FULL CIRCLE FARM | A REGENERATIVE FARMING REVOLUTION

Story and images by Zoe Davis, Ph. D.

Most Impressive Plant Disease

I was hit with an aggressive case of snapdragon rust this year. Over the course of several days, my spring snaps were overtaken beyond any hope of saving. This was early in the season, so when I ripped out my snaps, I went searching for an alternative line flower with better disease resistance, which brings us to …

Worst Cutflower / Best Border Plant

I discovered the little-known, beautiful Angelonia, sometimes called a summer snapdragon because unlike many snaps, it thrives in blasting heat while sharing the same linear raceme structure. In my rush to replace the snaps, I went with a variety that ' s less than ideal for cutting( Serena tops out around 20 ", shorter than you ' d want for bouquet work). I eventually moved the plants out of the field and into the landscaping because, while it ' s short, it ' s gorgeous, needs zero maintenance( I haven ' t deadheaded, fertilized, or fussed with it in any way all season), and is a perennial in zone 9b. Next season, I ' ll try early-season Archangel plugs instead. For a tried-and-true cutflower, though, I ' ll always return to …

Best Cutflower

Lisianthus is an absolute tank. It ' s painfully slow from seed( I start mine in November for June / July blooms the following year), but it ' s worth every bit of patience. Its vibrant, rose-like flowers that last up to two weeks in a vase, right up until frost. No seed-starting setup? Buy starts from a local nursery. Lisianthus looks a lot like a rose, but when only a rose will do …

The beautiful Serena Angelonia in all her glory. Thrives in South County heat, and needs zero maintenance.

Lisianthus Brown Lisianthus Apricot Lisianthus Green Lisianthus Terracotta

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