Lessons Learned (…thus far…)
It’s mid-July and I’m shocked that I’m not overrun with dahlias, celosia, and zinnias. Just one of the zinnias varieties out of about 10 have really started blooming and only one of my dahlia plants (out of approximately 300 plants) has started showing it’s pretty faces. Things that make you go hmmm.
Japanese beetles are making me slightly crazy (note the zinnia row above), but the plants are generally looking really good. We’ve had what seems to me to be perfect weather with good rain and lots of sunshine. The flowers will come and I have no doubt it will turn out to be a perfectly acceptable first year of growing. When the flowers do come in I’m ready to start selling small bouquets at my pop-up location (details coming!).
The primary reason the flowers are slow to bloom is because I delivered them to Mother Earth much too late. I’ve learned so much in my first year of growing and we’re not even half way through the season. Okay, maybe I’m being a little optimistic, but if we get a late frost then I can get at least 10 weeks of flowers. However, optimism isn’t something to bank on and going forward I need to heed the lessons Mother Nature provided this year (so far!).
Timing is Everything! The last frost date in my areas is approximately May 17th. I’ve learned that I need to have all my plants in the ground by June 1st. Period. This year, well, the last 100 dahlia tubbers went in the ground last Saturday. Ope! It’s okay because they may not bloom this year, but the tubbers will be growing and next year they’ll have plenty of time to come to fruition.
Baby plants don’t like hot summer heat. Again, timing is everything. I start many of my plants from seed in April, but this year I also discovered the joy of purchasing baby plants plugs. I don’t have to grow everything myself (yay! a little less pressure), but same thing. Timing. They need to be planted in early June with everything else. It’s just too hot by the end of June. Out of 160 Daucus (aka Queen Anne’s Lace) I think 25 survived and out of 180 China Asters I think about 30 survived. Ope! It’s okay. Next year I’ll know to get them into the ground early and give them a little shade if the sun gets too hot.
Watering! I haven’t figured out my irrigation plan yet. Whatever I end up with it must be sustainable. I’m thinking maybe rain barrels with a gravity fed system, but I’m definitely not pulling ground water long term. Like I said, this year the amount of rain has been good. I’ve only really had to water right after planting until the plants are established. If I do need to water though I have a 30 liter sprayer that is battery operated that I pull behind my lawn mower. FYI - the lawn mower is named Johnny and the sprayer is named Aquaman. For now I do have to use ground water (Ope!) if I need to fill in for Mother Nature, but we’ll get the gravity fed system dialed in over the next couple of years.
Spacing! The weed barrier fabric is four feet wide. Two feet for planting and then one foot on either side for spacing. If you lay the fabric side-by-side that gives you a path between growing rows of two feet. Perfectly acceptable to walk through and allows you to maximize your growing space. Yay! However, since I didn’t run irrigation lines that is definitely not enough from for me to get in there with Aquaman to deliver water. Ope! Fortunately I figured it out before I laid ALL of the fabric and left myself some rows to get Johnny and Aquaman through. Some spaces will be tight once everything has grown up, but hopefully Mother Nature will keep helping me out.
I’m sure I have MANY more lessons to learn and I LOVE it! Out of everything I’ve done in my life to date it may not be the hardest (I’m looking at you law school!), but it has easily been the most fulfilling and gratifying.
While I (not so) patiently wait for the cut flower field to come into bloom I’m giddy with all the native perennials surrounding it. Those are in full bloom and are spectacular. They just make me and everyone who sees them happy.
The last two picture above may look like weeds and they actually have the word “weed” in their name, but I am so excited to watch them grow up! I planted 32 common milkweed plants and 32 swamp milkweed plants in a small prairie area and still have 32 more swamp milkweed and 32 whorled milkweed to get situated into another area. With the massive amounts of meadow blazing star I’ve planted and now all the milkweed I will not only be a Monarch Waystation but a full on resort and spa! Pictures to come!
Cheers and do good stuff!
Sonya
