I can’t believe we’re barely at the end of this growing season and I’m already thinking so far ahead. We’ve had a light frost here now, but thankfully nothing that has been a true killing frost, so there are still some flowers growing and things happening out in the garden. At the same time, my brain has already moved on to next season. I’m planning the garden expansion, getting ready for Christmas markets and doing a ridiculous amount of crafting, sourcing landscape fabric and researching irrigation for next year. I think this might just be one of those things about farming that I’m going to have to get used to — you’re always working on this season while already planning the next one.
One of the biggest jobs this month has been getting the garden ready for next year. My husband has more than tripled the growing space, taking us to around 7,000 square feet, which is exciting and also a little intimidating when I actually stop and think about how much space that is to fill with flowers. We brought in about 18 yards of compost and have been spreading it over the garden to get the soil ready before winter. I’m really looking forward to having that extra space next year because it opens up so many possibilities. I’ll be able to grow more of the flowers I’m already using, experiment with some new varieties and hopefully grow enough specifically for the increasing number of wedding and custom orders I’m getting.
I’ve also been spending a surprising amount of time getting ready for Christmas markets. I’m trying to DIY as much as I possibly can, so when I started looking into getting a simple sign made for my booth, I was pretty shocked at how quickly the cost added up. Whether it was a table runner, plastic sign or wooden sign, I was looking at spending somewhere around $100–$200. Instead, I went to the dollar store, bought a little $3 piece of wood, stained it, made a stencil in Canva and painted the lettering myself. It’s definitely not perfect, but I actually like that it looks handmade, and there’s something satisfying about figuring out how to make these little things myself instead of buying them.
The wedding side of things has been interesting too. As inquiries have started coming in for next season, I’m realizing pretty quickly that custom orders are where most of the demand seems to be. Ready-made bouquets are still available, but I’m hearing from so many brides who already have a particular vision for their wedding and want their flowers created specifically around it. I really enjoy that part of the process because every order can be a little different. I recently made a bouquet that was quite a bit different from my usual style, with wild grasses, globe thistle, eucalyptus and white strawflower, and I loved seeing how those ingredients came together into something completely different from my usual bouquets.
So while this season isn’t quite finished yet, I’m already deep into planning the next one. I’ve been looking at irrigation systems, figuring out how I want to use landscape fabric, thinking about what to grow and how much of it to plant, while also trying to get through the Christmas market prep and all the little projects that come with it. There’s a lot to figure out when you’re growing a flower farm, and I’m definitely learning as I go.
I’ve also had a few people ask how I manage to do all of this with a 5-month-old and a 2-year-old, and honestly, I’m not sure I have a very impressive answer. I just work on things whenever I can squeeze them in. Sleep is probably the lowest item on my list of priorities right now, haha. Somehow, between nap times, early mornings and whatever little pockets of time I can find, things are slowly getting done.
It’s funny to look out at the garden right now and know that this season is almost over, while also knowing that what we’re doing now is setting up the farm for next year. The extra garden space, the compost, the irrigation planning, the flowers I’m already thinking about growing and even the little handmade sign for my Christmas booth are all pieces of the same bigger picture. I have no idea exactly what next season will look like yet, but I’m really excited to find out.
