What’s Growing on in the Garden: October 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 frost Frostmas. And in the first few hours, when the flowers are kissed with frost, it is absolutely magical! I love walking the rows before sunrise, soaking in the beauty, and whispering words of thanks to the flowers. Frostmas can be bittersweet. I often don’t want to say goodbye to the flowers. But it also offers me an opportunity to reflect on our growing season and the beauty of nature, the same beauty we have the privilege of sharing with our community throughout the season.

But before we say goodbye to the flowers for the season, I thought I’d share a look back at some of the beauty we grew on the farm last month and let you know what we’ve been up to since our previous update. So, let’s take a look at what was growing on in October.

By the time October rolls around, most of our flowers have started to fade, and I have turned my attention to wrapping up the season. I collect seeds and harvest the final flowers for drying while the threat of a season-ending frost looms. However, a few flower exceptions have become quintessential fall blooms on the farm. I’m looking at you, dahlias, anemones, and chrysanthemums!

I love working with fall-blooming flowers. Our bouquets and arrangements took on a lovely fall vibe with their cool-toned color palette mixed with a few pops of warm oranges and yellows.

Japanese anemones and heirloom chrysanthemums are always a special treat in the fall, blooming after most other flowers have gone to seed. They are like one last hurrah before winter’s grip takes hold.

The dahlias remained dazzling in late September and October, as they really shine during fall’s cooler temperatures. When other blooms in the garden start to fade, dahlias are in their finest moments.  Despite several light frosts in October, our dahlias were still blooming and feeding the whistling bees.

I loved seeing our dahlia seedlings bloom and took notes to determine which ones we’ll continue growing next season. And of course, I soaked in all the beauty from the tried-and-true varieties we grow here on the farm as well. Sharing these flowers with our community is such a treat. But by the end of October, we finally got a hard frost, ending our 2025 growing season. It’s always a bittersweet moment to bid farewell. I’ll miss the flowers immensely. This transition always brings a wave of nostalgia and reflection —a time to look back at the season’s highs and lows and to plan for the future.

Besides harvesting and arranging, fall is a time for cleaning and planting. Last month, I started to clean up the flower beds, pulling out plants and spreading compost to replenish the soil. I also planted dozens of seedlings and perennials to overwinter and bloom next season. They will be protected in our low tunnels throughout the winter and will bring bountiful blooms in the spring. 

Towards the end of October, I feel an underlying sense of urgency in the garden. I know that winter is on its way. Our to-do list isn’t necessarily getting shorter, but it is changing. Even though our fresh-cut flower season just ended, we’re already planting and planning for next season. I know that I need to work quickly to complete the tasks before the first snowflake flies. Yet, despite that urgency, I try to remind myself to slow down and soak in all that the fall season has to offer. To pause and witness the leaves that have changed, providing a colorful carpet in the landscape. To revel in the cooler temperatures that make working in the flower beds much more comfortable. And to take a moment to appreciate nature and the seasons’ cycle. It is fall, and we are nearing the finish line of our growing season. Before we know it, the beds will be covered in a blanket of snow, and I will be covered in a blanket on the couch, planning our next season.

But a few more tasks await us before we officially end the growing season and take a much-needed break. Thousands of bulbs need to be planted for spring blooms; dahlias need to be dug up, divided, and stored; compost and straw need to be spread; supports and irrigation need to be stored; there is still much to do! Once all these tasks are complete, I look forward to turning my attention to the planning phase again. Seeds will need to be inventoried, bed plans prepared, and decisions about the farm’s future direction will need to be made. I’m already dreaming of our 2026 season!

That’s what’s been growing on in my garden; what’s been growing on in yours?