Drummond Flower Shops

Drummond MT News

Jan 4, 2020

These trees offer the most colorful leaves in the fall for Southern California gardeners - OCRegister

Lycianthes rantonnetii), clothed in deep violet, slightly funneled flowers, and the other is Turk’s cap (Malvaviscus arboreus drummondii), festooned with floral turbans, their scarlet petals tightly wrapped around extruding stamens. Nurseries typically sell potato bush after it has been trained as a Tootsie Pop or pompom since, in my opinion, they just don’t appreciate how this plant wants to grow, which is in a sprawl that extends to twelve feet tall and twelve feet wide. These dimensions, it so happens, are those of Turk’s cap, too. Both plants are ideal for creating an informal living screen along a property line. Get them started with a drip system and, after a few years, they will barely need to be watered, if at all. Their dense growth habit acts as a mulch, minimizing evaporative water loss from the soil.

Apr 27, 2019

Growth in gardening: The Wildflowers of Texas - San Marcos Daily Record

They are able to withstand the Texas summer heat and drought with ease. Another beauty – who am I kidding, these are all beautiful – is the Drummond phlox. It too blooms early in spring. It occurs most frequently in spectacular masses of color among sandy post-oak woods and along roadsides in east, south and Central Texas. The most common color is red, but shades of pink, blue, white and purple are also seen. In 1834, Thomas Drummond gathered their seeds near Gonzalez, Texas and took them back to England for garden planting, thus their name. There are many types of phlox growing across Texas, most grow only a few inches tall, but some grow to heights of 20 inches. The verbena, among Texas’ most abundant wildflowers. We see lots of verbena on our roadsides. Verbena blooms most profusely in spring but may flower at other times of the year depending on rainfall. Though found throughout the state, only a few years ago, the Texas Hill Country seemed like the verbena capital of Texas with pasture after pasture covered with carpets of purple. Verbena is an amazing native perennial. It is drought tolerant and highly deer resistant. This beautiful low growing trailing plant likes dry to medium moist sites. Verbena is among the state’s most abundant wildflowers. Pink evening primrose is another we see growing everywhere and I am so glad that it does. From April to June, across much of the state, you will find patches of pink on display as you drive the highways of Texas. It opens at dusk in northern portions of Texas; flowers wither each day, replaced by new blossoms each evening. In our part of the state, its blooms stay open all day for us to enjoy. The Texas Bluebell has all but disappeared because of indiscriminate picking. Next is the Bluebell – not the ice cream, although I love that too – I am talking about the Texas Bluebell which blooms from June to September in moist areas in fields and prairies, and in drainage areas, except in Big Bend Country. Please don’t pick them. Bluebells have virtually disappeared in many locations because of indiscriminate picking. With its tulip-shaped blooms and its rich color, bluebell is considered by many to be our state's most beautiful wildflower. After seeing an entire field of bluebells in their stunning glory, it is easy for me to see why that argument is a strong one. Flowers range from bluish-purple to white, or white with tinges of yellow or purple. Another favorite is Winecup. It is a lovely native groundcover that blooms in spring from March to April. They form a sprawling evergreen mat that explodes with vivid purple flowers, though you can also find varieties with white flowers. They bloom for weeks, opening in the morning and closing at night. These flowers tend to grow in sandy soils in open woods and scrublands. Mostly single flowers, on plants about six to eight inches high. A tall branched variety bears many blossoms on one plant. Spotted beebalm, also called lemon-mint, horsemint and wild bergamot, is one of those plants that you seem to never notice until you learn a bit about it. It is not as in-your-face as some of our more bedazzled wildflowers can be. It tends to grow in small colonies and near each other. If you find one, you will usually find another not too far away. They can vary in size from six inches to three feet but are always showy, in their way, with extroverted colors that can last for months. You can propagate it by seeds or cuttings. The creamy ...

