia while still in bud form, it will not bloom. They need to be three-quarters to fully open before cutting.

Lisianthus is a beautiful flower that resembles a rose, but can be very hard to grow from seed, so, I recommend purchasing them partially grown. Alternatively, a great place to purchase them as cut flowers is at the Manchester or Dorset Farmer’s Market from True Love Farm.

I always wondered why the Foxglove I planted didn’t come back after flowering, and then I learned from another course I recently took at the NYBG that they are biennial, which means the first year they grow their roots, stems and leaves and the second year they bloom. Anything that comes back the following year has self-seeded, though I have not been so lucky with that.