Planning Ahead

Fall Flowers We’re Planting Now

Believe it or not, now is the time to start thinking about your fall garden! Some of the most striking, textural flowers for late-season bouquets need to be started in early summer so they’re ready to shine when the weather begins to cool.

The secret to stunning fall blooms all comes down to succession planting. Succession planting means planting more than once a year to ensure that we have blooms year round, in different colors, textures, and varieties. If you want to learn more about our favorite fall colors and tips for planting in warm weather, check out our past blog on late summer planting.

Here’s a look at what we’re planting in late June and early July this year, that will be sure to put on a stunning fall show!

Strawflower

These blooms are a fall favorite for a reason. Their unique texture adds a fun pop to arrangements, and they come in beautiful autumn shades like bronze, rush, gold, and blush. They’re one of the best flowers for drying and perfect for wreaths and winter decor. Strawflowers love the heat, so starting them now means strong, healthy plants just in time for cooler days.

We love Strawflowers (Helichrysum bracteatum) for their unique charm and versatility. One standout is our Golden Glow variety, beloved for its striking presence in fresh bouquets, whimsical flower crowns, and long-lasting appearance in dried arrangements, with heights ranging from 12″ to 36″.

These blooms are effortless to grow: start indoors 4–6 weeks before the last frost or sow directly outdoors in late spring. The seeds are tiny and require light to germinate, so keep them just barely covered with vermiculite at about 70 °F, misting gently. Expect sprouting in 7–10 days, and once seedlings sport four leaves, harden off and transplant them into full sun.

Celosia

Celosia is a staple in any fall bouquet because it’s full of texture. Whether it’s the ruffled crested version or the soft, feathery plumes, these blooms add bold shapes and rich colors to fall arrangements. Like Strawflower, Celosia also comes in beautiful colors such as gold, magenta, orange, hot pink, rose, and burgundy.

Amaranth

With its volume and bold colors, Amaranth is a favorite for fall wreaths, centerpiece arrangements, and it looks stunning mixed with grasses and dahlias. This plant grows tall and fast, so make sure you give it room to stretch out and support taller varieties to prevent flopping in the rain and wind.

Cinnamon Basil

Cinnamon Basil has both sweet and spicy scented foliage and tall stems with purple blooms. It’s not only beautiful but also adds a sensory element to bouquets or straight bundles. It’s sure to elevate your flower arrangements and because it has both floral and culinary uses, it will leave your kitchen smelling amazing.

Zinnias

No flower patch is complete without Zinnias. We’ve highlighted them over and over, especially in our recent post about June’s blooms, but planting now means a fresh flush of color just as everything else starts to fade. Better yet, they come in just about every color you can imagine!

Colors we’re planting now are: red, orange, and yellow. All perfect colors for fall bouquets!

Ornamental Grasses

Ornamental Grasses are the perfect addition to a fall flower garden because not only do they add vertical lines and subtle movement to your landscape, but many varieties have plumes that come in shades of bronze, cream, and blush that pair perfectly with autumn blooms. Their versatility in bouquets and wreaths, textural interest in dried arrangements, and long-lasting presence make them a must-grow.

For ornamental grasses, planting now (July), means their roots have time to take hold in warm soil before the winter, and many of them will hold their form through the winter, continuing to provide a habitat for wildlife.

Gomphrena

Gomphrena is a vibrant and drought-tolerant annual with blooms that come in a beautiful palette of magenta, pink, white, and orange. These flowers hold color so well when dried, which makes them a favorite for both fresh and dried bouquets and arrangements.

While traditionally direct-seeded or transplanted in late spring, Gomphrena can be succession-planted through early fall in zones with a long growing season. If you’re in a warmer zone or using high tunnels, now’s the time to tuck in a final flush for fall harvesting or drying.

If you want to see our fall blooms in action, check out our fall classes and events and make it a point to come see them for yourself!

Why Planting Now Matters

It may seem too late in the season to plant, but it’s the perfect time! Waiting until the end of summer is often too late as many of the most stunning blooms need at least 80–100 days to reach full maturity. That’s why late June and early July are prime planting time for our zone (5b).

Here’s why it pays to plan ahead:

Timing the Bloom: Most fall flowers take months to develop strong stems and autumnal colored blooms. Starting now ensures they peak just as your summer flowers begin to fade.

Beat the Frost: Starting early gives your plants enough time to grow, bloom, and be harvested before the first frost hits.

