Spring Forward
Yesterday was my first full day working outside and it felt great! I have to admit that I escaped winter for a month away in the tropics but since I've been home, I've been pretty homebound, like most this winter. I've been trying to catch up on all I should have been doing instead of being on the beach! Ordering seeds, talking to brides and doing quotes for weddings, making planting schedules, starting seeds, getting systems inside set up properly so that things run more smoothly this summer. I'm beyond excited to be growing on my own land this summer. So excited to be building a permanent garden of my own for the first time! I have to admit that I've gotten a bit carried away with plans and I want to do everything right away this year! Reality is starting to set in about what I am capable of financially and physically, and plans are being scaled back a bit... but it's just too exciting not to do everything all at once, as soon as possible!!!
The plastic should be up on the greenhouse next week!
Another very exciting prospect is having help this summer! I did have some wonderful friends who I would call upon when I was in dire straits last year that would come help me harvest or prep in particularly crazy moments. This year I've hired an intern and have a special volunteer helper around for much of the time as well. It's going to be a whole different story to have some help! I'm really excited about the team we will have here on the farm this summer and I will introduce you all to them once they get here and we have some sweet glamour shots of them working hard! I also must take a moment to talk about a wonderful friend that I made last year who has been a great help and inspiration to me, my friend Gillian. She's who I call my "garden mentor". She's got the most amazing garden and was very generous with letting me cut special blooms for events from it last year. This year she has made a "Sas List" and is helping me fill my garden with all sorts of wonderful delights, passed down from hers. I am really grateful to have become such nice friends with her. More on Gillian in another post though, she deserves a real spotlight!
Sweet Jessica from Sweet Gale Gardens came to help plant bulbs in the fall. We already have tulips popping up!
I am very excited to have spring bulbs this year! We will have various varieties of Tulips, heirloom Narcissus, Alliums, and Fritillaria. It means that we are able to start going to market and doing weddings much earlier than last year. This spring we will also be selling seedlings. We will have flower, herb and edible flower seedlings at market and some great events around the County. Keep checking back to our Find Us page or get in touch by email to see where we will be besides the regular markets.
Living room grow op until the greenhouse is done!
So as you can see, there are lots of big changes underway! I am very excited about this year at Floralora. Already I can't believe how much more knowledgeable and confident I feel than i did this time last year- I am certainly getting more sleep! I can't wait to see you all this summer and provide you with beautiful, unique blooms, grown with love (and excitement, if you couldn't tell!!)!