The harvest and drying season has finally begun here on the farm, and it feels like everything has come to life all at once.
After weeks of steady rain, warm sunshine, and mild summer nights, the flower field is absolutely exploding with colour. Every morning I seem to discover something new that's ready to harvest. The strawflowers are maturing beautifully, the statice is showing off its vibrant colours, the bachelor's buttons are dancing in the breeze, and the billy buttons are beginning to brighten the garden with their cheerful golden blooms.
The drying room is already starting to fill up. Alongside the flowers growing in our field, I've also been gathering and drying some of the beautiful wildflowers that grow naturally around our farm. Watching the drying room slowly fill with bunch after bunch of flowers is one of my favourite parts of the season.
The ideal time to harvest flowers for drying is usually late morning. By then, the flowers have had all night to hydrate, but the morning dew has also dried off in the sun. That gives you dry stems and well-hydrated blooms, which is perfect for drying.
With two little ones, though, I have to be flexible. Most days I end up harvesting in the mid to late afternoon while they're napping or playing. It's not the ideal time because the flowers aren't quite as hydrated after sitting in the summer sun all day, but I'd much rather harvest slightly drier flowers than hang wet ones in the drying room. Too much moisture can cause problems when drying, so for me it's the better compromise.
Once the harvesting is finished, I head into the drying room where each bunch is carefully hung to dry. I also spend time sorting flowers that have already dried into storage bins, organizing them by variety, colour, and quality so they'll be ready when it's time to create wedding bouquets and arrangements.
Somewhere in between all of that are the less glamorous jobs—watering, weeding, checking on the garden, and, of course, taking care of my two little helpers. Balancing motherhood with running a flower farm can be wonderfully chaotic, and there are certainly days when I don't get nearly as much done as I'd planned.
But every time I gather an armful of fresh blooms and tie them into little bunches ready for drying, I'm reminded why I love this work so much.
There's something incredibly satisfying about knowing that these flowers, grown from tiny seeds just a few months ago, will soon become everlasting bouquets that brides will carry down the aisle or arrangements that bring joy into someone's home.
It's a busy season, but it's my favourite one.
