Springtime in April
/Its hard to believe that April is already midway through, but you know its truly spring when 2 weeks after a heavy frost warning and low of 25 degrees, its sweltering hot with no breeze and a high of 82 degrees. Thankfully all of my flowers came through the freeze unscathed - it was certainly nerve wracking though! I had just spent the previous couple weeks filling the field with snapdragons, dianthus, larkspur, lisianthus and bachelor buttons. All in all, I planted over 10,000 plugs (baby flowers). My body has probably never ached as much as it has this month, but its all worth it.
My amazing parents came to visit and helped on the farm for a week. Their company, kick booty work ethic and expertise really kicked things into full gear. My dad came up with a plan to rework the field and take care of the grass that I would surely have been battling all season (well, I probably still will battle it, but to a much lesser degree). My mom is a planting machine and tirelessly tucked plugs into the ground and painted a beautiful sign for the farm. I cherish their company and it was absolutely wonderful to have them around.
I've also been planting dahlias and the first round of sunflowers, zinnias, cosmos, scabiosa, nasturtium and queen annes lace. The mini greenhouse is absurdly full, but hopefully by the weekend all that will remain are a few trays of foliage and filler starts and my summer veggies. Many friends have asked whether I'm doing a home garden this year, and the answer is yes: per usual I had to have a large home veggie garden too. Oh, and I met my sales goal for the CSA/bouquet subscriptions! I may add a few more spaces once summer hits, but I'm thrilled.
Despite the overwhelming amount of work for one person, the farm is truly my happy place. I can't help but break into a spontaneous grin when I remember to take a moment and look around me. Now, amongst all the million other tasks to complete each day, I am patiently waiting for my first big harvest of the season.
Flourish's first official bud of the season, a black and white anemone
