12 days until spring...
After years of living in the high desert I have been conditioned not to fall for the first signs of spring. The inevitable subsequent snow and bitter cold temperatures have tempered my excitement over the years. And yet, it still invites some hope and a signal to start getting my crop plans in order.
Being a grower of things, no matter the scale, turns on an awareness and appreciation of the seasons and their slow changes. Also as a grower, the impatience of winter can grow heavy, even though I know it's all part of the cycle that gives me the opportunity to grow and rest.
The signs of spring have been more and more noticeable lately. The mountain bluebirds have reappeared, flickering their brightly colored plumage across my view. Hearty daffodils and peonies have been pushing growth for weeks now, defying the freezing temperatures. The angle of the sun has moved ever so slightly in the last few days and now intense rays beat into my office window around 4:30 pm. And just today I saw a big group of deer passing through the property, a sight I haven't seen in months.
As we inch towards the last frost, I am preparing for the first big push of seed sowing and my crop plans are being finalized. With SO many amazing varieties of flowers out there, I simply cannot pick favorites, so my offerings will include a little bit of everything with a heavy dose of dahlias.
The spring will also include a sizable expansion of the cut flower garden, and much to my husband's delight, will require some heavy machinery! A lot of hard work awaits us in April, but I know it will be worth it when I put my first bouquet in someone's hands this spring.
My first offerings will come towards the end of May as I harvest ranunculus and anemones and more. I have some fun pop-ups in the works and will be collaborating with the Central Oregon Flower Collective and the other amazing local growers to bring you all the flowers and fun events throughout the harvest season. If you want to stay in the loop and be the first to know, please sign up for my email list. That is where I will be sharing updates first and I promise I won't spam you!
And be sure to follow along on Instagram to see the seed starting journey, garden expansion and my other random nature musings.
I hope you are finding the sunshine and seeing those beautiful first signs of growth!
Thanks for being here.
-Emily
