Experimenting with Winter Floriculture

Bland Landscaping Floriculturist, Rachael Breen, shares updates from Apex and surrounding areas of North Carolina.


Bland’s blooms are bouncing back! We’ve had an especially cold winter in NC & flower beds took a hit. Thankfully, our team has been diligently working on reviving & replacing as needed.

Pansies protect themselves by allowing moisture to escape their leaves as temps dip, unlike many other plants whose cells hold water & rupture during a freeze. Dry cells can’t rupture, they just go limp. Healthy & established pansies pre-snow will often recover with some water & light fertilization once soil has thawed/temps rise. This often takes longer for north-facing & shaded beds.

Sometimes, it’s necessary to adapt to weather challenges & try something new. I was inspired by Kathy Richardson to try ornamental branches in a few beds/planters where fall specimen had been struggling. These offer a low-maintenance, high-visual impact height element. So, we will be testing their longevity & durability to determine future implementation. I am thankful for a position that allows me some freedom to get creative and experiment, especially in a commercial setting.

Colormax lemon berry pie mix violas are showing off lately!

Also, I say this pretty much every day: I’m SO excited for spring! The daffodils are giving me hope that the 70 degree weather is coming soon…

Check out these gorgeous naturalized daffodils popping up along the greenway/pond at one of our properties. I love the meandering design through the woods and the mass planting by the gazebo.