This week was a wild one. We packed and shipped out over a hundred and fifty boxes of sweet pea collections to eager gardeners all over the country. Figuring out how to run an online shop certainly has had its unexpected challenges, but we’re finally getting the hang of it. A huge thank you to all of our patient new customers who’ve been so gracious during this learning process!
Jill, Cora and baby “Paper” (he’s in mama’s tummy, temporarily named by Cora) visited the farm this week. Jill is Floret’s office manager and handles all of the workshop coordination, shop customer service, emails and anything else relating to communication and organization on the front end. She was actually the first floral designer I ever sold flowers to so many years ago!
When Jill came on board in the summer of 2013, my life was transformed. It was the first time I got to experience what it felt like to really be supported. She has taught me so much about setting boundaries, saying no to things that aren’t a good fit and the basics of self care. Every time she brings Cora down for a visit, I’m reminded of what really matters. Now that our kids are older and much more self sufficient, it’s easy to get caught up in all of the busyness and forget to slow down and make time to be really present. Watching Cora run around, feeding Jasper carrots and pretending they were both characters from the movie Frozen was just what I needed to remember. In a few short weeks we’ll all finally get to meet baby Paper and the Floret family will grown once again : )
The last few crates of bulbs that were forgotten in a dark corner of the messy garage finally went into the ground. Chris is so good. I would have likely abandoned them at this point but he patiently planted every last one. With the flower book in the works I’ve given myself permission to go totally overboard and order ridiculous amounts of novelty varieties. Even though the writing process has been tough so far, once all of the flowers start to bloom, that part will be a distant memory.
Here’s a little teaser of what we’ve got in the ground currently: 35 varieties of allium, 9 varieties of fritillarias, 20 varieties of fragrant and double flowered narcissus, a dozen miscellanius spring bulbs including muscari and hyacinths, 30 different parrot and double flower tulips plus another 15 types with unique coloring, 43 varieties of ranunculus, every color of anemone in the rainbow, over 40 varieties of sweet peas, 250 English rose bushes, loads of biennials and boxes and boxes of things to start from seed. It’s going to be insane! I can’t wait to share all of this beauty with you as the season progresses.
The hellebores are starting the wake up in the shady patches they call home behind the greenhouses. For 10 months out of the year I completely forget about them but come February, when the garden is bare, I remember and go hunting for their incredible blooms. Each winter I vow to plant more but never seem to be able to justify the investment. This year I finally have the perfect excuse ; )
Our not so little guy Jasper turned 12. When the kids were small everyone warned me that it would go by in a flash. They were right. It really does. Every year when we gather around the dining room table to celebrate his birth I love to remind him that he was born in this very room, on a dark winter night, in a warm tub of water with only candles for light. It’s so special to have such history in these walls.
How about you? What’s happening in your neck of the woods?
Deanna on
Jasper is 12?! In my mind he’s still more like the 8 that he was when I first met him! It really, truly does go by so quickly. (PS-tell him the boys ride the bike he gave them all the time!) It’s so incredible to see how you’ve balanced being present as a mama and growing a incredible business-thank you for that inspiration!