Extended Harvest Season: A well-planned planting schedule means your garden keeps producing long after others have packed it in for the year.

While it’s not possible to plan ahead for everything, it makes a huge difference when we can. When it comes to planting, we know that the seeds we sow now will shape the beauty we (and y’all) get to enjoy later.

Happy planting!

XX Jenn and Adam

Taste of Summer

PepperHarrow Lavender Lemonade

Culinary lavender is a staple here at PepperHarrow and with summer in full swing, what better way to slow down than with a glass of homemade lavender lemonade. This recipe is perfect for serving at your next gathering, bottling and saving for later, or treating yourself to after a long summer day!

30-40 minutes | Makes 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon dried culinary lavender buds (or two tablespoons fresh)

• 1 cup sugar

• 5 cups water, divided

• 1 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice (about 4-6 lemons)

• Ice cubes

• Optional: lemon slices, lavender sprigs, sparkling water

Instructions

1. In a small saucepan, combine:

• 1 cup water

• 1 cup sugar

• 1 tablespoon dried culinary lavender

Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring until sugar dissolves. Once it reaches a light boil, remove from heat. Cover and let the lavender steep for about 15–20 minutes for a stronger flavor.

Strain the syrup through a fine mesh sieve to remove the lavender buds and set aside to cool.

2. While the syrup cools, juice your lemons until you have about 1 cup of lemon juice. Strain out seeds and pulp if you prefer a smoother drink.

3. In a pitcher, combine:

• The cooled lavender syrup

• The fresh lemon juice

• 4 cups cold water

Stir well and taste. Add more water or a splash of syrup to adjust the sweetness. Combine with ice, garnish, and enjoy!

Extra Tips

Try making a batch of lavender syrup ahead of time and keep it in the fridge for flavoring water, iced teas, or cocktails. Just remember that a little goes a long way!

Lavender simple syrup will turn a beautiful golden brown color on its own, but if you add a few blueberries to the recipe during this process, it’ll give your syrup a nice purple color.

One of our favorite things about culinary lavender is it’s many uses and ability to enhance both sweet and savory dishes. Take some time this summer to explore culinary lavender in your kitchen and let us know what you create!

Whether you grow your own or pick some up from us, we think culinary lavender captures the spirit of summer perfectly. We hope you’ll take some time to slow down and sip something beautiful this week.

XX Jenn and Adam

A New Chapter at PepperHarrow Farm

Expanding Our Lavender Fields

If you’ve been to the farm recently, or if you’re just curious, you may have noticed a BIG change: a new addition to PepperHarrow Farm (40-acres big, to be exact!)

This past January, we made the exciting (and a little scary) decision to buy 40 acres of land, the land adjacent to our current farm, to expand our lavender fields to become one of the largest lavender farms in Central Iowa. We thought we’d take you behind the scenes to see what this experience has been like and what it means for us, and y’all, as we continue to grow.

Planting New Lavender Fields

We started this project in early spring, and it has been no small task. Between prepping the soil, laying rows, and hand-planting thousands of young plants, it took weeks of early mornings, late evenings, and lots of teamwork to get it all in the ground.

We had over 6 employees working 4 days a week for about a month to get all of our 15,000 baby lavender plants, planted. As of mid-June, we’ve officially wrapped up planting and we’re already dreaming about next year’s blooms. Can you imagine how beautiful this view is going to be?

Why Plant More Lavender?

There are so many reasons we love to grow lavender at PepperHarrow. It’s likely a given that we’re absolutely in love with the beauty of the blooms themselves, but we also really love how the plants always keep a gray/green sheen, even in winter. It really helps take the edge off of the winter blues, because we can look out and see these beautiful plants growing when we look out our windows from the house.

For us, lavender is also more than just a fragrant and beautiful addition to the farm. It’s an incredible plant/flower for pollinators. With its long blooming season and deep nectar stores, lavender serves as a reliable food source for bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects. Its tightly clustered flowers allow pollinators to forage efficiently, making it especially attractive to honeybees and native bee species alike. Plus, because lavender thrives even during dry spells, it continues to support pollinators when other blooms may fade. By planting lavender, we’re not only adding beauty and scent to our farm, we’re actively helping sustain the ecosystems that rely on healthy pollinator populations.

