Life on the farm
Spring chaos
Whew! April came and went! My days have been a blur…a typical pattern of spring chaos on the flower farm. It’s an enjoyable chaos but this month caught me a little off-guard with worry. My worry-list was already long, but then comparison jumped in and stole the show. Sadly, I was blind to see how much progress we’ve made in so many areas, I just kept feeling behind. We also lost a few important crops that I was pretty bummed about. Isn’t it just like that…one thing after another and then we start analyzing everything else and wonder what the heck are we doing anyway! I read a very helpful devotional the other morning and it reminded me that I’m focusing on the wrong thing. Here’s an excerpt from the author:
“Often, the wind and the waves of life can cause our souls to feel anxious, and uncomfortable in many ways. When our focus is on our immediate surroundings—problems, challenges, disappointments, and heartbreaks—the anxiety can envelop us and steal our joy and peace. The erratic motion of your lifeboat has caused you to feel seasick. But God's Word reminds us to set our sights on the far horizon, the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God's right hand. God's Word reminds us to think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.”
And then someone emailed a song to me and these lyrics jumped out at me:
“Season by season I watch Him amazed.”
Yes, I am amazed! None of this is done without Him and here I am putting all this burden on my shoulders. I have re-focused and feel so much relief! I hope this encourages any one of you that may need this reminder. Even if you are not a believer, I hope you feel encouraged.
Life on the farm
So, what is life on a flower farm in the spring? Here’s a “short” list and some photos:
Sowing thousands of seeds
Watching the weather
Cover and uncover rows for protection
Potting up plants
Wind
Dahlia cuttings
Watching the weather
Watering
Creating new beds
Weeding
Wind…chasing row covers
Watching the weather
Planting out
Mud…everywhere!
Spring peepers
Daffodils and tulips
Puddles for jumping
Tadpoles (sometimes in the same puddles for jumping)
Toads and salamanders
Tree swallows return
Robins
Flowering trees
Gentle rains
Fresh air smell
Porch swing back in action
Fresh eggs
Mud – still everywhere
The list goes on. Do you see that I don’t mention anything about the inside of the house? We’re pretty much outside all day long!
Beauty begins
Some exciting projects we completed – new frost-free hydrant installed, new pond, new rose field, u-pick field is halfway planted out, the barn is almost empty in preparation for the new store, and I’m sure I’m forgetting things. The hydrant was interesting because after Steve dug the trench, it rained for 2-weeks so we had a moat around the front half of the greenhouse. And I’m beyond excited to say that we have 2 piglets arriving to the farm in early May!! You will get to meet them at the u-pick…so fun!
We are super excited for what this season has to offer. We hope you are too. We need your continued support to continue this effort of local flowers to all the nearby communities. Please share our name to your friends and neighbors!
Humbly yours,
Steve and Leslie and kiddos
