Wadding through all the seed and bulb catalogs that started arriving in November, I made my lists of plants that I THINK will be asked for in 2018. Of course, there are the staples, the bed and butter flowers, as they say that I always plant.
But this year, I am trying a few new ones and adding a few more 150 foot rows. My eyes are always bigger than my budget and much stronger than my back. As I have gotten all the ordered seeds, I wondered what the heck I was thinking. Our farm is mainly worked by Frank and myself and as
I have said many time, we are older than dirt, as they say. So using our strength and ability has to be kept in check to my big, big wish brain.
We started our lists on the counter again for 2018. What I need to do, what I want Frank to do. He is always so wonderful in putting what I need ahead of what he has going on himself. Like repairing the Gator, changing the oil in his tractor; burning piles of large limbs from pruning; getting his irrigation items together. I have ordered extra landscaping fabric that needs to be put down, but the field is still so so wet from the last 2 weeks of rain.
One section of flower rows needed the old landscaping fabric pulled up and the soil disked. Frank did that yesterday because we had one decent warm day. Today is another warm day but the forcast is another week of rain so we are moving around her fast to fit in a week's worth of outside work in a day.
There is no way to tell how the fruit season will be this year. The trees were budding out beautifully and then a cold snap. Then other fruit trees bloomed, like the nectarines, peaches but then we had winds and driving rains. The cherry trees are just about to bud, I bet it happens today with more rain coming. We shall see if we have any fruit this season.
Speaking of cherries. We have decided to take out about 50 pomegranate trees and plant cherries. Everyone thinks we are crazy because cherries are marjorinal growers here in Gridley, Califronia. But about 2 miles away, there was a huge, huge cherry orchard for years and years and they did very well. Unfortunately, a group of investers purchased that ranch and cut down all those old cherry tries and planted walnuts. And everyone in Butte County is growing walnuts. Seems to me in a very short period of time, there will be too many walnuts on the market. So I am taking a different approach and growing cherries. We shall see!!
I have geared up orders for our Flower Subscription for 2018. If you wish to receive a beautiful seasonal bouquet from our farm twice a month, delivered to you, give us a call. We have Early Spring subscriptions; Early Summer subcriptions; Summer; and then deliveries in Early Fall. Each group will have flowers that are growing at that time of year, cut straight from our farm, made into a country bouquet-delivered to your home or business.
Check us out on Facebook-Windmill Farm or Instagram. Or call us to order 530-846-3344.
Here are some photos of a few of my favorite arrangements, bouquets or wedding flowers that we did here in July and August of last year for your enjoyment. And if you need any flowers for an event; party; occation or wedding in 2018, think of us, your small and local farmer.
