A Florist’s Guide to Vermont’s Seasons: My Personal Favorite Blooms (and When to Find Them)
There is something incredibly magical about the way the Vermont landscape changes. We are a state defined by our distinct seasons - from the quiet, snow-covered winters to the sudden, explosive green of spring.
As a florist with deep roots in horticulture, my absolute favorite part of the job is working with nature’s calendar instead of against it. When you design an event using flowers that naturally want to bloom at that exact moment, the arrangements have a different kind of energy. They feel alive, effortless, and deeply tied to the landscape.
Because our growing season is short but strong, timing is everything. While our fields look vastly different from May to December, every single season hides a total showstopper. If you want to know what’s truly in season in the Green Mountain State, here’s a look at my absolute favorite seasonal blooms.
Spring’s First Awakening: The Resilient Hellebore
Spring takes its time arriving in Vermont. While everyone else is eagerly waiting for the tulips and lilacs, my eyes are entirely on the hellebore (also known as the Lenten Rose).
Because of my horticulture background, I have a deep appreciation for plants that are tough as nails but look incredibly delicate. The Hellebore is the ultimate early-spring flower. They often pushe right through the lingering mud and late-season snow. With their nodding heads, moody dusty pinks, deep plums, and speckled greens, they bring a wild, architectural romance to early spring arrangements that nothing else can match.
Other spring beauties joining them: Uniquely colored daffodils, fragrant lilacs, paper-thin Icelandic poppies, and lush ranunculus.
Summer’s Romance: The Nostalgic Antique Rose
By July, the warm weather has officially settled into the valleys, and Vermont flower farms are operating at absolute peak capacity. While summer brings an explosion of vibrant wildflowers, my heart belongs entirely to gentle antique garden roses.
Forget the stiff, scentless, perfectly uniform roses you see at the grocery store. Antique roses are a completely different creature. They are lush, heavy-headed, ruffled, and many have a perfume that fills an entire room. They feel incredibly nostalgic - like something you’d discover growing wild against an old Vermont stone wall. They add an effortless, intentional luxury to summer weddings and centerpieces.
Other summer beauties joining them: Gentle cosmos, tall delphinium, vibrant zinnias, lovely lisianthus, and fresh garden herbs like lavender and mint.
Autumn’s Ethereal Finale: The Delicate Windflower
Late August through October is arguably the most spectacular time of year in Vermont. While everyone associates autumn with dahlias and pumpkins, my absolute favorite fall focal flower is the windflower (Japanese Anemone).
Windflowers bloom on long, wiry stems that literally dance in the autumn breezes. They have these striking, dark contrast centers surrounded by velvety petals in shades of pure white or soft pink. Just as the rest of the landscape starts to dry up and turn brown, windflowers pop up looking incredibly fresh and ethereal. They add a perfect touch of movement to moody, jewel-toned fall palettes.
Other fall beauties joining them: Dinnerplate dahlias, Seven-Sons tree (Heptacodium miconioides), cascading amaranth, berry-colored chrysanthemums, and changing autumn foliage.
Winter’s Vibrant Spark: The Bold Winterberry
Yes, winter! A lot of people think a Vermont winter means the end of local foraging, but our snowy landscape holds one of my all-time favorite botanical treasures: winterberry (Ilex verticillata).
Winterberry is a native holly that drops all of its leaves in the late fall, leaving behind branches that are absolutely encrusted in brilliant, glossy red berries. Against a backdrop of pure white Vermont snow, a bundle of winterberry is a total showstopper. It doesn't pretend to be a summer flower; it embraces the season completely. I love using these architectural branches to bring an authentic, vibrant, and cozy texture to winter interiors and holiday designs.
Other winter textures joining them: Fragrant New England evergreens (balsam, cedar, and pine), delicate hemlock, and rich dried flowers and branches preserved from the summer harvest.
Designing with the seasons means your flowers will be fresher, last longer, and tell a true story of the time and place you celebrated. If you're ready to chat about what will be blooming for your wedding or party - whether you're a spring hellebore lover or a winterberry fan - reach out and let's start dreaming up something wild and intentional together!
