How to Preserve and Use Your Spring Flowers - All Year Long

There’s nothing like the first blooms of Spring to brighten your day. The only trouble is that many perennials, like lilacs and peonies, don’t last very long. That’s why it’s very important to preserve them quickly if you’d like to use them in the future.

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How We Painted our Barn

When we bought our farm, Windy Hill, in 2007, the property had a beautiful Victorian farmhouse, a small cottage, a big storage building in the back, and a stately, 4-story, hunter green barn.

The barn, unlike the modernized house, was in near-original condition. A lone chicken resided in the barn, not too long before we arrived, and there were animal pens, a long trough, and more than a few bird nests waiting for us inside. We jumped on this pretty early on, cleaning up the unnecessary chicken coop, powerwashing the trough and floors, and securing many of the windows so new birds would not get inside. The exterior, however, remained intact until we had to replace a few of the 28 windows that were damaged during a windstorm.

Windy Hill’s Victorian House

Windy Hill’s Bank Barn 2007-2024

Windy Hill Bank Barn North Side View

Windy Hill Bank Barn South Side View

This Old Barn

Over the years, we didn’t need the barn, and we made no plans to raise farm animals because we were busy raising our three young children. But we knew it was important to preserve our piece of history and to keep her looking the best we could.

We brought in The Heritage Conservancy of Bucks County and found that the barn and house were likely built sometime in the early to mid-1800s. We learned there are Roman numerals or “marriage marks” (markings on the timbers of the roof frame to indicate timber location in the building) on the ceiling of the barn’s upper floor, so this helped in determining the age.

Why make a change?

Somewhere during the autumn of 2024, I spotted an oversized photograph of a painted, black barn at my local Benjamin Moore store. It was an advertisement for their stock black (2132-10) low lustre paint, and I fell in love immediately. I knew our barn’s south side was especially faded and worn from the severe storms we’ve been having lately, and I wondered what our barn would look like if it were updated with black. So after colorizing a photo in Photoshop to get a quick glimpse, I called professional painter, Brandon Chamberlain, for a consultation and estimate, and the rest is history.

28 Freakin’ Windows!

The first thing we had to do was remove all of the windows. Some were new, as I mentioned before, and some were very old and literally falling apart. Nevertheless, we needed to remove, categorize, clean, and prep each window for painting. This was by far the worst part of the job, and it fell primarily on me. I sorted and cleaned every single window in our mudroom, which took the better part of a day. Then Michael and I set up shelving in our dining room, where we began the tedious job of painting every single frame and muntin (strips of wood that hold the window panes in place) for every single window! I will never do this again, you can quote me.

disguising old and ugly imperfections

Brandon started by going around the entire barn and filling all of the cracks, holes, and broken tiles so they’d be virtually invisible after painting. For this, he used a product called Bondo Filler, which he said covers even the “worst imperfections” and dries quickly. He was right. There were quite a few broken shingles on this barn, and now it’s very difficult to spot them. Brandon also did quite a bit of carpentry prep work by patching peaked soffits riddled by carpenter bees, and by replacing a few window sills that were rotten and worn. The extra effort was very much appreciated.

The Windy weather at Windy Hill

Once the Bondo was set and all of the prep work was finished, it was time to spray the paint. Brandon set aside 2 days in April to get two coats of paint on the barn, but the weatherman had other plans.

The first week of April came with freezing temperatures, wind, and lots of rain. The second week of April brought the same awful weather. Every time Brendan tried to begin work, something would happen - a fierce wind gust, an unexpected rain shower, or freezing temperatures that we’d normally see in February and March. It was discouraging, to say the least, as our deadline was April 20, Easter.

Brandon and his assistant used only ladders to scale this tall barn. And as you can see in the photo above, the south side peak was the most difficult because he had to work around a power line and a very tall birch tree. But the two of them dangled the sprayer out of the upper windows and got the job done.

Why You Should Hire a Professional

Forever the professional, Brandon pressed on, week after week, day after day, throughout April, assuring me over and over that the barn would be painted by Easter. And so it was. Brandon finished the job on Good Friday, which meant that we could reinstall all the windows on Saturday, just in time for the holiday.

the Finishing Touches

We did break two of the older window panes when we reinstalled, but fortunately we have a great, little glass shop in town that will fix them up in one day. They are already at the doctor's.

I also searched for very large, faux, spring wreaths to adorn the 3 front barn doors. These oversized green and white wreaths are from Wayfair, but you can find similar ones here.

Thank you for following along on our 2025 Bank Barn Journey. If you have any questions please share in the comments, I’d be happy to help if I can.

Windy Hill Bank Barn 2025

 

What to Plant for Mesmerizing Spring Blooms

Hellebore: One of my favorites!

Hellebores are known commonly as The Lenten Rose because they bloom in the winter, generally between February and April, around the time of Lent. And although they are somewhat rose-like in appearance they belong to the buttercup family. Their colors range from white to dusty pink, pale yellow, muted green, burgundy, purple and I’ve even seen coral.

they must be shy

Interestingly the flower of the Hellebore faces down in the garden so I had to position my camera underneath to get these photos. I like to think they are just timid and shy but Hellebores face downwards to protect the internals of the flower and to allow successful pollination.

