Painted Earth Flowers

07/02/2025

Jon and I are soaking up some sun and warmth in sunny Florida before the flower plugs start arriving in a couple of weeks.
I love caladiums and decided to pick up a nice order of bulbs while we are here.

We traveled two hours inland through Florida farm country to the world headquarters of caladiums.
Florida grows 95% of the world's "farmed" caladiums. They have the absolute best soil for caladiums to propagate and flouris in. They called it "lake bottom" soil. I suppose from the days of Florida being mostly swamps.

We were happy to meet the family that owns Florida Boys Caladiums. Mom, Dad, and three boys keep themselves busy growing caladiums and selling the bulbs.
We got to see their warehouse full of bulbs and have them explain the growing and harvesting process.
They harvest the bulbs from December into March.... from hundreds of acres of land. The bulbs are washed and then sorted by size to be ready to sell in the spring. They usually don't send bulbs to Iowa until May, so I thought I would get a jump on growing them, so you will be able to buy them already leafed out. They are so wonderful in shady areas with hostas, begonias, impatiens. etc.

I think I will try some in a few of the planters at the Clarinda hospital this year.

Stay tuned in to see how things go...

Here at my place, I usually plant the bulbs in the ground and try to be patient until they come up. They like the ground to be 65 degrees before they feel like sprouting and growing.

Many varieties... in red, white and pink colors. I am bringing home nine different varieties.

See you in a couple of months!

05/09/2024

As we are heading out of the dog days of summer, the flower beds will deepen in color and enjoy cooler days and nights. During this dry spell, I'm turning the sprinklers on the flower beds. The perennials need to head into winter with plenty of moisture in the ground, and I want to enjoy the flower beds as long as I can.
In the meantime, we're enjoying the beauty of color in all the beds and pots.
Here are some of my favorites right now. Thanks for joining me for the tour.

08/06/2024

Saturday, June 8th is last day I'm open.
Buy one, get one free.

Thanks so much to everyone who came out and supported my efforts to supply some color and satisfaction to your life.

You definitely did that for me!

Have a great summer! Fertilize and trim back. And, of course, water...ugh!

Keep in touch here to see if I can make an idea or two I have happen in a couple of months.

Plus, I'll start planning an order for 2025 in September.

Feel free to post pictures of your flowers and pots here for all to enjoy.

Live life with open eyes to see the beauty in nature and in people!

Send a message to learn more

07/06/2024

It's Friday morning....here are the flowers that will be
'BOGO'. Or for you non-shoppers 'buy one, get one free'.
Calibrochoa, a few Petunias, LOTS of Impatiens and Begonias and Thunbergia that are shade lovers, some Geraniums, plenty of Vinca-both trailing and upright, lots of Lantana, and Coleus.
I'm still filling areas in my yard, so will try to watch for y'all today and tomorrow.
THANKS!!

06/06/2024

LAST DAY OF 2024 - THIS SATURDAY, JUNE 8.
Some new fun stuff and flowers on sale.
More details to follow.

03/06/2024

I think I will use this post to honor my mom's best friend, her sister/my Aunt Carol. Family gathered last weekend to celebrate her life on earth and her release into the hereafter. She was here in this time and space for 96 years. So grateful for she and her siblings....humble, salt of the earth people. These sunflowers celebrate Kansas where she was born, raised and died. The state flower of Kansas. Deemed a noxious w**d in Iowa. Haha.

If you came out to Painted Earth Flowers this year, you might have noticed some expensive sunflowers for sale. They are Sunfinity Sunflowers which are bred to bloom longer than the previous domesticated sunflowers. They have no pollen, so they do not leave residue on the table when you pick them for a bouquet.
Check out more about them here.
https://mysunfinity.com/why-sunfinity

The pics are of a progression in the life of these flowers so far. I didn't get a picture of them in their first flush of blooming. On the right, are two plants untouched by scissors. The blooms on the plant in the middle have been cut off. Yep....I cut off the whole stem. It probably had five or six blooms on the stem I cut off and put in a vase. Next is a bouquet of sunflowers. Very cheery inside. The plant on the left was cut several weeks ago and has reproduced sunflowers whose stems are a good length to put in a smaller vase. I expect to have sunflower bouquets for a lot of the summer because I have moved all the sunflowers into the ground in the garden.

Happy summer to them and to us!

31/05/2024

I've got a lot of real estate in flower beds. I couldn't possibly afford to fill all these beds if I didn't grow flowers in the greenhouse. I was a gardener long before I owned a greenhouse....probably more than 50 years before I started a greenhouse business.
That being said...I'm into my gardening mode and emptying the greenhouses as fast as my body can handle it...which seems to get a little slower as the years roll by. I've decided that gardening is harder physical work than greenhousing. Up and down and up and down. Lean over to dig. Lean over to plant. Lean over to pick up pots and tags. I endure the body aches for the joy that is set before me. A summer of color and restful, beautiful surroundings. Okay, to be honest I don't love the summer heat...and I HATE dragging hose all over the yard! That's why I don't very often complain about rain. But in between the watering, since I put pre-emergent down in my beds to keep the w**d pressure down and spend boucoup amounts of money on bark mulch....after things are mulched...there's a big sigh of relief. Even though I enjoy digging in the dirt. Harvesting with your eyes is an easy job.
But, all that being said....the greenhouse efforts are winding down. There are still plenty of pretties to create many pots. So, if you haven't gotten around to getting flowers, or you are still thinking about a certain pot or flower bed, come on out. It won't be much longer before I'll be closed.
Thanks to all who have made their way here this year!

