Botanicals

Cosmos on Collier

Coreopsis is a member of the asteraceae family (sunflowers, asters) native to North America.We grow a few types of Coreopsis flowers commonly known as Tickseed. This year, we have flowers from the tinctoria, grandiflora, and sulphureus cultivars. Tickseed flowers come in many colors ranging from white to violet. The flowers are enjoyed by gardeners and growers around the world. In many places on Earth the flowers have naturalized into the ecosystem where they aren't native. 

We grow Tickseed here at Gratitude for their form and their function. Not only do they make for beautiful flowers in our bouquets, they also support our pollinators on the farm. We need our pollinators to be happy and healthy! Native flowers provide the nutrients they are used to and need to sustain their best life. 

Pollination is vital in the production of food. Many of the food we enjoy like watermelons, tomatoes, and blueberries rely directly on pollination to make their fruit. 

Calendulas in Winter

Calendula is a cold hardy plant. The flower is used to make medicine. It is used to prevent muscle spasms, start menstrual periods, and reduce fever. The oil from the flower is applied to the skin to reduce pain and swelling (inflammation) and to treat poorly healing wounds and leg ulcers.

The flowers do well in cool weather and don’t often survive the heat of a southern summer. They bloom in late fall through early spring as long as they don’t get too cold for too long. Come out to the farm and see the blooms while they are here!