Evergreen Garden Stories
and sweet peas...
Hello dear readers,
I live in the Emerald City (Seattle) in the Evergreen state (Washington), although the price we pay for our verdant landscape is rain—lots of rain falling from leaden grey clouds. Without evergreen plants I would live in a monochromatic environment sketched in shades of charcoal, pewter, oyster and pearl. As much as I love playing with the language of color, and you know I do, sometimes it’s hard to put a positive spin on these bleak winter months that weigh on us like a wet blanket. I just keep telling myself: the witch hazel is budded and the daffodils are already poking their noses up in the sodden garden.
Green is the story of my place.
When they’re at their best I believe gardens can be a form of storytelling. A block away from me on the waterfront, a coral pink stucco home with a splashy front garden filled with at least five palm trees looks like a piece of Palm Beach landed on the shore of the Salish Sea — a slightly dissonant chord when a breeching pod of Orcas is passing through the neighboring channel but I’m not here to edit a gardener’s story. In fact, I value the generosity, even the intimacy of plant people sharing their “botanical biography.”
Seasonal rhythms and new growth are another expression of “evergreen.” The seeds that I ordered from Lunaseed Farms, a local farm specializing in sweet peas, arrived this week and I’m itching to sow them. (Follow the link below to read about how I get my sweeties going.) Sweet peas are a treasured part of my story in the garden and beyond. Poking the round peas into deep containers filled with potting mix represents a belief in tomorrow — and is a tiny step closer to fragrant bouquets in the months ahead. I’m so glad you’re here.
xo Lorene
Chilly Sweet Peas
If you’ve spent even a few growing seasons with me, you’ll know that sweet peas are my totem plant, a generational touchstone and possibly the most satisfying cut flower in my summer garden. It used to be that every year, right around Valentine’s Day, I would go through the ritual of soaking, sprouting, and starting seeds. Dreaming of the fragrant bloss…
Winter Color Collection
I’ve received a few questions since introducing the Seasonal Color Collection project, so I hope this clarifies how this works. All paid subscribers will receive links to request a color collection in the first email of every month. This month’s orders are being packaged and they’ll go out early next week. Watch for the next Winter Color Collection order link on February 6th.
Tulip Tour — Last Call!!
If you’ve been thinking about joining the Slow Flowers Experience springtime river cruise through Holland and parts of Belgium, the clock is ticking. There are still a few spaces left and we’d love for you to join us but special pricing ends on January 20th.
Our tour runs April 19-29 and begins with 3 nights in the charming city of Utrecht followed by a 7-night river cruise traveling onboard AmaWaterways— travelers’ favorite that gets rave reviews for gourmet food and all-inclusive shore excursions. Our tour group will enjoy custom excursions that include inspiring garden and floral destinations and cultural sights. Click on the above image — or here — to watch Debra, Lois and Lorene chat about the tour on the latest Slow Flowers podcast.
And if you just want to join us for just the 7-night cruise, that option is now available with group pricing that is more than $1,000 less than the regular retail price.
Colors & Flavors
Sadly, bitter radicchio seems especially timely for 2026 so far.
Sturdy, big-boned girls (ok, vegetables) turnipT know how to get things done.
The consolation of pansies. In the language of flowers pansies and viola’s signify loving thoughts and loyalty.
This watermelon radish is the class clown among these somber color studies.
Shop Talk
A hand written note makes people happy. Connect with friends and family with postcards found in my online store. Each set of 12 postcards, including the pansy collection pictured here, contains 2 each of 6 unique images. Choose from Pansies, Shells, or Pretty in Pink. Grid postcards come in a set of 10 of the same image. Save 15% on postcards when you enter the code: PANSY at checkout.
I live in a tiny south Puget Sound town called Home. I’m retired with basically two hobbies…painting during the winter and gardening in the summer. I love your color combinations with plants. I marvel at your ability to mix watercolor to such perfect hues! They are the melding of my two favorite things. One of my first watercolor paintings was of sweet peas from my mother’s garden…the smell of them evokes so many wonderful memories. I grow them every year.❤️
Yes, those palms you mentioned are evergreen, too!