31/05/2024

I hope you are all enjoying being co-creators with the Master Designer. I'm really enjoying this container of flowers outside my door. Coleus in the middle. The blue is lobelia. Red Superbells. And the new calabrochoa that I hadn't had before. It is gold/sometimes reddish with red veins. I really enjoy the flowers that change colors like this little calibrochoa...maybe by how old the bloom is. Maybe by whether it is in the sun or shade. This is a simple design, but has spoken to me and caught my eye during this late spring weather. I'll see how it does when I have to keep it watered!
As beautiful and bright as the blooms of the flowers are....I believe they will be dull in contrast to the colors in a place where there is no taint of death to dim our view. Pure light and life. Knowing as we are known.

29/05/2024

Filled a pot with all the white flowers I had. It was in honor of our daughter-in-law, Heather. We miss her in so many ways. Last year at this time, the Lord had been talking to her about humility. Then she started talking about surrender. She was not feeling good and was trying to figure out why. In August/September she was facing the reality of possibly leaving this world. By October, she was exhorting us to press on and live transformed lives....not the run of the mill trying to be good enough to get to heaven, and not really having changed lives.
The pot full of white flowers reminds me of the verse in the Bible that says "though our sins be as scarlet, they shall be washed whiter than snow. Being good enough doesn't cut it. How do we know when we are good enough, anyway? God's plan is not comprehensible. Sending His Son as a man to take our place and... in His death and reserruction....wash us white as snow. Jesus sacrifice reminds me that a broken and contrite heart is the first step to getting our filthy-rag-self-righteousness turned into the righteousness that Jesus supplied in his obedience to the cross. God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. Infathomable. Definitely not the wisdom of man. And then consider that resurrection power! That's the power that has been given to us to live like we mean what we believe. White. Purity. Clean...not by our good deeds and lack of sin. But by the grace, mercy, love and power given in the Beloved resurrected Son. Now ready to live as my Beloved's very own prize. Right here, right now...as well as when we go to where Heather has gone.

24/05/2024

I've got some memorial boxes for the cemetery made up this year.

22/05/2024

Following up on my "favorite things" post from a couple of days ago...
I believe there has been a nest built amongst the flowers since the first season....2021. It's a fun added blessing of creation and re- creation.

19/05/2024

It happened again.... shirt matches flowers. Haha.

19/05/2024

There are so many blessings that come my way when sharing my love of flowers.
1- Seeing people thoughtfully creating new masterpieces for their pots or flower beds.
2- Helping people with ideas and choices.
3- The days when friends and acquaintences end up at Painted Earth Flowers at the same time and spend time connecting.
4- Being able to pray with people who are encountering issues of concern in their lives.
5- Watching hummingbirds, hummingbird moths, and bees enjoy the flowers.
6- Having grandkids hang around selling cookies and lemonade. (I charge rent for the space...a cookie now and then)
7- Getting ideas from customers for my own pots and flower beds.
8- Enjoying long visits when things aren't busy.
9- Receiving help from friends to transplant, organize, trim and help customers.... couldn't do it with help from Charlotte! Thanks to Jill, Jean, Valerie, Helen, Carol, Pam, Liz, Jon, Jordan, Grandkids... and others!
10- Helping carry boxes with flowers to a customer's car and seeing them all together forming a riot of beautiful color.

Thanks to all who have made the trip here! Hope you enjoy months of joy from the beauty of creation!

Now out to water!

19/05/2024

There were a couple of little boys here today manning the lemonade stand. It's just that they didn't have any cookies or lemonade. Haha.

18/05/2024

I thought the combination of choices in this box was so pretty. As many combinations that leave here are. And these flowers matched her blouse.... which is not uncommon.

18/05/2024

For all you shady people....
The pictures don't do them justice. The impatiens colors are brilliant!

17/05/2024

I've got this idea rumbling around in my head for a class this next Sunday afternoon... it would be before or after I'm open from 3-5.
I would like to show people how to trim and prune their flowers and baskets. I've got a number of baskets that could use tightening up and would demonstrate on them.
Class at 2pm or 5pm.
Let me know if you would be interested and what time would be best for you. I would want close to ten to do it.
If you still have a pot to fill. I could guide you with some ideas on that with what I have in the greenhouse. Sunday looks to be cloudy, and that would make it more pleasant in the greenhouse...

17/05/2024

Also some regular geraniums still available.