About the Book By the author who grows and sells 15,000 cut flowers per week, this book shares the step-by-step secrets for growing (and enjoying) long-blooming hardy annual flowers. Book Synopsis Everyone longs for fragrant early spring blossoms - Snapdragons, Bells of Ireland, Sweet Peas, Sweet Williams and other beauties. But few grow them successfully in their own gardens because they havent learned the simple cool-weather techniques that make it possible. Expert flower grower Lisa Zeigler profiles 30 long-blooming stars of the spring garden, the hardy annuals that thrive when they are planted during cool conditions (instead of waiting until the warmth of spring and losing much of the season). Give them a cool start, plant them in the right spot at the right time, and stand back. In no time at all youll have a low-maintenance, vibrant spring flower garden that keeps on blooming when the tender annuals are dead and gone. Beautifully photographed and filled with simple steps to success. Review Quotes Cool Flowers is well... really cool. We are all so intent on keeping flowers blooming through the summer and fall that we forget that fall, winter and early spring plantings produce cut flower gardens like none other. Lisa tells us when, where and how to plant, as well as her recommendations for the best flowers for successful cut flowers. Her writing is practical and credible. Give it a read - you will be glad you did. - Dr. Allan M. Armitage, Professor Emeritus of Horticulture, University of Georgia, Athens; author of Armitages Garden Perennials , co-founder, Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers Cool Flowers offers many creative insights for those who can take advantage of seasonal cool months for maximum spring results. - Diane Donovan Cool Flowers is a lovely, compact book dedicated to the art of growing cut-flowers. - Kathy Jentz, Book Reviews Every flower gardener needs this book! Lisa Zieglers Cool Flowers brings to flower gardening a brand new point of view that introduced me to all sorts of possibilities for my floral palette - as a gardener and floral designer. Her valuable tips for success with hardy annuals will extend your gardens blooming season, no matter where you live. If you want to make the most of all seasons in your garden, Cool Flowers is a must-have. - Slow Flowers Podcast: Growing Hardy Annuals with Cool Flowers author & flower farmer Lisa Mason Ziegler In user-friendly prose, Lisa Ziegler fills a niche too long neglected... how to grow tough annuals that actually enjoy coloring those challenging gaps between seasons. Follow her sage advice in Cool Flowers for glorious blooms, just when the neighbors are dreading their gardens gray winter snooze or last wilting days of summer. - Linda Yang, author of The City Gardeners Handbook Knowledge is the key to success, and Cool Flowers is here to help. Finally, here is an easy-to-understand book that explains the difference between hardy and tender annuals (known as half-hardy in the UK) and demystifies the selection and cultivation process. Whether you seek a cutting garden to fill in gaps while shrubs and perennials mature, or simply want to grow easy-care flowers - this is the book you have been waiting for. - Karen Chapman, owner of Le Jardinet and co-author of Fine Foliage Lisa Ziegler takes cut-flower farming to a new level - showcasing her passion for organic gardening and inspiring home gardeners to embrace environmentally friendly living. Her farm is as picturesque as it is productive; its a gardening landmark in southeastern Virginia. Her new book now allows gardeners everywhere to share in its beauty and purpose. - Kathy Van Mullekom, author of the nationally published gardening column Diggin In Where was this book when I began gardening? Goodness knows, I needed help choosing the best annuals for my garden. Being a flower farmer, Lisa Ziegler knows her hardy annuals, those that can survive winter temperatures and light up the border in spring, and the ones that still perk up the garden come the 4th of July. - Dee Nash, author of The 20-30 Something Garden Guide Who knew growing your favorite old-fashioned hardy annual flowers was so easy? Over the years, flower farmer Lisa Ziegler has figured it out and shares her success. If you love to grow your own flowers, this book will change your gardening forever. - Saxon Holt, garden photographer, Photo Botanic I recommend picking up a copy of Cool Flowers for some inspiring ideas to grow hardy annuals in the cold months of gardening. - Helen Yoest Now that I know Zieglers secret to success, perhaps I can find uses for all of those seeds Ive purchased over the years but, for fear of failure, never started. - Jean Starr About the Author Lisa Mason Zeigler is an author, speaker, and renowned expert on cut-flower gardening. Lisa started flower farming in 1998 and she now produces over 15,000 stems a week From April through October from her one-and-a-half acre organic cutting gardens. The flowers from her farm, The Gardeners Workshop Cut-Flower Farm, are popular among florists and upscale grocery stores and Garden Share members in the Virginia area. Her seed catalog has 20,000 subscribers. The Gardeners Workshop website is a resource and teaching center for flower gardeners.