Dirty Nails and Farm Dreams | City Farmhouse

Dirty Nails and Farm Dreams from our City Farmhouse a bit of an update today.

How about a free work out to go with your crazy ideas?

One where you scoop endless amounts of dirt into a wheelbarrow, then push said wheelbarrow across the uneven surface of the lawn and awkwardly lift it to dump. Then repeat exactly 101 more times. Did I mention it was a cool 90 out? Yikes!

A flower farm seems like a simple venture sure. But so far the work load is proving that notion wrong.

Somehow I said yes to this. I have a sore back and dirty nails to prove it. The new beds filled in the blank spaces and we are now running at full capacity for the main vegetable garden area. On this city farm, we grow eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, crookneck squash, green beans, and herbs. This will be the first year to offer veggie boxes.

I have other expansion ideas for future years but for now, this is a large enough space to maintain for one woman.

Or so I tell myself.

The Cut Flower Garden

The side garden is another story. It is a work in progress to say the vary least.

Before the changes, three small in-ground beds housed a few random items that were simply refusing to die from last year’s veggie patch. Within those, a few seeds were sown to fill in the blank spaces.

It was a myriad of items half-heartedly placedonn an otherwise blank canvas. Within a week, I have ripped those babies out and now a 25 x 4-foot flower bed has replaced them.

With the mountain of dirt behind me I can focus on packing them full of goodness.

As you might have guessed, I am picturing the fence lined with vibrant colors. Although I must admit, I am off to a slow start. Direct sowing in mid-June is late for California standards.

And as if that wasn’t enough the seeds I ordered are the saddest germinators I have seen yet. I ordered them from a reputable company, thinking that was a foolproof idea to ensure good germination.

Two weeks in, after sowing a second round and I am barely seeing anything. I was clearly wrong.

All I can think of each time I make my way out to the flower garden only to find dirt and a few tiny buds is how my cheap seeds from the hardware store are the superior ones. At least this year anyhow.

This particular area is for the floral bouquets I hope to offer from our farmhouse in the city. For porch picks ups, local drop-offs, and possibly some cute bouquet event, although I am likely getting ahead of myself here. I have never sold a flower in my life and my starts are pathetic. Sad to say.

The truth is no matter where you get the seeds these things happen. Any gardener will likely let you in on this little secret. We often learn this the hard way.

Over seeding is the only way around it. And even then, that is not full proof.

Being late to the game didn’t help but something sparked the idea within me. I want to be someone who pursues things without allowing fear to stop me. I want to pass this trait to my daughter who has been witness to my pursuits firsthand.

While I am not too sure how this venture will go, I am not depending on anything. Whether it is successful or not, it is a small step toward the bigger picture.

The area chosen for the masse planting of flowers is the entrance to the garden from the street. I imagine people entering here to come and enjoy this place as much as we do. Upon doing so, be welcomed in by rows of flowers. Sipping wine, and enjoying the peace that only a garden can provide.

For now it’s a blank canvas that is heavily sown with seeds and hope.

Time will only tell where this all is going. For now, I am just moving forward in pursuit to grow with my daughter at my side.

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