What A Ride-Part 2

Last week I brought you up to speed on what was happening as we started our little business throughout the first half of the season. Here is what we were up to from August until today.

AUGUST

August was a really fun month. We started selling our bouquets at East End Coffee shop on Market Street in Lewistown every Tuesday.

I also took a design class near Manassas, Virginia at the home of LynnVale Studios. Andrea was so incredibly open and honest and an awesome teacher. It was really nice to have someone give you the "real deal" especially when there are so many "perfect" pictures out there on Instagram and Facebook.

August was also the month that our son showed his animals at his first 4-H fair, growing up doing this I was so excited for him to have this opportunity. I truly believe 4-H prepares you for so many aspects of life.

August was also the month that I had a major "Oh Holy Crap" moment. I'm going to be completely honest with you. I spent so much time last winter planning and preparing the layout of my field and how/when I would succession plant my flowers but I only planned it up until the end of this growing season. I realized in August that I should be starting seeds to plant in the fall for spring blooms and have that all mapped out as well. This is just a tad bit embarrassing for me to admit but I'm learning to embrace my mistakes and learn from them! Seeds were ordered and started, not as soon as they should have been but they are tucked in the ground holding up to the frost we've had the last few nights.

SEPTEMBER

In September the dahlias finally started blooming. The plants were so stinking lush and green and beautiful but took forever to bloom. I had them in an area that was way to shaded so they will be in a new home next year. This month we also started to wrap up our store accounts and started clearing beds to prep for next year. Here's another embarrassing confession: I ripped out an entire bed of strawflowers at the end of the month that was probably a week away from blooming because I needed that bed to prep and plant those seeds that I so hastily started back at the end of August.

OCTOBER

There were some absolutely beautiful days in October. With the help of my mom we planted 50 bare root peonies and I will probably double that next year. We worked at continuing to plant throughout this month and finally start to try to breath a little again. My husband also started prepping our little old smokehouse to be used as a cooler next year. This will be a huge game changer since a lot went to waste in the field.

NOVEMBER

Here we are at the beginning of November. I planted 1300 tulips last weekend (with the help of my slightly reluctant 9 year old) and dug the dahlia tubers earlier this week. I will let them dry and will then divide and pack them snugly into our basement for the winter. This month I will also sit down and try to have (for the most part) all of my beds for next year planned out. We planted approximately thirty-30 foot beds in 2017 and are increasing that to thirty eight-50 foot beds and fourteen-30 foot beds next year. Probably around a 1/4-1/3 of an acre. That will give us some extra growing space and the goal is to keep growing it year by year.

I hope you are enjoying reading this blog, feel free to leave any comments below. Since I avidly despise winter I am optimistic that spring will be here before we know it but I do confess I am excited to take some days in January and February and just stay in my p.j.'s on the couch and re-watch Downton Abby ;-)

Have a great weekend!

Katie