What's Happening on the Flower Farm Right Now: Seed Starting and Spring Prep

While the flower field may still look quiet and bare, early spring is one of the busiest times of year on our backyard flower farm. Long before the first bouquets of the season appear at the flower stand, a lot of work is happening behind the scenes, for example, starting seeds, prepping beds, and planning for the months of blooms ahead.

Right now, many of our flowers begin their lives indoors under grow lights in our seed-starting area. Growing flowers from seed allows us to offer unique varieties that you won't typically find in grocery-store bouquets.

Each tiny seed is carefully sown into trays and given the right balance of warmth, light and moisture to help it germinate. Within days or weeks, the trays begin to fill with rows of tiny green seedlings. These seedlings will turn into blooms that eventually will make their way into our bouquets later in the season.

While seedlings grow indoors, we're also preparing the field and high tunnel for planting. This work includes:

• Removing leftover plant debris from last season

• Adding compost to the soil

• Shaping and spacing rows

• Installing weed barrier and drip irrigation

Healthy soil is the foundation of a productive flower farm, and these early-season steps help ensure strong plants and abundant blooms later in the season.

Winter and early spring are also when we map out the entire growing season. We plan successions of plantings so flowers bloom continuously, from late spring all the way into fall.

This careful planning allows us to harvest fresh flowers week after week for bouquets, events, and seasonal arrangements.

Flower farming requires thinking months ahead. The seeds we start now will become the flowers you'll see in our bouquets later this year.

So, while the field might still look like it's just starting to wake up from winter, the season is already well underway.

Over the coming weeks, seedlings will move from trays to the high tunnel and field, rows of green growth will appear, and the first blooms of the season will soon arrive.

I can't wait to share the journey with you and bring you another season of fresh, locally grown flowers.

Love and flowers, always - Aunt Bee