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Wow, what a week it has been! I feel as though I have spent all my waking hours trying to keep water up to all the plants, it has been so hot. The shrubs, the perennials that are in the holding beds, and my poor little seedlings that were doing so well and that I was so happy with have been scorched to death from the intense heat and wind that we had this week. I would estimate that I lost about 40 percent of the new seedlings that I had planted just last week. The intense heat, the small root system that hadn’t had a chance to take hold, and the wind, my poor babies just roasted, I can’t even blame Sadie this time. Just Mother Nature, and oh she can be soooo cruel at times.

Enough of my whinging. Things have been going well here are Lottarock Farm. I have been slowly spreading bark mulch and compost on my new space, figuring our what is going to go where, working out the paths and trying to take my time so I get it right the first time. Getting too old to be rearranging all this every year. I think I have the space now designated for the little spring bulbs, the narcissus, the perennials and the peonies. Might as well get it all in now, because time goes way too fast.

So if you didn’t know, we are called Lottarock Farm because we have way too many rocks, not little rocks, but honking big rocks, bigger than VW beetles! While I might have a lot of rocks, I am quite shy on soil, so in order to prepare these future flower beds I am doing a few soil building experiments. Beds are being spread with bark mulch which I have from the tree clearing and topped with compost. Other beds have compost covered with bark mulch, and other beds yet with cardboard, bark mulch and compost, and last barn poo, cardboard, (to keep the dogs out of it) and bark mulch. It will be interesting to see what happens. It will all eventually become soil, but which will be the fastest. This is all part of my “No Till” experiment. With No Till, I am keeping all the nutrients in place and not damaging the soil structure so the plants have the best possible environment to establish themselves and thrive. At least that’s the idea. We’ll see how it goes. The most important thing is that I get that little bit of soil covered. I had plans of sowing everything with a cover crop but with it being so dry I just think I would be feeding the birds with the seed since every drop of water is very precious here at the farm. That is another story.

So between hauling water non-stop and building beds for next year’s flowers I have been pouring over the bulb catalogs to see what fabulous spring flowers I can tempt you with.

So you are asking what is up on deck for the future flowers here are the Rock? Well the peonies are starting in. I need some heat, but not wicked heat because we want those beautiful blooms to last and some natural rain would go a long way. For the flowers and my body. Also many of the perennials and bi-annuals are starting to happen so I guess all I can say at this point is stay tuned to the newsletter which will give you all the details. I leave you this to tempt you.

Until next time, Allie

Phew! What a week this has been. I think I finally have the new space figured out. But wait! I haven’t shown you the final grooming of said new space. Here it is, taken from the drone. What looks like a lot of space shrinks down when beds, paths and tractor ways go in, but here it is for you all to see.

Today was mostly spent planting out the flower beds. Whether I have enough space when it is all said and done it yet to be seen. This is what happened today.

I know, there are a lot of open holes yet, but look at what still has to go in!

In the meantime, we are creating new beds that will be planted this fall at the earliest. I need a bed or two for the spring bulbs, a bed for the peonies, one or two for the perennials. Then the shrubs that got planted the other day along the left side and back that will be used for cutting and adding to the bouquets. Lilac, flowering quince, physocarpus, oh that space will all be filled up soon. Then I will save some space off to the right behind the little shed for the pumpkins and gourds. Yes. it is a happenin’ place. A full happenin’, happy, beautiful space.

I have gotten a lot of lovely comments with photos of the flowers that you are taking home and making arrangements with or just taking beautiful photos of the flowers. Soon, I hope to be able to post them here so everyone can enjoy them. Especially my friends in Europe who can only enjoy them virtually.

We are at the tail end of the magnificent tulips, what a show they delivered. The anemones are still going strong and here is a lovely photo, not of the farmer, holding a bunch of rainbow colored ranunculas.

Until, next week. Allie

Well we are half way through May, phew, what a time we are having. I have been harvesting armloads of absolutely amazing tulips. Bicolored tulips, doubles, double fringed, a flower arranger’s dream. The ranucnulus are starting to come in fast and furious, the anemones are still going strong, the alliums are showing buds as well as the early peonies. Like I said, a flower lover’s dream.

