Raising Flowers and Horses
It’s Still Winter and I’m Still Coping (Barely)!
What does a flower farmer do during a snowy January? Here are ways to lift the spirits and a few of the plants that I’m starting now.
January is for Planning (and Dreaming)
The cyclic nature of the garden lends itself to New Year’s dreaming. This week the world is full of everyone’s garden dreams–plants to grow, flowers to abandon, how-tos and habits to leave behind. I used to be that ga, the one who came up with a whole list of resolutions and ways that I would become the best version of myself. Don’t get me wrong, I still think about ways I can be healthier or kinder, and I certainly set for myself some goals around the vitality of the farm business, but as far as inspiration for the new year, I now try to think about how I want to show up in and experience the world. What lens do I want to use when making choices about how I will spend my precious time?
Wintering on the Farm
It’s December. It is the slower season on the flower farm. There are no flowers to harvest or bouquets to be made, but there is still work to be done. Last month I put thousands of plants into the ground—65 peonies, thousands of tulips, and hundreds of daffodils and allium.
The Magic of a Worm Bin
A worm bin can help your seed starting efforts. What is magic about worm castings? Studies have shown that the microorganisms found in earthworm guts are beneficial to plants. They improve a plant’s ability to uptake nutrients, thus boosting growth, and they improve a plant’s resistance to disease. Studies also show that plants that have been exposed to vermicast extract tea have these microorganisms in their roots.
Why I’m a Fan of the Winter Greeting Card
I’m a sucker for a winter greeting card–-Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, Happy New Year—it doesn’t matter to me what is printed on the card or when it arrives. I just love the jolt I get this time of year when I open the mailbox and there is a card. It’s the same jolt I get when I happen to look up at the sky just around sunset, and the sun has turned the late afternoon clouds into glowing bits of cotton candy. I know both of these things are possible, receiving greeting cards in the mail, and witnessing a gorgeous winter sky, but that knowledge does not stop the delight I feel when these events actually occur.