It’s about time that I write about becoming a Florida flower farm, the journey for Lavender finding its name, and for me finding a passion that I am still developing. We planted 2000 Lavender Phenomenal during 2019; they arrived earlier than we were ready because believe it or not, farming is not an easy feat. Preparing the land by measuring out the mounds, bringing in dirt, putting in irrigation, wrapping the mounds in landscaping fabric to protect from weeds, burning the holes within each mound, and mixing good media…it ALL takes planning, time, and some serious labor. Therefore, becoming a Florida flower farm has been more challenging than we had ever imagined.
The Farm Beginning.
Our Lavender plants arrived before we were actually ready for them. They sat in little pots under the tree out front and were likely shocked when we pulled them up to plant. When we asked for help, so many friends showed up to help us plant our precious babies! The amount of support that showed up to help us to become a Florida flower farm still gets me teary, from former students and their families, to neighborhood friends, to new friends…the outpouring of love was indescribable.
We were able to harvest a lot of Lavender in the beginning, but throughout the rest of 2019 and into 2020, we slowly started to watch them die in patches. Ultimately, the majority of them did not make it. We felt devastated. I called a Lavender farmer in the Panhandle who gave me excellent advice, however, and a few of our original Lavender survived to this day.
Moving With What We Are Given.
As life moves, you have to move with it. Jason and I don’t wallow for too long; as a unit the two of us always come back to finding the way through our challenges. We realized that this actually was yet another blessing; we could become a seasonal, fresh cut flower farm which meant that we would nearly always have something blooming. With research and time, we continued to add Lavender while adding Zinnias, Black Eyed Susan’s, Cosmos, grasses, wild flowers, and last Spring was my first attempt at Ranunculus.
The joke was that when my oldest daughter went off to college- ok, I admit, it’s just UCF which is literally 25 minutes from me, but still!-I planted the Ranunculus corms in her room so that I had a reason to go into her room to check on something.
I have learned to love the flower farming piece. The more dialed in we get with the building, the more I want to expand on this blooming love. I would love to have more seasonal varieties and be able to host bigger events and workshops that come along with being a Florida flower farm. You can read a little bit more about our farm here.
During June of 2023 we went to an agricultural conference at University of Florida to get some insight on how to grow Florida hops in hopes of partnering with a local brewery. We did get some hops, but were not able to sustain the process at that time; our plan is to try again soon.
Jason and I drove past a flower farm on our way home from the conference, so we pulled over. Check out Fancy Farms if you get a chance!
Planting our Florida Flower Farm for Spring 2025
I just planted the Ranunculus that I pre sprouted in my daughter’s dark and empty room- again. I planted them into the mounds a few weeks ago and this week has been the coldest temperatures that Florida has seen in a very long time. I am trying not to worry myself crazy about my flower babies!! This time, I tried some anemones, but I have to say….they don’t seem to be budging at all. [lStay tuned!!
Planning Art and Flower Workshops
To this day, we have done several pick and paint flower workshops, and I’m looking forward to hosting more as we get our footing with the building and events more grounded. I’m anxious to host summer art camps, flower arranging workshops, and wellness retreats.
Learning How to Sustain our Florida Flower Farm.
I’m the kind of person that likes to get things accomplished right the first time. One thing that being an entrepreneur has reminded me well of is this. As long as you are trying and doing your best in every moment…that is enough. You must learn with the “failures” and look for ways to be better because of the imperfections. Perfection is a lie. It won’t ever be perfect. But if you plant the seed, tending to it with the best of your ability, you can know that you will grow regardless of the outcome. If you don’t see the blooms, they are still there through a different seed and process. All you need to do is to keep trying.
Thank you so much for popping over to my blog! Those of you who may read my blog frequently, thank you so much! If you are a new reader, welcome! You will see that I fully support small businesses owned locally as I believe that we offer a unique and special experience due to our dedication and love for what we do. Therefore, I share the websites for 5 locally owned venues across the country. You can also check out this Wedding Venue Map.
XO
Shelley