Omena Cut Flowers Blog

Where Has the Time Gone?

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 14:31:44 GMT

Friday Introduction

It's been a while since my last #FridayIntroduction. I'm Carolyn, owner and grower here at Omena Cut Flowers. This past summer marked 22 years in business. I started it when I was pregnant with my youngest son, who will graduate from MSU in May. Where has the time gone?

Despite or maybe because of Covid, we had our best year yet. As Thanksgiving approaches, I am grateful for all who have supported and encouraged me over the last two decades.

People often ask me, “Are you done for the season?” The truth is I am never 'done' until the weather forces me inside. There is always something to do out there.

November's mild weather has been an amazing gift. Yesterday it was sunny and 57--on November 19th! I enjoyed the dry crunch of peony leaves as I cut back and weeded an entire bed, and saw next year's red shoots ready to grow come spring--so hopeful.

Today I cut back pink phlox in the bed next to it, reminding me how landscape fabric has been an absolute workload game changer (see photo.) After this phlox was planted here some three years ago, I literally have done nothing other than weeding the holes and cutting back stems.

After two days of being back on my hands and knees again, I'm stiff and sore. But as every dedicated (and older) gardener knows, that's a gift too.

Rainy Day

Sun, 15 Nov 2020 14:31:44 GMT

A Rainy Day!

Cozy inside on a relentlessly rainy day.

Yesterday was sunny and 45 degrees, however. So we pulled up the last of the annuals and landscape fabric. Dave was sore after all that rototilling. We spread shredded leaves on these beds as I’ve run out of time and seed for planting winter rye.

These photos were taken out the window from our second floor—I love looking down on the progress made of putting the garden to bed.

I’ve yet to cut back any perennials; preferring to leave them as many of them provide seeds and shelter for the birds.

Leaves are such a gift from nature for improving the structure and microbial health of your soil. Use them if you can.

Two other tasks off the list include washing all of the gardening gloves and spreading Milky Spore.

This fall is third year I’ve applied this natural treatment which somehow kills Japanese beetle larvae. One teaspoon of powder every four feet down each row does the trick. I do believe it has helped to reduce the population of these beetles which have shown up just within the last 4 or 5 years. They can devour leaves of peonies, roses, zinnias very quickly.

And yes, I am a fan of lists! They really do help.

The Great Tulip Planting

Fri, 16 Oct 2020 13:31:43 GMT

So many tulips...in the spring!

The great tulip planting adventure began today. We managed to get 1600 out of 2000 bulbs into this raised bed.

The day began with wrestling "hardware cloth" (nothing like cloth, by the way) into a liner to keep voles out. Then came a thin layer of dirt, followed by placing tulips "egg crate style" in the bed. We covered them lightly to hold them in place; then our friend, Thad, from 2xt Services came to the rescue with his front end loader to top off the bed.

Tomorrow we will top the bed with more hardware cloth to keep critters out, and plant the other 400 in a trench that Thad dug in about 30 seconds.

The jury is still out on whether this method was a good idea or not. Time will tell. Cost of tulips, dirt, rebar, hardware cloth, dirt drop—$1,000+, not counting a full day of Dave’s and my labor. Anticipating the show come May? Priceless.

P.S. I’m told that the Darwin hybrids will come back strong (400 in this bed) but the others will only produce foliage next year so I compost the bulbs once they are pulled (easier to do in a raised bed). So these are a “one and done” crop—unlike daffodils which come back year after year.

The Pandemic

Tue, 13 Oct 2020 23:18:16 GMT

A heightened appreciation

Covid has had me working my day job for the Leelanau Conservancy from home since March. I miss office life and seeing my fellow staffers, volunteers and board members every day.

But as I sit here at my dining room table writing, one of the perks of working from home is watching the light and water change over the course of the day. What’s more, the view out every window takes in trees that seem to change color by the hour.

One thing the pandemic has brought is a heightened awareness of and an appreciation for my beautiful surroundings.