Changing Seasons
From one season we go right into the next.
Change doesn't wait for you, does it? One minute you are enjoying fall colors and then the next minute its dark before dinner. Where did November go?
The 2023 season was one for the record books for SHEGROWS. Every open field around our entire house was planted with flowers. And I am here to say, gardens can take over your life, if you let them. They can be like a wild English garden with no boundaries or a manicured French garden with rows and order. My gardening personality, for better or worse, is more like the latter. Easily pulling healthy plants just for being in the wrong place. Trimming back, digging up and moving, and enjoying a nice clean line. With a talented team in place, I even got to go on a few vacations during the growing season. I guess you could say I've arrived at a new stage of life.
The last 6 years have been filled with developing the farm's infrastructure--the team, our customer base, the barn, studio, greenhouse, and lots of perennials. Our last major projects were planting the rose garden and building a heated greenhouse. All these investments have allowed us to extend our season from first only having flowers starting in August, to now having flowers from February all the way until mid October!
Now on the eve of our 7th season, I am feeling change in the air. One that I am hopeful will be filled with fruits of so much labor, from so many people. Some friends were here for a few pioneering seasons, and the wind lifted them away. Some heard a calling and are here to stay. I am grateful to each of them and hope they will always see their reflections on the farm.
On a similar note, some plants are also getting comfortable. Our perennial fields of peonies, roses, and lavender are growing leaps and bounds and have already made an impact on our ability to provide a higher caliber of flowers, earlier in the season. I think I even heard the dahlias getting jealous this year but a little ego check might be good for them.
With so much foundational work in place, I am excited for new offerings on the horizon and strengthening our tried and true Flower CSA program. Its always the first thing we offer each season and its now open for registration! If you are new here, our Flower CSA members get to pick up flowers for 6 weeks each season starting in February! Its one of our absolute favorite ways to be in community and share the garden with those who make beauty part of ordinary life. Sign up here.
I’ll see you when the light returns,
Gina