It’s good to be back. As expected, I’ve been busy since I returned, prepping for my 2024 season. I’ve already faced some trials. Five of the crops planted last fall did not survive the winter: snapdragons, anemone, ranunculus, scabiosa, and dianthus. It’s a huge loss and I can’t help feeling defeated. I only have a couple of spring bouquet subscriptions, though, so I should have enough material to fulfill those. If I have to buy some flowers from other local growers to fill in empty spots, so be it. I’ve been trying to embrace a quote I heard from Qunita Brunson, creator and star of Abbott Elementary, during an interview she did with Oprah in 2022 (which I watched on sabbatical). “I also don’t really believe in failing. It’s just showing you another way, giving you a lesson.” Mother Nature is my boss, and she’s decided she wants things to be done differently around here. She’s not clear on the details; that’s something I have to figure out. So I will reassess my approach to growing hardy annuals during the months that I’m not here to monitor them, and I will change accordingly. Maybe I just don’t grow those crops. Maybe I order in plugs to be delivered the week I return; I already do this with lisianthus and delphinium because they’re so hard to grow from seed. Anywho, I’m still trying to decide my next move.

Despite the lows, I’ve had some encouraging successes. I tried winter sowing for the first time last December. I planted seeds for 35 different perennials in milk jugs and placed them outside. The perennials I chose all need cold stratification. This means the seeds need to be exposed to winter temperatures before they will germinate. Of the 35, 22 jugs have tiny green sprouts popping up. I haven’t given up on the others; maybe they’re slow starters. I’m pretty thrilled with the results from my first attempt! My daffodils and tulips are blooming like crazy. It’s a little annoying that the warm temps have tulips blooming faster than I can get them harvested, but it’s a good problem to have. I’m working to find outlets to sell these before they are past their prime. Farmers markets don’t start for a few more weeks, and subscriptions are a month away. Tim and I did some work this weekend to make my space more efficient. I bought a couple more work tables for the garden shop (AKA garage). We cleaned out a large closet right next to the garden shop so that my boxes of donated jars and vases won’t be cluttering the hallway anymore. I started round one of summer annual seeds about 5 days ago, and most of them have already germinated. While spring harvests won’t be quite what I envisioned, summer is getting off to a good start. I even have my first wedding consultation on Friday! 

I’m brainstorming different ways I can get my flowers into the hands of more people. I might trial having a home-based flower stand on the weekends. I’d have a display set up by the driveway, and I would keep it stocked throughout the day with fresh flowers. These could be purchased through Venmo or cash. I’ll be relying on the honor system, so how well people follow the rules will determine whether this is a sustainable sales option. I’ll also be updating my online shop in the next few weeks so that people can order Jam Jars of Joy or Premium Mixed Bouquets directly from the website. I want to start a weekly newsletter. PLEASE: If you want to stay up on the latest Melmac Florals news, go to my website and fill out a contact form!  

I’d love to continue these weekly blog posts. But, life (and spring) happens. By adding time to write into my daily schedule, I hope you’ll be hearing from me on a fairly regular basis. Off to get my hands dirty! Here’s the latest Flower Power Friday arrangement.

…and no. I don’t have any book news.