Overwintering Flowers • Stretch the season with cold-hardy annual flowers
This page gathers learning materials from our overwintering flowers webinar, covering the basics of growing cut flowers on a small scale in an unheated winter tunnel.
OVERVIEW: Our flower trial technician and flower product manager share what the Hensley's team has learned from several years of overwintering flowers in a Zone 5 climate. They cover why overwintering is worth it, which crops and varieties to choose, and how to set up for success, and they give an update on crops and varieties still being tested.
They are joined by a former grower representative to answer audience questions during the Q&A.
Presented by the Hensley's team
Overwintering Flowers Webinar Resources
Download the overwintering webinar recap • PDF
A printable 41-page recap of the overwintering flowers webinar. Download…
Overwintering Flower Trial Results
Download Overwintering flower trials • Crop-by-crop results • Excel workbook…
Overwintering Articles and Planning Worksheets
Overwintering Flowers: A Guide
-
Getting started with overwintering flowers • Methods and recommendations from several years of trials • Article
Plenty of flowers can be sown in late summer or fall and carried through winter. This introduction covers timing, methods and trial-based recommendations so you can get blooms roughly a month ahead of spring-planted field flowers. Read More…
- Which flowers to overwinter: what our trials showed • Article
Trial results crop by crop, with our five best picks for beginners and a review of everything we tested. Read More…- Seed-starting dates for overwintered flowers • Article
Planning overwintered crops can feel backward, because many of them must be sown in the thick of summer harvest (July and August in Zones 5a–5b). Read More…- Overwintering flower trials • Crop-by-crop results • Workbook (XLSX)
This downloadable spreadsheet covers the cut-flower crops we have overwintered successfully in an unheated Zone 5 tunnel, with notes on yield, survival and recommended varieties. Save it and sort or filter it for your own planning and records. Download Workbook…- Overwintering flower trials • Sowing date calculator • Workbook (XLSX)
Use this calculator to find the best sowing window in your area for the cut-flower crops covered in our overwintering trial results. Download Workbook…- Five cool-season flowers to plant now • tips for hardy, cool-season annuals from a Virginia flower farmer and author • Article
Five cool-season flowers that shine in the fall and spring shoulder seasons. How much cold they take varies with your zone and site, but many can be planted in autumn, ride out the winter and flower the following spring, while others can be set out at the very start of spring. Read More…Sources and Further Reading
- Which flowers to overwinter: what our trials showed • Article
