The Flora Dispatch
behind-the-scene wedding secrets to houseplant how-tos
Easy Autumnal Transformations for the Home
Effortless ways to set the stage for the season of gathering
As the air turns crisp and the days shorten, your home begins to call you back inside. This is the season of the hearth — of stews simmering low, candles flickering softly, and slow evenings spent gathered around a table with your littles and your favorite people. Before the full rhythm of the holidays arrives, now is the time to lay a quiet foundation — one that lets the season unfold naturally and beautifully.
The Lazy Gardener’s Guide to Fall Planting
For when you want more flowers with less work (and fewer rules)—There’s a sweet spot in the Hudson Valley gardening calendar—and it’s right now.
Fall is low-key the best time to plant, especially if you're the kind of gardener who loves beautiful results but doesn't exactly thrive on planning and pruning spreadsheets. The soil’s still warm, the air’s cooled off, and plants are ready to settle in without all the drama of summer heat. Even in Zone 6b, you’ve got time.
Here’s how we do fall planting at Flora Good Times: no pressure, no guilt, just the kind of moves that pay off next season (and beyond).
The October Edit: The Turning of Seasons
This is the moment we've been waiting for all year. If you're getting married this month, you're in the sweet spot. October delivers the richest textures, the deepest colors, and that unmistakable shift into fall that people travel here to experience.
Bramble berries, rose hips, porcelain berry — they’re not flowers, but they’re some of the most coveted elements in fall arrangements and statement vases. Add in the stunning foliage — burning bush, forsythia turning golden, vibrant maples, wild oats, and fiery sumac — and you get the dramatic, end-of-season look the Hudson Valley is known and loved for.
The September Edit: The Peak Harvest in the Valley
September in the Hudson Valley means one thing: dahlias take center stage. It’s peak season for the divas of the flower world—dinnerplates, ball, pompons, karmas—all strutting their stuff in every color imaginable.
But the show doesn’t stop there. Sunflowers, lisianthus, and snapdragons are making a second appearance, this time dressed in richer, moodier fall shades. Celosia, Japanese anemone, asters, cosmos, and amaranth keep the party going (check out our August edit for all their stats) while fruiting branches like crabapple step in to add that storybook autumn touch. The valley is basically cosplaying as a fairytale right now—we see you, Rip Van Winkle.
The Augst Edit: What’s Blooming Now
August is a turning point. The heat still clings, but the fields start whispering the earliest hints of fall. This month, we get the best of both worlds—late summer abundance meets the first flickers of the season ahead. Toward the end of the month, those autumnal undertones grow louder: deeper colors, sturdier stems, a quiet shift in the light.
You’ll still see the familiar faces from July holding strong: celosia, rudbeckia, amaranthus, larkspur, strawflower, sunflowers, lilies, flowering herbs, echinacea, and of course, the ever-reliable zinnias. They stretch across both months, giving us continuity through the seasonal shift.
Caring for Houseplants in the Heat: Your Seasonal Summer Shift
As temperatures rise, your plants’ needs shift, too.
What worked in the cozy depths of winter won’t cut it in the full blaze of summer sunshine. However, with a few small adjustments, you can help your green friends thrive throughout the entire season.
The July Edit: What’s Blooming in the Valley Now
Welcome to your wildflower era.
July is the peak of summer magic—when only the strongest and most stunning blooms survive the heat, and almost all of them dry beautifully. If it thrives now, it’s a forever flower in the making.
How Your Dream Day Comes to Life
At Flora Good Times, we love the romance of weddings—but the work behind the magic is anything but whimsical. In the days leading up to a wedding, we’re running a floral marathon behind the scenes. And if you've ever considered DIY-ing your wedding florals from an Airbnb the night before—this might be your wake-up call.
Here’s a no-fluff look at what actually goes into the final 10 days of professional wedding flower production…
The June Edit: Wildflowers Emerge in the Valley
We’re calling it: June is peak fluff.
Peonies are still dancing in the spotlight (but not for long—catch them before they make their dramatic exit). Meanwhile, foxglove and campanula continue to charm with their elegant stature and ruffled textures. But the real scene-stealers this month? The summer blooms bring the meadow vibes in full force.
Say hello to the next wave: cosmos, snapdragons, nigella, yarrow, and scabiosa. These summer stars are not only gorgeous and textural, but many of them also dry beautifully, making your bouquets last well beyond the season.
How to Arrange Flowers at Home (Like a Florist, But Chill)
You don’t need a flower cooler or an armful of imported stems to make something beautiful. Some of our favorite arrangements come from casual clippings—on a walk, from a wild patch in the yard, or snipped from whatever’s blooming outside your door.
It’s less about perfection and more about intention. Here’s how to make simple flowers look artful, sculptural, and effortless in your home—no design degree required.
The May Edit: What’s Growing in the Hudson Valley
May is magic in the Hudson Valley. It’s the season of abundance—of color, fragrance, and finally getting your hands in the dirt without gloves. It’s also one of the most dynamic months for cut flowers. Blooms come fast and furious, each with its own fleeting window. Knowing what’s actually in season helps set the stage for arrangements that feel alive, fresh, and honest to the time of year.
Here’s what’s blooming—and what you can expect in your bouquets and Arrangements this month.
Beyond the Penny Trick: Honest Advice for Caring for Your Blooms
We get asked all the time: what's the secret to making flowers last? From pennies to bleach to mysterious powders, there are plenty of "hacks" out there—but what actually works?
The April Edit: What’s Growing in the Hudson Valley
April kicks off one of our favorite times of year—when local flowers start to appear in all their fresh, seasonal glory. Supporting local farmers and living in tune with the season means getting the absolute best of what nature has to offer, while helping build a stronger, more sustainable community.
So, what’s blooming right now?
Let Nature Set the Date: A Guide to Seasonal Wedding Flowers
Have you ever bitten into a mealy apple in March? It’s technically still an apple—but it’s disappointing. Or maybe you’ve rushed to the farmers market in April, hoping for strawberries, only to find they’re pale and watery, not quite ready. That’s the thing about nature: you can’t fake her timing. And when it comes to flowers, the same rules apply.
At Flora Good Times, we work seasonally—because that’s when flowers are at their most vibrant, fragrant, and alive. We think your wedding should be the same.
Early Spring in the Valley
March in the Hudson Valley is a weird in-between. We’re not deep winter anymore, but we’re not in bloom either. It’s mud, thaw, wind, and the first sharp hints of green.
This is the season of waiting—but also of prepping, planning, and watching closely.
What Wedding Flowers Really Cost in 2025—And What You Get at $5K, $10K, and $25K
Let’s talk wedding flower budgets. In 2025, the internet is still throwing weddings with $250,000 worth of florals at your feed like it’s normal. Spoiler: it’s not. At Flora Good Times, we’re here to keep it honest, beautiful, and real. Here's what a wedding floral budget of $5K, $10K, and $25K gets you—for a 100-person wedding in the Hudson Valley.
The Lazy Gardener’s Guide to Spring Planting
Let’s get something straight: you don’t need to be a full-time garden person to have a beautiful, blooming yard. You don’t need a spreadsheet. You don’t need to start seedlings under grow lights in January. You don’t need to overthink it.
Here’s how I approach ornamental gardening for the lazy gardener—aka, the gardener who wants cut flowers, color, and life without a ton of upkeep.
Tell us what you’re curious about.
Plants, florals, weddings—we love talking about it all.
Share your questions, story ideas, or what you’d love to see us cover next, and we may feature it in an upcoming post.
