January marked the end of my rookie year on the farm, but gosh, did I learn a lot! I am still in my first season of cool flowers. Cool flowers mean spring bloomers, not the usual summer stuff like cosmos and zinnias, but Bells of Ireland, and Dephinium and Ranunculus. OMG yes please! However, there is a big catch. Mother Nature. She must be going through menopause. We had a polar vortex in January and now in February it is going to be 94 degrees this week. What the WHAT?! I have worked so hard to sow these precious babies in the fall, toiling over them with care. I put frost cloth on them, straw to mulch for warmth, and only 1/3 have survived. My Ranunculus are, correction were, the best I have ever seen. I soaked and soaked and planted 250 corms with loving care. I squealed when they broke the surface of the soil. I watered and loved on them and tucked them in with blankets and cloth...and nothing helped. Their 8 inches of greenery turned to mush. I was/am heartbroken. For the survivors, with the heat expected this week, I am hearing that they may not even bloom due to the stress. UGH! Stay tuned. I feel like each flower should cost $50 based on the tangible and intangible expenses for each precious one. My heart and soul is in that dirt. I have been listening to "The Comfort Crisis" on audible and the author cites a study saying that things people do with their whole minds and whole bodies are much more fulfilling than other things we produce. Trust me, my whole mind and aching body is all in! There is a huge commitment and sacrifice of comfort on the part of the farmer to see these babies through to the finish.
I decided it was time for a midseason performance review for these cool flowers. Take a look at what I had to say to my employees....
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