It’s the Little Things
From Rachel’s Desk | 12.27.24
And boy are they little. It’s seed starting time, and the little packets of potential are spread around and somewhat-sorted around my computer. Snapdragons, Mountain Mint, Lisianthus; each seed is about the size of a speck of dust. Even the most dexterous or patient (not I) can’t simply pick them up and sprinkle them on the soil. It takes a sharp pencil to pick up each seed, a bright overhead light, and as much focus as I can muster. Heaven forbid I sneeze, or let out an exasperated sigh, sending the snapdragons flying towards the dining room floor.
But boy is it cool when they do come up a few days later. Those tiny shoots of green are good for the soul.
I keep thinking about little things lately, and their huge impact. I’m naturally a big-picture thinker. It’s helpful to zoom out, but lately I’ve been trying to use the other end of the telescope. Each big undertaking is a series of tiny motions. Sometimes they are tedious, or meditative if you are lucky. One little alteration in the pattern, and your whole trajectory is changed.
Speaking of patterns, I’ve been on a bit of a crochet kick. This year I decided to give handmade gifts as much as possible, so I spent evenings stitching up wool hats. Ya’ll, talk about big impact. I think this Christmas was the best ever. Yes, I say that every year, and mean it. I got a little misty seeing everyone enjoying Christmas dinner in their warm hats, made of tons of tiny stitches. It was a happy and totally sappy holiday.
I hope you are having a beautiful, warm, and sappy if you like holiday season. Wishing you rest and relaxation in the new year, and thank you as always for following along as we grow this flower farm from the ground up.
Happy New Year,
Rachel Martz
Field Notes | 12.27.24
Dig, Water, Plan, Wait
The tulips and daffodils are nestled into the soil for the winter, and the seed starting room is filled with little soil blocks staying (hopefully) warm on their heat mats.
The cool thing about gardening in the South is there is hardly any time that you can’t plant something. Plenty of plants are happy to spend our milder winters outside, forming a deep root system that creates robust growth in the spring. One of the best windows for planting happens to be coming up, in fact. As a general rule of thumb, cool-hardy annuals grow well when they are planted outside 6-8 weeks before your average last frost. For us in Birmingham (Zone 8a) that’s about the first two weeks of February. Conveniently, that’s just about the time many of us get spring fever and could really stand to get our hands in the dirt. How about sowing Love-In-A-Mist, Sweet Peas, and Forget-Me-Not’s for Valentine’s Day? What could be more romantic?
So don’t let the cold stop you. If you’re ready to plant, your garden is ready for you!
