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 on planning for the farm. The off-season months of winter are a good time to look ahead to the next growing season and dream about all the possibilities. While the farm sleeps through winter, I’ll be indoors working on seed inventory and orders, bed planning, administrative tasks, and catching up on educational opportunities like cut-flower webinars and reading the mountain of flower-farming books I stored in my office over the summer. Even though the farm is now resting, there’s still a lot to do to prepare for the 2026 season!
But before we start focusing on the season to come, I wanted to give you a recap of what we accomplished last month as we prepared to put the farm to bed.
By November, all the blooms had faded in the garden except the hardy sweet alyssum, which provides late-season nectar for the pollinators when all the other flowers are gone. We use these lovely plants as “living mulch” in our beds underneath our cut flowers. They help suppress weeds, retain moisture at the roots of our flowers, and help keep our soil in place. Best of all, they feed pollinators all season long. Alyssum comes in a beautiful array of colors, and I always enjoy the sweet fragrance and tiny florets that dot our flower beds every season.
November is always the month that we turn our attention to finishing fall farm chores and getting the farm ready for winter. Each November, we plant thousands of spring-flowering bulbs, such as specialty tulips, lovingly tucking them into the soil one by one in an egg-crate-like pattern for their long winter nap. Last month, we planted 29 varieties of specialty tulips, including many returning favorites — such as Super, Apricot, and Silver Parrots, Drumline, and Copper Image. We also planted a few newcomers to the farm. I am most excited to grow Verona, a fragrant peony-like variety, and Katinka, an antique-hued lavender variety. I can’t wait to see all these spring beauties bloom!
Our homegrown garlic was also planted in early November. We’ve been growing, saving, and replanting our garlic here on our property for over 12 years. I always look forward to seeing them emerge in the spring and eating the scapes and cloves during the season. Eating them in winter is like a taste of summer in every dish.
Another farm task we completed last month was digging, dividing, and storing all of our dahlia tubers. This is a daunting task at the end of the season, when I’m already physically exhausted, but it is such a relief when it’s complete. Having all of our tubers safely stored before the first snowflake flies is always a good feeling.
Once all of the bulbs had been planted and the dahlia tubers had been dug, it was time for the final steps to put the farm to bed. All irrigation hoses were drained and stored to prevent freezing and cracking, and we hauled and spread compost by hand onto the beds and then covered them with high-grade shredded straw. Throughout the winter, soil microorganisms break down compost and straw, adding nutrients to the soil. The straw also covers the soil, protecting it from erosion. Any straw that hasn’t been broken down and decomposed in the spring is used in the pathways to suppress weeds. It’s like putting a warm blanket on each bed, tucking the soil in for winter. This is always the final farm chore of the season, and when it’s completed, I feel a great sense of accomplishment and relief. I made it to the finish line.
In November, I also started to focus on creating with the flowers I had dried all season. Each season, I offer our dried-flower mini pumpkins just in time for Thanksgiving. I always enjoy crafting and sharing these adorably festive pumpkins with our community. I’m happy that flowers from our farm spread joy during the holiday and played a part in many celebrations.
And speaking of dried flowers, I also enjoyed co-teaching two classes (in between all the farm chores) on preserving flowers through pressing and drying. It was terrific to see class participants getting excited about everlasting flowers and learning how to use these techniques in their own gardens.
Besides playing with dried florals, I also spent time processing and storing the dahlia seed I collected in October. My efforts yielded hundreds of seeds, both from open-pollinated blooms (thank you, whistling bees!) and my own hand crosses. I’m very excited to expand my dahlia hybridization work next season and can’t wait to see what new varieties bloom in 2026!
I also celebrated my 48th birthday the day after Thanksgiving this year! And our sweet pup, Maisy, celebrated her 15th birthday on the same day. After we adopted her all those years ago, I was looking through her paperwork and discovered we had the same birthday! I think she was meant to be in our lives, and I’m very grateful for the past 15 years with her. I wouldn’t call her a farm pup, per se; she’s more of a couch pup, but she’s been there through so many momentous moments in our lives.
Now, with winter’s arrival, I will hibernate just like the garden and jump into the planning phase of farming. I look forward to dreaming of the coming season and visualizing all the beauty and joy we will spread through our flowers in 2026. That’s what’s been growing on in our garden; what’s been growing on in yours?
THISTLE BE THE DAY 