Fresh Starts

It feels like a long time since I have actually had the opportunity to sit and write about all that’s happening around here.  I can hardly take it all in! We have had a wonderful season and the abundance just won’t stop.  We’ve had bumper crops in spite of drought and high temperatures. (Read about what I think our secret is in the TGW Garden News) We are now farming on close to 4 acres in the midst of the city, an increase from 1.25 acres last year! I can hardly contain myself with all the possibilities. My number one focus is farming smarter, which means more sustainable and less labor intensive, all with lots of flowers! Most folks aren’t aware that our working garden for the past 10 years has been less than ½ acre in production at any given time. This garden produced over 4000 stems of flowers a week in season. I am afraid to figure how many we are cutting each week now…

Fall is all about fresh starts and I am ready. This time of year our gardens can get out of hand or simply die.  Sometimes they just don’t work out as planned. I have heard from many that this has been the case this summer here in southeastern Virginia. So now is the time to cut your losses and move on. Fall is a season that is good for us folks but is equally good for gardens.  After a hot, dry summer, plants and people thrive with the change in weather. Fall usually brings more rain; heat is usually not an issue; pests and diseases are not such a problem. Frankly, fall is just more fun for everyone involved.

I attribute much of my success and longevity as a flower farmer to the ability to start over. Meaning, if something doesn’t work as planned, is too needy or I just don’t like the way things are going, I abandon it and move on. Whether it’s a flower crop or a business idea, I pull it out or mow it down.  It’s time to re-grow or find a better way. I don’t waste energy and time fretting why.

So, scrap that dying garden!  Enjoy the next couple of weeks and start planning to restart your garden with a “fall fix-up” of soil rejuvenation and fall plantings. It will rekindle your gardening spirit and restore your hope that gardening is fun!

Gardening is good for you and your family,

Lisa Z