Easy to Grow

Hellebores are shade perennials that naturalize easily. I planted a few little baby springs about 3 years ago and my garden is now bursting. Hellebores spread rapidly thanks to their extensive root systems and self-seeding habits. I dedicated a side garden in the shade for them and I hope they eventually cover the whole thing. Some people regard them as invasive, but I don’t think I could ever get enough of them here at Windy Hill. They are among my favorites.

Pretty but Poisonous

As with many flowering plants, the Hellebores are poisonous if ingested, so be sure to keep them out of the mouths of young children and pets. But on a positive note, deer do not go near them!

Hellelore

The Hellebore flower has a dark and mysterious reputation in folklore. They are often associated with rituals of protection and banishment. In ancient times, the plant was believed to have the power to ward off evil spirits and protect against witchcraft. Click here if you want to read more about the legends and myths surrounding Hellebore.

Use as Sculpture

Last year I didn’t want my beautiful Hellebores to end, so I preserved a few stems in silica-drying crystals and displayed them with my dried Hydrangea. This arrangement lasted all year and still has some life. I love the sculptural aspect of it and the way it contrasts with the white pot.

If you fell in love with Hellebore long ago, or are just learning about them now, I hope you take the time to plant some this spring. By next Lent you should see some beautiful blooms. I’ve provided a few links below for your convenience.

I may sometimes use affiliate links, which means I’ll make a small commission, but the price you pay will be the same whether you use the affiliate link or go directly to the vendor’s website. Thank you.

The Mighty Crocus - First to Bloom - What's Blooming at Studio Sprig

Finding the small, but mighty, crocus peeking out of brown grasses is one of the first signs that Spring has sprung. These photos were taken on March 11 at my farm, Windy Hill, and although Spring does not officially arrive until March 20th, we can fake it til we make it.

Masses of wild crocuses have been consistently popping up here every year since we moved in, 18 years ago. They brighten up the brittle, dry grasses and leaves and seem to scream “Wake up people, winter’s over”.

What Is A Crocus?

Believe it or not, crocuses belong to the Iris family and are native to the Mediterranean and parts of Asia. The history of crocus cultivation dates back to the Bronze Age, although the exact origin of crocus remains a mystery. They are small perennials, and they grow from corms, not bulbs. And if you don’t know what that means, take a look at this chart below. Source: brainly.in

Crocuses can poke out of the ground even when snow is present, but I have noticed they will only open if the weather is warm. Yesterday, all of my crocuses opened, but today the temps in Pennsylvania are dipping back into the 50’s, and the crocuses decided to stay closed.

Crocus Petals and Colors

Crocus flowers have six petals, three inner petals alternating with three outer petals and some believe they resemble a cup or chalice. The flowers are available in yellow, purple, white, pink, blue, orange, and even some striped varieties. They are low to the ground and only grow between 3 and 6 inches tall. The stamen are bright orange, the perfect color to attract bees.

Crocus Varieties

Carl Linnaeus originally included two species in his crocus findings in 1753. Today the estimated number of species of Crocus varies widely, anywhere between 80 and 160, with new species continuing to be identified all the time. Crocus Sativus, shown below, is a variety known for producing saffron, a spice, food coloring, and medicine that comes from the stamen of only the Crocus Sativus. Saffron has chemicals that might affect mood, kill cancer cells, decrease swelling, and act like antioxidants. It’s important to note that other types of crocus are known to be toxic, so if you’d like to harvest saffron, be sure you are growing Crocus Sativus. If you would like to try growing Crocus Sativus for a saffron harvest, keep in mind, that around 150 flowers produce only one gram of saffron.

The Meaning of the Crocus

The spiritual meaning of the crocus flower is centered around awakening, renewal, and transformation. In some cultures, the crocus flower is considered lucky. For example, in ancient Greece, it was believed that if you came across a crocus flower while walking, you would have good luck in the coming year. - source: foliagefriend.com

Pollination and Spreading

Bees pollinate crocuses. In early spring they provide a fantastic source of much-needed nutrition for bee colonies emerging from hibernation. When the crocus flowers bloom, they produce seeds that can be dispersed by wind or animals. However, it's important to note that crocus corms primarily reproduce through corm division rather than seed propagation. - source: shuncy.com

Preserving Crocus Blooms

Like any flower, there are three ways to preserve the crocus's beauty.

  1. Submerge them in Silicone Drying Crystals (link below)

  2. Lay flat on an air-circulating tray or surface (link below)

  3. Press the flowers flat in a flower press (link below)

Helpful Links

If these little gems are not popping up in your yard already, why not try your hand at it? If you’d like to buy crocus corms, or items to help you dry, press, or display your perennial crocuses, use the convenient links below. If you want further instructions on flower drying, please read this blog.

 

Flower Drying Crystals

 

Herb and Flower Drying Rack

 

Crocus Variety Corms for Planting

 

Flower Press Kit

 

Saffron producing Crocus Sativus corms

 

Mini Crocus Vases