Author: Allie

This could be our last fully sunny day for a few, according to the weather reports, so I have been taking full advantage of the slightly warmer temps, a slight breeze and getting things done in the gardens before the Black Flies emerge for the month of May. But since the saying is “April Showers Bring May Flowers” I really shouldn’t complain now should I.

They say, the great bloggers and instagramers of the internet world, to put you face out there, so here I am holding my first posy of the year that I have grown. It is small, but mighty and it makes me smile.

Hopefully this will be the first of many flowers to be harvested. Sorry all, these flowers are for me. They do look awfully cute in a little vase though with some larch branches that are just starting to color up.

The fragrant heirloom narcissus are budding like crazy. I have seen no flower buds at all on the ranunculus no matter how hard I look. The tulips are looking really good. It will be a few weeks at least until they bloom but am I looking forward to that. I planted some really cool varieties, some doubles, a lot of parrots and I am really excited to see them in bloom and not just catalog photos. The sweet peas that were planted out last week are looking good, the flower seedings are commencing nicely and we have now put electric netting around the flower gardens to keep out the dogs. They too love flowers but more love running through them than enjoying them for their beauty.

‘Til next week, Allison

Now that April is here and there is no snow, except the few farmers snow, things are really happening here at the farm. The soil is 42 degrees, warm enough to start getting the cool temperature plants into the ground, so drum roll please…the first batch of sweet peas are in!

The next most exciting things happening at the farm is that I have two flower buds on the anemones! I know, it doesn’t sound like much to you I am sure, but I have nurtured these babies since November. I can not tell you how exciting this is for me.

Third but not last of the most exciting things is that the fragrant, heirloom narcissus are getting flower buds. If these are going to be as exciting as I hope they are, this fall I will plant many more.

Those are just a few of the exciting things that are happening at Flowers-At-Lottarock. Seeding is continuing on, transplanting into cell pacs, spreading compost on the beds and mulching the paths. The second batch of sweet peas are just starting to germinate now so in another month they will be able to go out and join the others along with the stock and the larkspur. I am a happy gardener.

Flowers-at-Lottarock subscriptions are still available and can be purchased for $100. This gives you access to the “cut flower shop” on Tuesday afternoon and Friday mornings to purchase your ready made bouquets or bunches of cut flowers. The cards will act as a gift card, and when that balance is used up, another card can be purchased.

Also, if you know of anyone who you think would be interested, please pass the blog and website info to them. All flower lovers are welcome. It is a great Mothers Day gift, birthday or anniversary.

Until next week, Allison

So here we are at the last weekend of March. I have been busy in the gardens. I know that from this photo that it is hard to see, but, the sweet pea fence is up and the rows are marked out by the red flags. The center of the rows are marked by the poly rods, snow plow posts or electra-net posts. Just use your imagination.

The first batch of sweet peas are about to be planted. Certainly around the first week of April. The second batch have been planted and I am waiting impatiently as usual for them to germinate. I know, it will take a bit more than a day…

The second most exciting happening is that the very fancy tulips are starting to emerge from the ground. Again, look closely, can you see the green sprouts? Funny thing about this time of year. There is a lot of looking closely, maybe a bit of imagination and certainly a lot of will happening.

So here we are at the last week of March. Did you know that flowers were deemed essential by Gov. Sununu this week? Go flowers! And he’s correct. They are essential to our well being, especially now.

Lets keep calm and garden on.

I seem to have come out of last week’s Sadie disaster OK. Almost all of the rescued seedlings are not only surviving but growing. A big phew for Miss Sadie. As I had suspected, not all the seedlings are where they are supposed to be, but as they get bigger they will all be sorted out. As mixed varieties of course. None of the baby eucalyptus survived, they were just too small but everything else is doing well, although not in the numbers I was expecting, but it was really just a practice run anyway I tell myself. The real big first seed sowing begins tomorrow. I will be sowing seeds for spring and it will be snowing that night. Poor man’s fertilizer.

The sweet pea seedlings are growing nicely, will be getting their first pinch, ouch! Then they will being going outside into the high tunnel to harden off. I am hoping by the first week of April they will be getting planted into the cutting garden. The anemones and ranunculus are looking really good. They would be looking so much better if I could see flower buds. Patience.