Setting aside the beauty of lavender and the important role it plays in supporting pollinators, one of the most rewarding aspects of growing lavender is being able to harvest and distill it ourselves. Using our own copper still, we’re able to extract pure lavender essential oil right here on the farm, which becomes the heart of many of our handcrafted products, from salves and mists to candles and soaps. There’s something deeply satisfying about the cycle of growing, harvesting, distilling, and creating our goods, all in one place. All made from the land we tend to.

What It’s Like to Plant & Grow Lavender

Growing lavender is a commitment. It thrives in well-drained soil, full sun, and needs plenty of air circulation, which are all conditions that mimic its native Mediterranean climate. You might think lavender to be a low-maintenance plant, but establishing healthy plants takes careful planning, proper spacing, and thoughtful attention to soil conditions.

Lavender prefers to be left alone more than fussed over, but it does demand consistency. Pruning is key, which is done once a year to keep plants vigorous and healthy. We monitor for signs of root rot after heavy rains and make sure weeds don’t crowd the base of the plants. While it's drought-tolerant once established, young lavender needs a careful balance of water and dryness.

Other Goals We Have for the Lavender Expansion

Our biggest goal with this expansion is to grow more lavender and find more opportunities to share what we love.

Here’s what we hope to do:

• Increase our You-Pick lavender experience (with a lot more space)

• Expand our line of handmade lavender products

• Host more lavender related events and workshops

Image Credit: Swoops ‘N Scoops

What This Means for PepperHarrow (And Y’all)!

Our lavender expansion is more than just planting more rows, it's a deepened commitment to the land, flower farming, and to you. By adding 40 new acres and planting over 15,000 young lavender plants, we’re laying the groundwork for something truly special. More space to welcome visitors, more blooms to support pollinators, and more opportunities to distill and craft the lavender-based products you love. This is a big leap for us, and one that comes from the heart. 💜

Our biggest goal with this expansion is simple; to grow more lavender and share what we love. Whether that means strolling through our expanded You-Pick fields, attending a hands-on workshop, or enjoying the calming scent of our farm-grown essential oil in your home, we want you to be part of this next chapter. We can’t wait to see where this journey takes us and we’re so grateful to have you along for the ride.

If you haven’t visited us before, now is as good of time as any! We have a number of classes and events lined up for the summer and into the fall that we’d love to share with you. We can’t wait to show you around!

XX Jenn and Adam

June on the Farm

Behind the Scenes

June is here and things are in full swing on the farm! We’re in one of our busiest and most beautiful times of year at PepperHarrow but there’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes. While guests have been wandering the fields at our Lavender Festival or getting ready to attend our upcoming classes, we’re behind the scenes making sure every bloom, path, and product, is ready.

Here’s a peek at what we’ve been up to this month!

Trimming & Harvesting the Lavender

One of our big tasks this month is to trim the lavender. Trimming really is the secret to lush fields because it helps them grow fuller, stronger, and more vibrant. Trimming it back makes the lavender bloom much more quickly and usually, we’re able to harvest 2-3 weeks after the trim.

We’ve been harvesting bundles now that it’s starting to bloom (at the end of June) for drying and to be used for culinary purposes. It’s fun to see our entire space filled with hanging lavender bouquets and they smell incredible!

Weeding

Weeding is the never-ending story of farm life but keeping our fields clean and our flowers thriving is important. We don’t mind putting in the hard work now, because it means healthy soil and tidy rows for our visitors (and pollinators!) to enjoy later.

We’re always asked what types of weeds we see most on our farm and our answer is usually: grasses, but it seems like every weed likes to grow here. Do they ever go away?

Generally, I try to look at the flowers and NOT the weeds, but like every good gardener, I can’t NOT see them.

 Planting

Even though lots of flowers are blooming, we’re always busy planting new ones. June is all about balancing both ends of the growing season to make sure what comes next is well rooted and ready.

Some of the flowers we’ve been chipping away at planting this month are: sunflowers, which we direct seed into the soil, specialty zinnias, ageratum, cinnamon basil, snapdragons, celosia, and of course, so many lavender plants.

Harvesting Blooms for Bouquets

Believe it or not, but there are a ton of flowers blooming on the farm now (early June). We gambled this year and planted zinnias and cosmos well before our last frost date. This is a little risky, but sometimes taking a gamble can pay off and we’re reaping the reward of planting early with early blooms. We’ve been cutting them every single day and they just keep blooming their little hearts out.

Dahlias

If we’re being honest, the dahlias are one of our flowers running a little late this year, but we’re getting the rest in the ground as fast as we can. It happens. We’re human! We think these stunning flowers will be well worth the wait though and can’t wait to wow you with them.

