Mid-January discord, mid-March dreams.
I am a naturally cold person at this stage in my life, to the point where I'm not sure if I dread menopause's hot flashes or am excited for them. There comes a point in winter, usually mid-January, when I both acclimate to the winter weather and accept that I'll be typing with stiff fingers for the foreseeable future.
Getting lost in time.
A vastness opens up before us, like a wide field we must cross-- and we wish to cross it, we see the flowers, the waving grasses, the treed outline of a gentle pond in the distance promising ease and beauty alongside the travails of walking such distances…
In 2025, we won't take a good time for granted.
Lesson 1: Zinnias aren’t infallible. Oh, the zinnia! The humble flower that started it all for The Flower Girl. They grew so easily in our garden for years, we never questioned our success.
Give your woes to the woods.
When the garden rests, it's time to tend the gardener. Just like raising plants, sometimes it's obvious what's needed (feeding time, anyone?), and sometimes it's a puzzle to tease out what's wrong. When I'm in the latter state, I have found that one of the best all-purpose solutions is getting myself into the woods.
Teamwork makes the dream work.
The Bristol Bloom Collective had their first meeting this week. We gathered in a cafe in Bluff City, TN, to discuss start dates, crop plans, and pricing while we drank our coffee from oversized black and white mugs. The folks who gathered represented seven cut flower farms from across Northeast Tennessee, all owned in part or in full by women. It was one of the least dramatic meetings I've ever been to in my life. …
December’s mad rush
The winter solstice is almost upon us, which means two things: the days are shorter, and they're more packed than ever. I don't know how December does it. …
Gentle, gentle, gentle
It's nasty cold season in East Tennessee right now. I hope you're avoiding it, though if you're not, my heart goes out to you. We've been battling a household cough …
Small abundances
Please allow me one brief moment of contemplation on gratitude: I recently stopped by the garden to see if there was anything left for a sweet customer who stopped by the house to see if there was any way we still had flowers leftover for his wife's birthday …
Indulging in a season
As I'm writing this, it's November outside. Not just on my calendar— the actual weather matches my expectations for what the month should be …
Soil
Soil does many jobs. It anchors the roots, enabling plants to grow sturdy and tall. Soil holds moisture and nutrients that help feed the plants, and soil is a home for many creatures – those we can see and those we can’t. Creating the right environment encourages creatures that benefit a garden.
A Season of Reflection
We are both writers as well as flower farmers, and this will be a way for us to share with you some of the meditations that have come to us through our work.