Life on a flower farm is a mix of beauty and grit. Really, if I’m being honest, it’s about 95% grit and 5% beauty if you’re the person doing the farming. It can be hard to see all the “pretty” when there’s sweat in your eyes and your body is screaming with sore muscles! But once in awhile, if you’re lucky, you get a glimpse of your life on a flower farm through another person’s eyes and you gain some perspective. That’s exactly what happened earlier this spring when the talented Regina Miller from Origin Photo came to spend an evening with me on the farm. She was able to see all the beauty in this life on a flower farm that I sometimes have a hard time internalizing as I’m focused only on overcoming all the challenges Mother Nature is throwing at me.
In this photo above, you get a glimpse at our no-till flower beds at various stages. Read more about how Love ‘n Fresh Flowers is using no-till farming practices this season in this previous blog post.
This is a new acre of ground we just brought into production this season. These rows of black fabric will be planted out with thousands of flowering shrubs that will be the backbone of the farm’s future.
It seems cats are always in charge of life on a flower farm, including ours. This is Tigre, chief mouser.
The baptisia was especially dreamy this season. I love how each flower takes center stage and becomes a favorite while it’s briefly here.
Coolest photo I’ve ever had taken of me! Regina did some fancy double-exposure footwork to make this magic happen.
Seeing these photos makes me realize why I love this place so much and why I love sharing it with others! The day after these photos were taken, we hosted a workshop where are those beautiful peonies were put to good use. So, yeah, maybe all the grit is worth it and life on a flower farm is pretty dreamy after all!
Maybe it’s human nature to to look at all the things we still need to do rather than all the things we’ve done, but you’ve accomplished so much. You grow fantastic flower crops. Your skills as a flower designer are enviable!!! You have made a business. I don’t know how you do it.
Thanks so much, Heather! That’s very sweet of you to say!
These pics are absolutely gorgeous. Totally LOVE the double exposure one. Hope they are a reminder to you to always take some time to smell the roses along the way!!
I am simply growing veg and flowers around my home for myself but I have been pouring over your blog entries and learning so much. Thank you for sharing all of this information. I see some roses in these photos and if you haven’t blogged about them, I would love to read about their upkeep. I am also curious where you source the peony tubers? I live in Oklahoma and they grow really well here but I can’t figure out where to buy some.