I will never be a garden club flower arranger because I am not very good about following rules, but this bouquet was made from all flowers frown here at Flowers-at-Lottarock. There are a variety of tulips, ranunculas, narcissus, and then some beautiful magnolia, bleeding heart and spirea added because they were looking good in the garden at the time.

You to can make an amazing bouquet with an assortment of flowers from the farm, then just fill in with a couple of things from the garden and viola! In fact many of you are sending along pictures of the flowers that you have gotten and arranged. I love seeing this and am trying to figure out how to post them so they can be shared with everyone that is a member. All I need is a youngster to teach me what to do. So take those flower pictures, and send them along to my email allie@flowers-at-lottarock.com and I will try to figure out how to post them for you all to see. I think that this will be beautiful. Also important because many of those early tulips were sold before I got to see them open, and I think that would be fun as well.

The arrangements don’t have to be elaborate, even a stem in a vase will be lovely. It isn’t a competition, just I think you all would like to see what you are all creating. And as long as it makes you smile and happy, then I am happy. I leave you with this photo of my simple window sill posy.

To finish off, it looks as though we will have open flower gate on Tuesday afternoon this week. Like I said, I am harvesting bucketloads of beautiful flower stems. So stay tuned for the newsletter Monday night. Gasp, that is tomorrow! Hope to see you all soon, and your pictures of your created beauty. Allison

I have been flat out this week working in the gardens and ruminating about how all my new space is going to be filled. I have time still because the fine tuning needs to take place, but trying to wrap my head around the space and how to most efficiently fill it is challenging. When everything is raked out Steve will send up the drone so you can get a really good look at the space.

But how am I going to fill that space. High tunnel for season extension? Don’t think so much now, but I could change my mind yet again. I will need beds for spring bulbs that will need to be permanent, perennial and peony beds that will also need to be permanent, more annual beds and then the shrub borders. That new space is going to be filling up really fast that is for sure.

Meanwhile besides daydreaming of things to come, the immediate needs to be taken care of. The irrigation is finally hooked up and running. Haven’t needed it yet but if we don’t get some rain I will need to and we will be ready. Thank you to my darling Steve for helping me with that.

Then Friday arrives, and many of you made it to the farm gate open hours just after disaster struck.

I was going to be efficient and water the shrubs that had gotten transplanted into a new space between customers but as I was hauling my 65 gal water tank, the tongue of the trailer completely buckled, dropping the tank tap first into the driveway. All 600 some pounds of water had to be dumped out to get the tank out.

Anyway, by the time the first people came you could at least drive into the driveway. By later in the afternoon, I not only had a new trailer, but I was able to get the shrubs watered. Just in time for Saturday’s snow.

On the flower front the tulips are really starting to come in, the ranunculas are finally showing color, the amazing anemones are still going strong, and maybe the alliums? Time and the weather will determine.

Until next week, Allison

We had our first flower gate opening on Friday, May Day of course, and I couldn’t have been more thrilled. Many of you came out to give encouraging words, and better, become members and get flowers. It was supposed to be a cloudy and rain soaked day, but by the time we had opened Friday afternoon, the sun had come out. So had the black flies, but that is a given.

Besides being really excited about opening day, Garth was here with two excavators, creating havoc in order for me to plant more flowers and create more beauty. So, we went from looking like this Thursday night last…

To this. Quite the project. Garth has buried tons, no thousands of rocks, some the size of a Fiat or VW Beetle. No. Really. We aren’t called Lottarock for for our sand deposits.

Next week, when the big toy has been removed and it has been all smoothed out, you will see the after. It is really amazing this transformation here at Lottarock Farm.

But let’s get to the important part; The flowers. I will have a busy day or two in the dirty room transplanting hundreds of flower seedlings into cell pacs, and still do more seeding. I have to figure out the irrigation to get water to said flowers when they get transplanted out into the beds. First year learning curve.

