Back in 2016, I was breeding a large number of new Colocasia hybrids, and some truly interesting plants began to emerge. From those seedlings, we selected a few with standout traits—Pharaoh’s Mask, Pharaoh’s Mask Red, and Redemption. Most of our selections are chosen to be nice, medium-sized Colocasia, typically reaching around 4 to 5 feet […]
The drama continues with the greenhouse. We were at the end of our rental time on the boom arm lift, so we had to take the weather window we had and put the plastic on the roof. No big deal, right? Wrong. It is very important to have zero wind. If a butterfly flaps its wings, the greenhouse plastic will move.
Six more weeks of winter? Fine. We’re using the time to plan for spring. Pre-orders are open now for spring shipping.
When a friend tells you they’ve sold their house, it’s being demolished next week, and then casually asks if you want the 8-foot-tall Yucca rostrata in the yard… I’m pretty sure the YES came out of Brian’s mouth before the question was even finished.
Sleep deprivation, a pallet, and one unforgettable afternoon.
Is anyone else tired of hearing about the arctic weather we’re having? I sure am. Brian has been listening to every weather person he can find, trying to get a heads-up on what’s coming, for the past two weeks. Instead of dwelling on the weather, let’s go back to October, when we were building the […]
Save the PLANTS! Last night was a rocky one. The overnight low was forecasted to be 8 degrees, and that means lots of outside time for Brian, especially at the nursery. The plan was for him to leave the farm at midnight and get home around 4 a.m. after he put wood on the boiler […]
Now, back to October—when I left you on a cliffhanger with the greenhouse. To recap (because that feels like a very long time ago in my mind), we had just finished assembling the 30-foot hoops and had the ground rocked and leveled. It was finally time for the hard part. I do have to admit, […]
It’s always a good week when you get to check a lot of tasks off your to-do list! This week we were able to get the hoops put together, level out the rock, and cut all the poles to size. It doesn’t seem like a long list when I write it out here in black […]
Construction on Greenhouse 3 at the farm is in full swing! This week we were able to dig trenches for water drainage, level the side boards, and square up the frame. These first steps always seem to take forever, but they’re some of the most important to ensure everything fits together correctly. Tomorrow I’ll be […]
A new routine is forming at the Brian’s Botanicals house. It’s always been a moving target, but especially now with Phoenix in the mix. This week we have family in town who got to meet the little dude for the first time—I think he was a big hit with the cousins. The good home cooking […]
One of the biggest (and smallest!) changes in our lives this year has been the birth of our son, Phoenix! He surprised us by arriving two weeks early, but still weighed a healthy 8 pounds. I like to joke that he’s our favorite hybrid we’ve ever made. I kept my pregnancy and due date a […]
It’s always good to look back and see how things have changed over the years—how dreams turn into projects, and projects eventually become part of our everyday reality. So much can happen in just one year, both big and small, that it’s easy to forget things weren’t always the way they are today. For example, […]
Today marks Brian’s and my 20th anniversary of when we started dating. We had been spending a lot of time together and decided to take a trip to Florida. To be honest, I think that was the first—and last—trip I ever let Mr. Williams plan. It was an adventure from start to finish; I’m pretty […]
There are just some plants that, if you don’t grab them now, you won’t get them at all. We’ve run into a couple of those on our hunt for next season’s treasures, and of course, we had to jump on them. Let’s just call it Christmas in July/Augusthere at Brian’s Botanicals! I’m not going to lie—right […]
What a beautiful week we’re having!The highs are in the mid-80s and the lows are in the upper 60s—can it just stay like this all year long? With temperatures like these, the garden calls for a long evening stroll. Here on the farm, that means lightning bugs dancing among the cannas while frogs sing their […]
Who else is ready for this heat wave to be over?This oppressive heat has made it tough to get anything done around the farm or at the nursery. But if there’s one silver lining, it’s that it’s the perfect time to break out the homemade ice cream. The sound of that old-fashioned whirling machine was […]
This is the time of year when Brian and I divide and conquer. He spends most of his time at the nursery, taking care of all the customers and managing the six greenhouses there. I, on the other hand, spend my time at the farm reorganizing the greenhouses here! Things have been pretty hectic around […]
Most people wouldn’t believe it, but we’re already deep into planning for next season. This is the time of year when our evenings are filled with searching for exciting new plants to add to next year’s offerings. I have to admit—we love this part of the process and look forward to it every year. The […]
There’s been a heat wave here in Kentucky for the past couple of weeks. Temperatures have stayed in the 90s, with the heat index soaring above 100. The plants are gobbling up the heat and growing tall and strong, while we’ve been ducking inside the shady greenhouses during the afternoons. Last week, Brian and I […]
