The musings and adventures of an enthusiastic grower
I had a great childhood, growing up in rural Vermont. Afternoons were spent outdoors making forts in the woods and taking strolls or riding my bike down endless dirt paths through the countryside. My favorite outdoor activity, though, was visiting my neighbor Floyd’s farm. Floyd was a lovely elderly gentleman who frequently allowed me to …
June has arrived, which means that summer is not far behind! I can hardly believe that spring and most of its quintessential flowers have come and gone. The temperatures are getting warmer, and signs of the impending summer season are all around us. The growing season is marching right along as we begin to say …
Continue reading "What’s Growing on in the Garden: May 2026"
Our growing season officially started last month, and it has been lovely working with fresh flowers again. How I missed them so. Spring flowers are among my favorite cut flowers, and seeing them emerge and bloom after a long, cold winter is truly a boon to the soul. It's also wonderful to see the pollinators …
Continue reading "What’s Growing on in the Garden: April 2026"
It’s that time of year again when I happily stroll the floral displays at the Adams Fairacre Farms Spring Garden Show! I have been coming to this annual garden show for over eighteen years and look forward to it every year. It always opens when I need it most, after a long, grey winter when …
In a previous blog post, I shared my journey toward becoming a novice dahlia hybridizer. A journey spanning several years, during which my love for working with dahlias has grown. I never thought I would have the chance to share one of my dahlias with gardeners across North America. Still, when I was selected to …
Continue reading "Field Trip: Triple Wren Farms in Ferndale, Washington"
It’s that time of year again when I sit and reflect on the past growing season and look forward to the next. Goals begin to emerge as I consider what I hope to accomplish in the coming year. Each new year, I set my gardening goals, which help me envision the season ahead and chart …
Happy New Year, garden friends! It’s a new year, and you know what that means-it’s time once again for our annual seasonal reflection post. The beginning of the new year offers an excellent opportunity for reflection, and lately I’ve been thinking about what our fourth season at Whistling Bee Farm has meant to me. It …
Continue reading "Reflecting on Our Fourth Season at Whistling Bee Farm"
December started with a bang as our first snowfall brought eight inches of snow. Flakes fluttered down all day, and by morning, a winter wonderland was in place with everything covered in a white blanket. It’s beautiful, and I’m thankful that I finished all my farm chores before winter set in. Now, I can focus …
Continue reading "What’s Growing on in the Garden: November 2025"
Here we are in November, already deep into the fall season. On the farm, most of the leaves have fallen, mornings are often dusted with frost, and cooler temperatures have moved in. We experienced our first hard frost a few weeks ago, which abruptly ended our fresh-cut flower season. Flower farmers call the first hard …
Continue reading "What’s Growing on in the Garden: October 2025"
This past July, we took a trip to Seattle, Washington, as my son was competing in the Rubik's WCA World Championship there. It was a fabulous trip, and in between competing, we were able to explore the city. We had never been to the West Coast, and it was exciting to soak in all that …
THISTLE BE THE DAY 