The flowers themselves are really popping. Especially with the past few days of rain and now heat. I have harvested a bunch more beautiful narcissus, more anemone, and wait, wait, the ranunculus and the tulips are starting to show color which means, drum roll please, I will have them available for Friday. Here is a slight selection of the narcissus that will be, or were available

So, to finish up, the newsletter will give you the times that we will be open, and that will be posted the night before. At the moment I don’t foresee more than just Fridays, but who knows? But! I will let you know as soon as I know.

So for those of you who haven’t been here before, and I will say it again in the newsletter, we are at 76 Stoddard Rd in Hancock, and we will have a sign like this to direct you in.

Hope to see you all soon. Allie

What a crazy week this last week has been. Seeding and transplanting in the greenhouse, making garden beds ready for flowers when the time comes to plant them out and the biggest achievement, cleaning out the tool shed because that is where you all will be coming to select your flowers when the time comes.

So here is a before photo that Steve took of the tool shed. It was a catch all for just about everything. It still has to be a tool shed, but we also store the donkeys’ feed and hay in there, plus the mower, plus everything one needs for gardening and farming. Lets just say that this project was a two day project and will be at least two trips to the dump on Wednesday.

What a mess. Mess, yes, but I knew where just about everything was. Now that it is all organized, by Steve, I hope I will be able to quickly find things. It certainly does look better though and now we will be able to walk through it. And, I have an open bench to use as a floral workstation.

Back to flowers. Mother nature seems to be confused this April. We are having more winter like weather now in April that we did in March. And snow is in the forecast for tonight and tomorrow morning. Any of the daffodils that are at the gooseneck stage are going to be cut tonight. I just can’t take the chance that the snow will not flatten them. So keep you eyes open for a newsletter to let you know if I have enough for anyone on Tuesday.

The Anemones are slowly flowering, and the ranunculas are starting to bud. They aren’t showing color yet and if we get some nice days soon that might happen. The tulips are looking good and strong, and The sweet peas are looking very cold.

Here is this morning’s bouquet, and just think, soon, you to might have a bouquet to grace your table. That is if the weather cooperates and you have purchased your card (subscription).

Keep your eyes open for the newsletter. ‘Til next time. Allison

It seems as though this last weekend has been a day of snow, and day of mad working in the garden. I might have over done it a bit today. But since yesterday’s three inches of snow, I had a lot of make up time to do.

The flowers are coming in slowly. Honestly? I shouldn’t be surprised. It is still the middle of April and we are still getting “farmer’s snow” and for those of you who don’t know what farmer’s snow it is the last, or eventually last bits of snow that have nitrogen in it that is beneficial for the gardens. Enough. But then, I shouldn’t complain, look at what I have picked just before the last snow. I didn’t want them to get crushed by the heavy wet snow so I did what any gardener would have done. I picked them for inside. They are lovely.

So speaking of said flowers, one might ask, why on earth would I buy daffodils from Flowers at Lottarock when I have them blooming in my own garden? And the answer is, you can have the best of both worlds. You can still have beautiful flowers in your garden to enjoy from your kitchen window or when you are out patrolling for signs of spring, or… you can use your subscriptions and buy beautiful, preconditioned flowers to grace your kitchen or living room and still have plenty in the garden.

The Anemones are s-l-o-w-l-y coming in…when I was shutting down the greenhouse I think I might have seen a flower bud on the ranuculas. Dare I say Holy Crap! This is exciting. More than I can tell you.

So stay posted. If you are interested in getting farm fresh flowers that are locally and sustainably grown, please sign up on the blog and the newsletter. The blog hosts think I am a dud because no-one new has signed up. I just think it is because I have already entered you all because I think you love flowers. But soon, I would like it if you just signed up and show me that you re interested. I know my friends that are far far away just want to see what this crazy girl is doing and that is fine, but if you are interested, please sign up for the blog and the newsletter. That way my web host won’t think I am such a loser.

So stay tuned for the newsletter. The flowers at this stage which will be coming out are posies, and small bunches, and as soon as I have enough I will put out a note in the newsletter letting you know what is up.

I thank you all, and until next week, or the next newsletter. Allison

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.