One of the most adorable flowers we grow on the farm is
Matricaria, commonly known as Chamomile.
These daisy-like and button-shaped flowers hail from the Aster Family, and they are composed mainly of picnics, puppy dogs, and sunshine. Okay, the first two aren't true, but Matricaria is a natural summertime crop, so sunshine does play a big part in bringing these blooms to their cheerful form.
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| White Button Matricaria |
Matricaria comes in a few different forms, so before we dive into how they're grown, let's get the variety names straight from the get-go.
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| Clockwise from top left: White Button, Yellow Button, White Cushion, and White Daisy Matricaria |
The top two varieties--
white and
yellow button matricaria--have no petals, hence the name "button." The bottom two varieties resemble miniature daisies;
white cushion matricaria features little white cushions with layers of petals forming teeny tiny fringe, while
white daisy matricaria has layers of white petals surrounding a bigger, yellow center.
Matricaria Growing Practices
We grow all our Matricaria at our sunny, southern California Farm in Oxnard, and have been doing so for about a decade.
We grow these flowers year-round in hoop houses, which requires a little bit of seasonal tweaking to our methods; while Matricaria likes the sun and heat, but too much light will stunt its growth.
Matricaria is a summer-blooming flower, so to provide a sufficient amount of heat in winter, we cover the hoop houses with plastic. The crops in springtime need little to no environmental control because the coastal, Southern California climate matches up perfectly with their natural growing cycle.
However, when we plant Matricaria in the summer, we have "passed" their natural growing cycle, so we cover the hoop houses with shade cloth to mimic the early spring. This is because the long days of summer make the Matricaria want to bloom as soon as possible, but with the use of shade cloth, we are able to get them to stretch to lengths of 24-32 inches. When we're ready for them to bloom, we simply allow them have as much light as possible.
Healing Properties of Matricaria
An added benefit to growing Matricaria is that much like its Chamomile Tea counterpart, the crop has beneficial properties, except instead of soothing a sore throat or aching belly, Matricaria crops restore essential nutrients in the soil.
Matricaria is a key player in soil health and is an essential part of our
Matsumoto Aster crop rotation. By rotating Aster crops with our Matricaria, we are able to amend the soil, restore nutrients, prevent physarum (a type of soil mold), and improve the total amount of flowers we get from every crop, all while growing these gorgeous, whimsical blooms.
Sitting in a hoop house of matricaria always seems to have a soothing mental benefit as well. The bright flowers move with the slightest breeze, creating a gorgeous, meditative show of floral movement.
Matricaria Arrangements
Matricaria is a cheerful filler that provides immediate color, volume, and delicate texture. It is fun to use in bouquets; its earthy, wildflower look adds a rustic and summery element to arrangements, making it a popular choice for outdoor, garden, or country-style weddings.
If you're looking for more Matricaria Inspiration, check out the
Matricaria Bouquets Pinterest page. It's chock full of gorgeous photos of various Matricaria arrangements.
Make your summer a little bit sweeter, a little bit brighter, and a little bit more fun with the use of cheerful Matricaria!
When it comes to harvesting Iris, timing is everything. The heads must be full, which means the tip of the iris will still be sheathed by green leaves, but contains color on the inside. The sheath keeps the iris petals safe during transport, and this picking point is considered the "window pane"-- the iris is still closed, but ready to bloom within a few days. It takes an experienced eye to notice the "window pane," and once it's noticed we have to move fast. At this stage, iris develops quickly and green buds in the morning can turn to colorful heads in the afternoon, which is why our dedicated Iris team sometimes picks two times a day. This hard work pays off, and is the backbone of our successful iris program, which is one of the largest in the country.
We have been growing iris for decades, using time-tested traditions and modern technology to perfect our techniques in both the fields and hoop houses. Our proprietary post-harvest care is something special too -- we are continually testing, innovating, and improving our post-harvest treatments, and that, when used in tandem with our cold-chain management, has created a consistent supply of high-quality, cut iris for the market, direct from our farms.
When it comes to harvesting Iris, timing is everything. The heads must be full, which means the tip of the iris will still be sheathed by green leaves, but contains color on the inside. The sheath keeps the iris petals safe during transport, and this picking point is considered the "window pane"-- the iris is still closed, but ready to bloom within a few days. It takes an experienced eye to notice the "window pane," and once it's noticed we have to move fast. At this stage, iris develops quickly and green buds in the morning can turn to colorful heads in the afternoon, which is why our dedicated Iris team sometimes picks two times a day. This hard work pays off, and is the backbone of our successful iris program, which is one of the largest in the country.