Out in the cutting garden the fragrant heirloom narcissus are starting to emerge from the soil but no sign of the stunning tulips that I have planted. I know, it is early for tulips but it is just so exciting.

As soon as I get enough flowers to start to sell I will send out a newsletter, so make sure that you are on the mailing list and have your gift cards ready. This way you can shop with ease when you get the notice that we are rolling.

In light of the current world-wide disruption of normal life, we need to focus on the simple things that give us joy. After yesterday’s mini-disaster, the ability of plants to recover from literal earth-shattering events is astounding! Now who knows what flower will be next to a totally different flower, but at least they will grow and thrive together.

Of course, we have to watch these plants very carefully. Allie has been doing that for a very long time!

Disaster! Little miss ‘innocent’ Sadie was rummaging around in the dirty room and knocked over my seed germination contraption. Drat! Everything came tumbling down on her, she panicked, and got caught in it. All the seeds that were just germinating, or flats that had just been seeded all came crashing down into piles of pro mix. Drat. Needless to say, Sadie went into her room and Steve and I then spent a a good half hour trying to salvage what we could.

I then spent the next hour sifting through the piles of dirt, looking for seedlings that could be transplanted. I did salvage quite a few, at this point they are just cotyledons so I really won’t know what they are until they get their true leaves. The flats that were just seeded. Well, I am just going to keep my fingers crossed at this point. I have another big seeding at the end of the month so I just might have to bump up the numbers then.

On the good side, the grow lamps didn’t break, it was a trial of cold hardy plants, to see how early they could be planted out and I can always plant out the rescued ones when they are ready. Should still be early in the growing season.

Other exciting news on the flower front. The sweet peas are germinating and I have a very small flower bud on one of the anemones. These are exciting times!

The first round of flower seeding has begun. It is so exciting! The sweet peas have been soaked and are planted for germination, the stock, the first of the snaps and rudbeckia have also been sown. On deck are the larkspur seed that need just a few more days in the fridge, pretending that it is winter and then they can be sown. Oh this is just so exciting!

So last week I talked about the low tunnel inside the high tunnel, well here it is, and yes, building it was a learning curve. By the end of the season, we should have it all figured out to fit our space. No, we won’t be having 100 foot long low tunnels. not enough space between the rocks. Twenty foot rows are more like it here at Lottarock.

So the low tunnel in the high tunnel has already been planted with the third batch of ranuncs and second batch of anemones. As soon as the cover was on, which was right after we had hooked up the water, the plantlets were planted. Next week? More seeding. Stay tuned for more excitement!

Many, many, many years ago when I was a little girl, I was entranced with flowers. They surrounded my home, they filled the fields across the street, and they were inside our home as well.

Now I get to play with flowers all over again and they make me just as happy as when I was a kid. Thankfully, I don’t have to get all dressed up to enjoy them.

PS. This was posted by Steve, a.k.a. the cheeky bugger

Here we are at March first. The day might be full of bright sunshine but the temperature has not gotten above freezing. Nor has it for the last three days, nor tomorrow. Hopefully by Wednesday we will be above freezing. Fingers crossed. I have found some daffodils up against the house foundation, facing south. Looks as though we have a ways to go yet.

Meanwhile, inside, the third batch of ranunculus have been soaked and are sprouting. Look closely and you will see little bits of green

These will stay inside for another day or two then will be planted out into the low tunnel that will be inside the high tunnel. Even though they need to be grown cool, our nights are still too cold so I am going to play it safe. This will also be our first adventure on constructing a low tunnel. This will be interesting. Stay tuned.

We are fine tuning our bouquet subscription and farm gate sales details and hope to have the details out by mid March. Oh all of this is just so exciting. ‘Til next time.

It is hard to believe that looking at the above image that this space will be undergoing a huge transformation. Rocks will hopefully be moved, stumps removed, and the surrounding shrubs will be replanted into a new garden space. All timing is dependent on getting the machinery in as soon as the roads are no longer posted for heavyweight trucks. Then between the red flags, flowers will be planted. Yay! I can hardly wait. I must be pacing the areas about three times a day planning, planning, planning.

And here is a bit of free form ice art in the donkey pasture.