Why We’re Buying Bigger Perennial Plants for the Flower Farm

This week, Steve and I had the pleasure of driving up to Cumberland County to pick up six new hydrangeas from Zirkle’s Nursery a wholesale nursery.

Although Cumberland County isn’t all that far from us, it was an area of New Jersey we had never really explored. As we drove past open meadows, creeks, and acres of farmland, we were both struck by just how beautiful it was.

I don’t think most people realize how rural New Jersey still is.

Mention New Jersey to someone from another state, and they may picture highways, traffic, and crowded towns.

But there is another New Jersey filled with farms, winding roads, wide-open fields, and places where you can drive for quite a while without seeing much of anything at all.

By the time we reached the nursery, we felt as though we were truly in the middle of nowhere.

It was so quiet and open that Cape May actually felt a little congested by comparison, which is not something I ever thought I would say!

A Nursery in the Middle of Nowhere

Zirkle’s Nursery was quite a sight.

This wasn’t a little garden center with a few shrubs lined up near the parking lot. There were acres and acres of shrubs growing in pots, row after row, as far as we could see.

For two people who grow plants for a living, it was a little like being turned loose in a candy store.

We had gone there for six ‘Quick Fire Fab’ hydrangeas, a panicle hydrangea with beautiful blooms that mature into shades of blush pink, rose, and deeper red. I’ve been looking for a hydrangea that would give us those soft, romantic colors for our bouquets from midsummer into fall, and I think this one is going to be lovely.

Our experience with Zirkle’s Nursery was wonderful from beginning to end. Their customer service was excellent, and the plants were beautifully grown, healthy, and clearly well cared for.

We also went with a very specific goal: buy the largest plants we could find.

The Lesson We Learned About Buying Perennials

When we first started the farm, we often purchased small cuttings and baby plants because they were less expensive.

On paper, it seemed like the sensible choice.

But perennials require patience, and sometimes quite a lot of it.

Those little plants may take several years before they are large enough to provide a meaningful number of stems.

During all that time, they still need to be planted, watered, weeded, and cared for.

We’ve learned that the least expensive plant isn’t always the least expensive choice.

For a home gardener who enjoys watching a garden grow, beginning with a small plant can be part of the pleasure.

But on a flower farm, we are planting with the hope of eventually harvesting. Every extra year we wait is another year that the plant occupies valuable space without producing flowers we can use.

Buy the Biggest Perennial You Can Reasonably Afford

Now, when we add perennials to the flower farm, our philosophy is simple: buy the biggest, healthiest plants we can reasonably afford.

We may spend more in the beginning, but we gain back something that has become increasingly valuable to us: time.

After searching high and low, I was able to find these hydrangeas in the largest pot size available.

They are beautiful, mature plants, and I expect we’ll be able to cut at least a few stems from them next year instead of waiting several years for them to size up.

Of course, they still need to make it out of their pots and into the ground. That part of the adventure is waiting for us here at home.

But for now, we have six beautiful new hydrangeas, a new part of New Jersey to appreciate, and another reminder that sometimes the longer, quieter road leads to something very worthwhile.

I can’t wait to see those first rosy blooms in our bouquets next year.