And just like that, the growing season is officially over! November went by in a flash, and now we’re entering the last month of 2023! Each year, I marvel at how fast time flies. I’m unsure how it always catches me off guard, but it always does. It is time again to share what’s been growing on in the garden! This will most likely be the last installment of this series for 2023, as the garden has officially been put to bed for the winter. It’s time for the garden and myself to rest.
I’ve been trying to be more mindful of enjoying life’s special moments, and I had quite a few to be grateful for this past month. So, let’s look at what was growing in the garden in November.
On November 2nd, we celebrated Frostmas. Flower farmers call the first hard frost Frostmas, which signifies the end of the growing season. The flowers are kissed with frost for a few short hours, which is absolutely magical! I love to walk the rows before sunrise, soak in the beauty, and whisper words of thanks to the flowers. Frostmas can be bittersweet for growers. We often don’t want to say goodbye to the flowers. But it also offers us an opportunity to reflect on our growing season and nature’s beauty and life cycle.
A week or so after the frost, it was time to dig up, divide, and store our dahlia tubers. So began the great dahlia dig! Dahlia tubers in our cold northern growing zone would rot if left in the ground, so each plant needs to be dug up after a hard frost. It is messy, backbreaking work, but it is worth the beautiful flowers those tubers produce. You can visit my Whistling Bee Farm Dahlia Project post to learn more about our dahlia season.
I also took some time in November to do some last-minute planting. When two flower farmer friends asked me if I’d like to split an order of Iceland Hummingbird Poppies, I couldn’t resist saying yes. I’ve never grown Iceland poppies before, but I am excited to try them. They are gorgeous spring flowers with a long vase life. They are very cold-hardy, so fingers crossed that they make it through the winter and give us beautiful blooms in the spring.
And, despite saying I was done planting bulbs, I also couldn’t resist purchasing “just a few more” daffodils at an end-of-season sale. So, I added two more varieties, Angel Fire and Art Design, to our growing list. I can’t wait to see (and share) these charming daffodils this spring. Imagining hundreds of daffodils in bloom makes me excited for next season!
With our dahlias safely stored for the winter and our last bulbs and seedlings tucked into the soil, it was time to focus on prepping the beds for winter. I added compost and shredded straw to each bed to prepare them for planting in the spring. If I had more time, I would have loved to have planted a cover crop or two, perhaps next year. I also cleaned and organized the floral studio before locking the doors until spring.
Now that the outdoor farming tasks were complete, I got to play with our dried flowers indoors. It was a treat to continue working with flowers, even in the off-season. I kept busy in November crafting dried flower pumpkins for fall and Thanksgiving and festive holiday decorations for December. I love sharing our dried flowers, and it was fulfilling to know that our community would enjoy them during their holiday traditions. Bringing joy from our farm to people’s homes is immensely gratifying.
And, with our growing space prepared for its long winter nap, I could take a much-needed break and enjoy some time with family and friends. We traveled to Vermont for Thanksgiving with our family and enjoyed a meal and each other’s company. I also attended a Flower Farmersgiving last week. A dozen or so of us flower farmers from the Hudson Valley area celebrated the end of the growing season. We shared good food, stories, advice, and experiences from the season. We also took turns discussing what we look forward to growing next season. My reply was Iceland poppies and heirloom chrysanthemums! We also enjoyed a farm tour from our host. Both gatherings made my heart happy and were a great way to close out the growing season.
Lastly, I celebrated my 46th birthday at the end of November. Did I think I’d start a new business in my mid-forties? No, but here I am going for it. It’s scary and exciting and everything in between. But, honestly, I think flowers found me just when I needed them to point me in a new direction. I’ve experienced many things before becoming a flower farmer, and I wouldn’t trade those moments for anything. They made me who I am. And now, as I continue this new chapter in my life, I’m so excited for what the future holds. I’m here to say that it’s never too late to follow a new path and try something different; go where your heart leads you. Mine has led me to the flower patch.
That’s what’s been growing on in our garden; what’s been growing on in yours?
THISTLE BE THE DAY 