Farmhouse Flower Favorites

I’ve been spending a lot of time out in the gardens this summer, especially weeding, watering, and dead-heading. As I’ve been going about this work, which I happen to find relaxing, I started thinking about some old fashioned flowers I would like to plant this fall and next spring. Although pretty in pots, I am on the hunt for something more unusual than the geraniums and petunias that are prevalent in our neck of the woods. The words farmhouse flower conjure up different images for different people. Today, I’m sharing some we discovered growing here when we moved in, some personal favorites, and others we’ll be adding to the landscape. My ultimate goal is to have flowers blooming on our property that reflect what may have been blooming in the late 1800s. 

Farmhouse Flower Discoveries

We moved into our farmhouse fixer-upper in November so there wasn’t anything green to be seen at the time. Our first spring was spent eyeing everything that bloomed and figuring out what it was. Last month on the blog, I mentioned an app we found, which you can read about here. It was a true help when it came to identifying plants and flowers!

Bearded Irises

Our first happy discovery was a substantial iris and it is stunning! I love the combination of white and purple on this variety. My mom has a little iris bed on the south side of our house and I used to love picking them and smelling them. It’s definitely a nostalgic flower. This fall, I am going to divide it as it’s spreading quite well. 

Peonies

Of all of the flowers out there, peonies are my very favorite in every color available. Their fragrance is so enchanting, they are absolutely beautiful in vases, and they grow well in our sandy soil. The only downside to peonies in my opinion is that their blooming time is so short. Even the ants that help to open the blooms can’t annoy me when the flower is this beautiful.

Lilacs

Okay, I know it’s technically a bush, but lilacs are the epitome of a fresh, farmhouse fragrance. Just a few of these in a vase on the kitchen table fill our entire house with their heady scent. When the old owners of the house pleaded not to cut down the lilacs, they had nothing to fear! I whipped up this arrangement this summer and it looked so quaint and farmhouse pretty in this mason jar.

Guelder-rose

Another nostalgic shrub. Maybe because it’s commonly referred to as the snowball and because we had one in our front yard, I will always think of these as farmhouse flowers. Even after it blooms, it still looks nice.

Farmhouse Flowers We Planted Recently

Daisies

I’m a sucker for the daisy. Maybe due to their brilliant white color with that sunshine yellow center, they just make me smile. They were my Godfather’s favorite so they hold a special place in my heart. They grow like crazy so even if you plant two or three small plants, by the next year, they will fill out with abundance. Daisies will always be classic farmhouse flowers to me.

Sunflowers

At our very first house, our youngest daughter came home from preschool with a little sunflower she grew in a styrofoam cup. We planted it in our tiny garden alongside our garage and it eventually grew taller than my husband, who is 6’4″. When we harvested the head full of sunflower seeds, it was massive and heavy. We took it in for show and tell and it was the hit of the day! Sunflowers are so magical and my bees love them! The sunflowers we decided to plant aren’t the giant-sized versions but they look so pretty and rustic in the remnants of the silo next to our barn, as shown in this photo. They’re yet another farmhouse flower classic, in my opinion!

Bleeding Hearts

I bought a few bleeding hearts this spring and I’m conflicted about the location where I chose to plant them. They are a true old-fashioned farmhouse flower. I like them but they blend in and their pink color is very delicate. 

Dahlias

Dahlias are a runner up favorite for me right now. They are showy but that’s what I love about them. The first time I saw a dahlia, it was the dinner plate variety. I was completely enchanted. I’m definitely planning to add more dahlias to our garden. They come in so many different sizes and varieties, I can’t imagine ever not loving them.

Farmhouse Flowers We’re Still Planning to Add

Roses

Everyone talks about how high-maintenance roses are, but I want to give it a shot. They are so beautiful and I think they would be a beautiful complement to our farmhouse. The only hard part would be deciding on the color and variety to plant. Classic red, white, and peace roses are my favorites.

Hellebores

These are beautiful, magical flowers also known as lenten roses. I would love to add some in the shady areas of our gardens. I also love the fact that they are so unique and bloom in late winter. 

Zinnias

For the past few years, I’ve been eyeing zinnias in the flower catalogs that arrive in the mail every spring. Maybe it’s because the vast color range and types available are overwhelming, but I’ve held off. This coming spring, I’ll be taking the plunge to order a few. They’ll look great next to the dahlias if I can decide on a color and variety.

Columbines

These are easy to grow wildflowers and hummingbirds love them, which makes my heart happy because hummingbirds are my favorite. I prefer high-contrast color mixes because they’re more unique looking.

Check out my farmhouse flowers video!

Do you have a favorite farmhouse flower? I’d love to hear in the comments!