We’re growing in more ways than one.
We’re growing in more ways than one this year. Each year I expand our offerings and try growing the business in a some new ways. That maybe a new growing technique, variety of flower or way of offering our flowers. This key in finding success in the business. So let me tell you some of the exciting new things we have on the harizion this year plus a very special announcement.
With the help of our walk behind tractor I purchased last spring the intern and I were able to expand our growing space. Adding our official new quarter acre perennial field in addion to our quarter acre annual field. This new perennial field was selection of pig pasture this time last year and through a lot of hard work and planning now is home to first three rows of perennial flowers.
We started by mowing down the field of weeds to see what we would be working with. Followed by subsoiling and tilling the field to help with two key things breaking up the hard pan soil compression left by the pigs and evening our the field from the pig wallows that were left behind. Leaving us with a field with much more soil airspace and even surface to help maintain the field in the future. Than we planted out our first cover crop of buckwheat to suppress weeds and create green manure to incorporate into the field. Once the buckwheat was grown we mowed/mulched it down with our flail mower and tilled it in the soil. Later that summer we planted the whole field in a combination of clover and orchard grass, this will provide natural nitrogen fixing and weed suppression long term. After all that in the fall we finally planted out the first three rows of perennial flowers, two rows of baptisia and one row of peonies. Over the next few years we’ll continue to fill up with field with more beautiful perennials.
Walking through our cover crop of buckwheat last summer
In the fall of last year we also doubled our collection of daffodils. Adding fun new varieties as well a serval new other types of spring bulbs and corms that i’m looking forward to introducing you to this spring!
It may only be February 1st but our first seedlings and planting are already underway. In January I started the process of presprouting the ranunculus and seeding our first seed trays of snapdragons and lisanthus. In the next coming weeks i’ll continue to start more seed trays and the intern will plant our baby ranunculus out into the high tunnel for early spring blooms.
Gorgeous photo of our ranunculus taken last spring by a CSA member
Now for my very special announcement! On top of growing, harvesting and selling flowers last season I was also busy growing our very first little farm baby! This little soul, dubbed blueberry by my husband and I over the last nine months, is due any day now. Blueberry and I have already cultivated and harvested thousand of flowers together but with their arrival I can’t wait to share the beauty of farm with them in a whole new way this season.
It feels so special that blueberry will get to grow up playing in the same fields and soil that I had as a kid. Learning the natural rhythms of our farm, playing with piglets, identifying all the birds with the intern, picking daffodils in the misty rain and river fog in the spring and one day running through a freshly tilled field with their bare feet feeling the soft warm soil squish between their little toes. All childhood memories that probably influenced and lead me to where I am today.
Even with the addition of our new family member most day to day operations at the farm will remain the same. Other then a face you’ll most likely see and the intern doing most of the heavy lifting in the early spring season.
Me in my “Pea Pod Era” with the pregnant belly
Thanks for reading! Until next month stay warm and cozy.
-Caelin G-S, Flax Hollow Farm Farmer and Owner
UPDATE: This post was originally written mid-January and scheduled to be shared February 1st in preparation of blueberry’s arrival. This past week blueberry was born and we’re home enjoying our new little one and resting up for spring ❤️