We have a few new varieties we’re growing this year that we’ll share with y’all in a later post when we can get some good photos, so be on the lookout for that later. In addition to new varieties, we’re also expanding our PepperHarrow dahlia seedlings, and our pretty dahlia seedlings from last year. It’s been a fun adventure to make our very own dahlia varieties.

Lavender Festival Prep

With our first Lavender Festival June 20th and 21st, we’ve been in full prep mode! We’re busy coordinating musicians and artisan vendors, organizing food, tours, and demos, and making sure our team is equipped and ready to welcome you to the farm. We can’t wait for you to enjoy what we’ve been working so hard on.

Making Lavender Products

When we’re not in the fields, (or running anywhere else) we’re busy in the workshop making lavender products. We have everything from essential oils, candles, soaps, sprays, and perfumes to culinary products and assorted mini bouquets and sachets. It’s amazing to see what our blooms become, and we can’t wait to share them with you, either online or at the farm. If you want to get a head start, you can visit our online farm store here.

So, that’s June! It’s fast-paced, flower-filled, but purposeful. While the to-do list is long, we wouldn’t trade it for anything. There’s something so grounding about this work and knowing we get to share the results with y’all makes every long day worth it.

 XX Jenn and Adam

Preparing the Farm for The Lavender Festival

Lavender Festival Hours

Friday, June 20th, 9:00AM-6:00 PM

Saturday, June 21st, 9:00 AM-8:30 PM

With our first ever Lavender Festival just around the corner, we thought we’d share a bit about what we’re doing to get ready. It takes a lot of work to put on any event, but especially one this big (and new!) We’re learning along with y’all how to navigate putting some things on the back burner while other things take the forefront, and we can’t thank you enough for your patience and support.

Here’s what’s keeping us so busy!

Communications

One of our big things right now, is to make sure everyone is on the same page, so we’re working closely with our vendors, musicians, artists, and demonstrators, who all have something special to share with you.

We’re also staying super close with our Special Event Planner, our PepperHarrow Event Coordinator, and all our team members to discuss plans and strategies. A lot of this looks like sending check in and follow up emails or planning weekly calls where we discuss things like the general festival layout, vendor set up, signage, decorations, tasks, and overall scheduling. With that comes a ton of list making (and re-making) to stay organized and on top of things.

Prepping Outdoor Spaces

With 60 acres of land, there’s a lot of ground (literally) to cover and get ready for the festival. We’re weeding and mowing (like always), but we’re also roping things off, prepping lights, setting up tables and chairs, moving things around (and probably moving them again). This is a new learning process for us, but we’re giving it all we have. Things don’t always go as planned, but honestly, that’s life and all we can do is try our best. The rest we accept with patience and grace. We hope you’ll see that in everything we do.

You’ll probably not be surprised by the amount of planting, weeding, weed whacking and general farm clean up that’s happening along side all of this. We want the farm to look excellent during our guest’s time here, so they can appreciate not only the tidiness of the farm, but really take in the stunning landscape of the Madison County Countryside. 

Designing and Decorating

We want the farm to look absolutely beautiful for our guests, so we’re busy not only decorating and up-keeping the physical farm but designing and printing all kinds of helpful posters, visuals, and signs. This week, we’re also gathering and setting aside our decorations including linens, table clothes, photo booth props, and of course, a ton of flowers and floral arrangements.

Gathering/Stocking Supplies

With so many products on display next weekend, we’re in full swing creating more and stocking what we have. The farm store will be full of everything from candles and apothecary products to kitchen and gardening tools, and we hope you’ll stop by for a look (and a smell)!

Along with a full restock, we’re organizing our spaces and prepping totes and tubs with the materials, decorations, and products we’ll need to make next weekend run smoothly. There are so many lined up, that we’re running out of room!

All of these activities are happening in tandem with running our regular farm duties: farmer’s market, harvesting flowers for local florists, prepping for workshops, etc. It’s been a massive undertaking to keep our farm running while getting this festival up and off the ground, but it’s going to be so worth it to share this space with everyone visiting.

We truly want this weekend to be a celebration of summer, community, lavender, and this beautiful farm we love so much. We’re so excited for you to join us for such a special weekend, and we can’t say thank you enough to the friends, family, and volunteers who have helped us prep. It means the world to us. See you soon!

XX Jenn and Adam