Mar 29, 2019

Texas wildflowers are the best - Pleasanton Express

Indian blanket flower near Cora Lamar’s fields of strawberries and other deliciousness outside of Poteet. When the pink phlox (real name Drummond pholx) bloomed so early, I hoped that the near freeze that followed would be kind to our other flowers. It was and the flowers seem even more vibrant than usual. I was in Austin last weekend and my daughter and son-in-law and I drove out to the Lakeway area. Beautiful drive, but the LCRA park we visited had no flowers. The gatekeepers told us that the flood ruined them for this year. I guess you can have too much rain in Texas. The way I see it, if you haven’t been on a Sunday drive in awhile, you need to load up and do it soon. You won’t have to drive far to see some beauties. Many front yards are full of them and it is a short drive down Crain (aka Crane) Road off north Hwy. 281 in Pleasanton. Also, if you are having a hard time identifying them, visit this Texas Highways website texashighways.com/wildflowers/wildflowers of-texas/. SUE BROWN is a columnist of the Pleasanton Express. Contact her at psuebrown@gmail.com. ...

Mar 23, 2018

2018 Wildflower Season Expected To Be Typical, But Still Terrific

A wildflower display featuring bluebonnets and Drummond’s phlox outside of Seguin, Texas from April 3, 2010. Photo by Courtney Lykins.AUSTIN, Texas — The spring wildflower season is on track to be typical in many parts of Texas, say experts at The University of Texas at Austin’s Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. But an average wildflower season in Texas is still well worth a road trip.Avid wildflower watchers may remember that last year’s unusually warm and wet winter made for an early season wildflower frenzy. This year, by comparison, is expected to be perfectly average. With a slightly drier fall and winter, and cold snaps throughout the winter, wildflowers are taking the usual time to send forth their flower buds and unfurl their petals. The warmer days and recent rainfall should help signal the plants to proceed as expected. “We’re already seeing bluebonnets and a few other wildflowers pop up in small numbers along roadsides, particularly near the warmer urban core of Central Austin,” says Andrea DeLong-Amaya, director of h...

Feb 8, 2018

A florist's advice for saving money on flowers

Florists (SAF).The flower industry is constantly changing as prices fluctuate and varieties are introduced throughout the year, which is why Chris Drummond, president-elect of the SAF in Alexandria, Va., says consumers shouldn't be embarrassed if they have questions. "There are so many hundreds of varieties of flowers. Even me, in the business, every year I find something I've never seen before," he said. "We certainly expect our consumers not to know about certain varieties. We expect you to have questions."It's helpful to understand, that pricing is not standardized in the floral industry, says Kayle Walker Burns, owner of Petal and Bean Floral & Event Planning in Breckenridge, Colo. What one florist charges likely is different from other florists, and you also can expect differences if you buy flowers at a grocery store, online or from a local florist.We asked professional florists to share their top tips for buying bouquets and other items during flower-centric holidays and events.Preorder for your best chance to get what you want.According to the Society of American Florists, the ideal window for preordering flowers is three to 10 days. Preordering helps florists make sure they have the right and freshest flowers for the consumers - and ensure first availability. The closer you purchase flowers to the holiday, the greater chance of availability and the price may be affected. (KTVB)

Feb 23, 2017

Flower shops keep busy for big day

Valentine’s Day,” Johnson said.While Johnson was in the midst of her first busy Valentine’s Day sale, Sue Avery, longtime owner of Drummond's Florist and Gifts, which has been a staple in Rocky Mount for 77 years, knows a thing or two about the hustle and bustle of flower and gift shops for the annual holiday in February. She said her store received a high volume of foot traffic this past weekend, Monday and will see even more today from last-minute Valentine’s Day shoppers looking to buy such items as red roses, candy, balloons and specialty arrangement gifts. Avery added flowers are synonymous with Valentine’s Day because it’s the day where people express their love to whoever they’re sending flowers.“Valentine’s Day is our single biggest gift day purchase by customers of the whole year,” Avery said. “For some reason, people may not order any flowers on Mother’s Day or any other day, but on Valentine’s Day, people are going to send and buy flowers.”Local shopper Kenneth Barnes purchased some pink flowers Monday at Smith Florist on Sunset Avenue for a special woman in his life. Barnes, who was on his way to buy more Valentine’s Day gifts for his mother and little sister, said Valentine’s Day has become the signature day to show how meaningful someone is who you feel strongly about.“It just a day to show love to the people that are close to you, whether it’s a significant other or your mother or father,” Barnes said. “It shouldn’t be just be on Valentine’s Day, but because of how that holiday has evolved, it makes the people you’re really close to feel a little special when you think of them on Valentine’s Day.”... (Rocky Mount Telegram)