Farmer, gardener, dreamer
This year of farming, so far, has been quite a challenge. Because of the unusually dry winter, none of our bulbs came up; no daffodils, no allium, no tulips. Along with lilac, those are the usual May staples. We didn’t get lilacs either because just as they were about to bloom, we welcomed a heavy, wet snowstorm. Our challenges are highlighted by the fact that we decided to change the way we’re farming this year. The plan was to go from neat rows in the back plot of our property to a more designed garden with a cottage feel at the front of our property. While this decision is the right one for us, it means a tremendous amount of work.
The back lot has the best eastern views of the sunrise, here you can see it with iceland poppies in the foreground
A sketch of our first level of changes to the landscape.
The goal
Our desire to move the garden into the landscaping in front of our home was driven by a few main factors.
Proximity. The farm plot is about 100 yards from our home. From this space, I have quite the lovely view, but I’m far from the necessities: a place to store tools, water, access to compost and mulch, and the ability to keep a close eye on the kids. The practicality of keeping your plants close cannot be understated for someone like me- a busy mom with a healthy helping of ADHD.
Rows. In theory, the plot behind our home (a perfect rectangle) would be easier to farm. And I think it was. Rows are easy to plan for and manage. However, without a tractor (we only have a heavy-duty mower), it’s not as easy as it should be, and to utilize the full space, an expensive tractor would be required.
Aesthetics. The rows were pretty when flowering, a very blissful farm experience. But because we couldn’t farm the entire plot, the surrounding space was riddled with weeds and dirt. I can live with this but it’s more about what’s possible out front. Our home is tucked back onto our property behind such potential-filled space. We are surrounded by tall trees, bird houses, gazebos, a rock garden, a pool… all wrapped sweetly with a picket fence. I have been recently obsessed with the idea of owning a cottage garden and have been acutely aware that my goals for our property were to create a peaceful environment. A place that brings me and my family calm and joy. And last year our property felt anything but. The back plot had taken up all of our energy and our surrounding landscape had suffered severely from our neglect. We have enough space out front, so we decided to aim for a cottage cutting garden, and we are starting from scratch. There’s almost no grass, no lovely plants, just dirt and weeds that produce millions of sharp burrs. We have our work cut out for us.
Sharing. We want to share our garden with others. It’s my dream to host dinner parties, brunches, and coffee dates in my very own garden. We also want to share our flowers with the bees and the birds. We want to create a microclimate that serves the environment and builds up our soil and the air we breathe.
The current state of affairs in the front landscaping.
A different kind of beginning
The result of our pivot, and the weather, has been less harvestable flowers so far. But our goal is not simply to harvest flowers but to create a haven full of blooms that lasts for years to come, sometimes that requires what only time can give. For this reason, we may have little to no events this year, and that’s okay. The vision might be hard for many to see but I’m confident that what’s to come will the start of something extraordinary.
I’m Rachel, and if we haven’t met, I’m the owner, along with my husband Jason, of Wishflower Farms and Floristry out in Brighton, Colorado. We serve florists with flowers and brides with beautiful wedding day flowers. If you’d like to learn more about us visit our about page!